The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor Highlight

Every single Southern state has “right to work” laws. These laws technically mean that no one can be compelled to be a union member and pay dues as a condition of employment, and they are presented as a stand for freedom of speech and association. In reality, they exist simply because they make it harder for unions to organize, maintain membership, and achieve financial stability. They make it possible for employees to get all the benefits of a union contract without ever paying dues if they don’t want to—giving any free rider in the workplace a chance to experience the selfish joy that rich people must feel when they evade taxes. They are effective bureaucratic barriers to union power and therefore are the legal tool of choice for every state government that despises unions and wants to erode their existence on behalf of business. Thus, the South as a region has America’s lowest union density, along with the worst education and highest rates of poverty.