What is right-to-work?
Right-to-work laws protect the rights of workers who do not want to join a labor union. In Arizona, the right-to-work law prohibits employers from denying non-union members employment, according to the Arizona State Senate.
Furthermore, employers cannot fire an employee if a union forms and he or she decides not to join. Right-to-work also helps to close loopholes that the federal employment laws leave when it comes to unions.
Union-security agreements
The right-to-work law also addresses union-security agreements. These agreements make nonunion employees pay union fees to keep their job. While it doesn’t require them to be members, they still must pay in without getting any benefits of being part of the organization. In some cases, they may have to pay the full amount of fees charged to anyone joining the union.
Under right-to-work, employers cannot enter into union-security agreements or make nonunion members pay fees.
It is important to note that unions must represent all employee’s interests, even those who are not in the union. But the right-to-work law ensures they do not try to make employees who do not wish to be part of their organization pay.
Other points
Right-to-work laws help protect everyone since federal law already protects employees’ rights to join unions. Federal law says employers cannot prevent employees from joining or forming a union. They also cannot punish employees for union affiliation.
Many employment laws seek to ensure fairness in the workforce. Since federal law does not prohibit union-security agreements or protect those who do not want to join a union, the right-to-work laws step in to fill the gap.