right-to-work

[ rahyt-tuh-wurk ]

adjective

1. being or relating to legislation that prohibits employers from forcing employees to join a union or pay dues to a union if they are not a member of that union:

   The organization spearheaded right-to-work campaigns and worked to pass anti-strike laws in four states.

   Organized labor activists made demands to repeal right-to-work laws.

Word History and Origins

Origin of right-to-work¹

First recorded in 1890–95, for an earlier sense; 1920–25, for the current sense

Example Sentences

He once said he’d sign a national right-to-work law, he’s denounced prominent labor leaders like UAW president Shawn Fain, and he’s embraced extremely anti-union business leaders including Elon Musk.

From Slate

Additionally, labor leaders who have largely lined up behind Harris’ candidacy are alarmed by Kelly’s lack of support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, federal legislation that would expand unions’ ability to organize and collectively bargain, weaken states’ “right-to-work” laws and otherwise empower labor.

From Los Angeles Times

She is a dynamic public speaker; has achieved a number of long-sought Democratic goals in the state during her six years in office, including repealing Michigan’s anti-union “right-to-work” law; and has demonstrated her crossover appeal to Republicans by running a successful reelection campaign in a tough environment for national Democrats, including winning 9 percent of Republican women in 2022.

From Slate

Oklahoma and the six states whose governors signed the anti-union letter are all “right-to-work” states, which ban contracts requiring all workers in a unionized workplace to be union members.

From Los Angeles Times

They transformed Michigan from a bastion of organized labor that leaned Democratic into a toss-up state that, until recently, had a right-to-work law and put Republicans in control of all three branches of government for eight of the last 14 years.

From Salon