Earlier this year, Right to Work efforts were moving in fourteen states, buoyed by the GOP sweep of statehouses and legislatures in northern union strongholds. But as we move into the summer, only New Hampshire has passed Right to Work legislation and the Democrat governor’s predicted veto will likely hold. So what happened? Moderate Republican governors and legislators have literally begged Right to Work advocates to back off their efforts claiming they would derail other pieces of their pro-business agendas by stirring up a hornet’s nest of union animus. In many once promising states RtW legislation has not yet even made it out of committee as Republicans mysteriously distance themselves without explanation. And in heavily unionized states, Republicans have fought the legislation right along side Democrats out of fear for their political lives. There’s a good reason no state has gone Right to Work since Oklahoma in 2001 – nothing sets off the fury of unionists like a direct threat to the dues chute and unions will spare no expense and risk any alliance to keep the dues money flowing.
