Right to Work

Under the Taft-Hartley Act (the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947), right-to-work laws give U.S. states the authority to determine whether workers are required to join a labor union to get or keep a job, or whether workers can choose to work independently of existing labor unions within a workplace. The laws can also allow workers to resign from their union membership without losing their jobs. The laws apply at the state level only; currently, 27 U.S. states and the territory of Guam have right-to-work laws. The right to work may also refer to Article 27 of the United Nations, which requires that “State parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others, including their right to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible.”