Union membership may be in decline across America, but here in the Bluegrass State unions still have the power to force workers into becoming dues-paying members against their will. That means if you work for an employer who contracts with a union, you can be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment.
That’s outrageous. It’s long past time Kentucky follow the lead of 24 other states and pass right to work legislation. Right to work laws are simple enough. They empower employees to decide on their own terms whether they prefer to spend their hard-earned money on joining a union, or if they would prefer to take that money home.
Right to work legislation is smart policy that boosts economic development while advancing workers’ rights by ensuring workers are not forced to join, and thus aren’t limited by the dictates of a union.
We support right to work laws at every level of government-federal, state, and local. We’ve joined together to push for national right to work legislation in the U.S. Senate in the past. Recently, we again introduced the National Right to Work Act. And we see great benefits for Kentucky to pass a state right to work law. We were pleased to see the Kentucky Senate pass one, and we encourage the Kentucky House to take up and pass this pro-worker reform.
Local jurisdictions throughout the Commonwealth are fed up with waiting for a state or federal law that will provide them with the safety net from Big Labor they need. That’s why we support passing right to work legislation at the county level. Local jurisdictions should do everything they can to increase their own competitiveness, which is why we applaud the counties in Kentucky that have already taken this step.
Kentucky must compete for employers with neighboring states, many of which, like Tennessee and Indiana, have already passed right to work laws. Without a similar incentive, Kentucky will lose out in the race to attract businesses that create jobs in our communities. It’s no accident that manufacturing employment is one-third higher in states that embrace these policies, and that nine of the top 10 states for business and jobs in America are all right to work states.
Until Big Labor’s grip on workers and employers is loosened, Kentucky will keep falling behind its neighbors that have right to work laws. Over the past decade, growth in private-sector jobs in right to work states was 15.3 percent; in Kentucky it was only 6.9 percent. You might think that forced union membership would at least bring with it higher pay, but you’d be wrong: Compensation in right to work states grew at a rate of 14.2 percent, while in Kentucky it was only 4.3 percent.
At its core, the right to work is really about worker freedom. One survey showed that 80 percent of union members said employees shouldn’t be forced or coerced into joining a union. No one should be forced to join a union they believe fails to represent their personal interests.
Five counties in Kentucky have passed ordinances to ensure this protection is extended to workers in their jurisdictions, with perhaps as many as 20 more to follow as this effort spreads from county to county. We support them and hope that other counties as well as the state legislature will soon follow suit.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell is from Louisville and is Senate majority leader.
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is from Bowling Green.
This is a common sense way to improve Kentucky business and thereby attracting jobs that would other wise go elsewhere. Freedom not to be coerced into joining a Union is something all workers should be allowed to enjoy.