Stand Up Against Attacks on Union Members
Why “Right to Work” is Wrong
Get the Facts About “Right-to-Work” Laws
The Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations’ Labor Education Program (LEP) jointly investigated the economic and policy impacts of adopting local “right-to-work” laws in Illinois. Two studies explore their findings.
- The average worker wages are $2.90 per hour (13 percent) higher in Illinois than in right-to-work Indiana and Illinois added 14,000 more jobs in 2014.
- Right to Work lowers workers earnings. Over 10 years, the effect of RTW on incomes would be a loss of almost $24,000 for all workers.
- Nationwide, union membership is correlated with approximately a 12-13 percent increase in earnings.
- Over time, the hourly wages of African-American workers would decrease by 2-9 percent, the hourly wages of women would fall by between 2-8 percent, and the hourly wages of Latino/a workers could fall by as much as 8 percent.
- Construction fatality rates in right-to-work states were higher than those in collective bargaining states.
- More people lack health insurance in right-to-work states.
- Right-to-work is not a major factor in where businesses locate.
- Fair share fee payers do not have to pay for political causes or other non-representation costs with which they do not agree.