Ever heard of ‘right-to-work’? Well, about that…
So what happens when states pass right-to-work laws? Ahem.
While this video was made specifically about Missouri, it's something that should be seen in every state in the country where so-called "right-to-work" laws currently exist or are being considered at the ballot box.
It sounds appealing, right? I mean, who doesn't want a right to work, right?
So I guess the question is, who actually benefits from these laws — the people or the 1%? I'll let you take a look at this fact-checked video and then make a decision.
Fact: In right-to-work states, the average wage is $1,500 lower than in free-bargaining states.
Fact: In states that have right-to-work laws on the books, benefits like health care, pensions, and college tuition are less accessible than in free-bargaining states.
Fact: In states where right-to-work laws are in effect, corporate profits go up, while middle-class wages go down.
FACT CHECK TIME! There are several sources for the claims here.
1. An average worker in a "right-to-work" state makes $1,500 less per year. This checks out at Economic Policy Institute in multiple places, including "Average worker in 'right-to-work' state earns $1,500 less each year" as well as "The compensation penalty of 'right-to-work' laws."
2. Health care and pension benefits are less in right-to-work states. See above.
3. Union jobs provide a whole slew of things that nonunion jobs don't — from benefits to wages to time off. Again, Economic Policy Institute has the facts on that in "How unions help all workers."
4. If you need even more sources to back up the facts here, try the AFL-CIO, SEIU, and WrongforEveryone.com.
"In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right to work.' It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone. … Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights." — Martin Luther King, 1961