On Labor Day, celebrate Iowa's Right to Work law

As Labor Day arrives, our country celebrates the backbone of our economy: America’s working men and women whose dedication and excellence keep us strong and free.

The residents of Iowa can also celebrate their state’s dedication to safeguarding the rights of workers. That’s because the Hawkeye State is one of 26 states with a Right to Work law, a common sense and straightforward — not to mention extremely popular — protection for workers.

Under Right to Work, no employee can be forced to join a union, or required to pay union dues or fees, as a condition of employment. This enables each and every individual worker to decide for themselves, just as they should, about their union membership and financial support.

Unions are free in Iowa to persuade workers to voluntarily join their ranks, but unlike states without Right to Work protections, union officials cannot threaten workers to pay up or be fired.

Over the last three decades, polls have consistently shown that 80% of Americans believe all workers should have Right to Work freedoms. Even 79% of current union members agree that union membership and dues payments should be voluntary, according to a poll conducted last year by RMG Research, widely-cited pollster Scott Rasmussen’s firm.

Fortunately, since 2018, an even larger number of employees enjoy Right to Work freedoms. In addition to the 26 Right to Work laws on the books, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in its landmark decision in Janus v. AFSCME, a case argued and won by attorneys at the National Right to Work Foundation, that the First Amendment protects government employees from being required to fund union activities.

It’s good news for employees that Right to Work protects each worker’s freedom of choice, but it’s good news for states and their communities as well.

According to analysis from the National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR), Department of Labor statistics show private sector employment in Right to Work states grew by 16.4% in the last decade (2014-2024). That’s more than double the stunted growth over the same period in states that permit forced dues. Manufacturing payroll jobs grew by 10.4% in Right to Work states, while these high-paying jobs actually declined in forced-unionism states.

Additionally, the NILRR analysis found that after adjusting for regional cost-of-living differences, people in Right to Work states have roughly $2,400 more in per capita disposable income than their counterparts in forced-unionism states. Right to Work states also enjoy a lower percentage of residents depending on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal welfare program, and far more authorizations for new, privately-owned, single-family housing.

Business experts consistently rank the presence of a Right to Work law as one of the most important factors companies consider when deciding where to relocate or expand, creating new jobs and opportunities in those states. It’s no surprise that Right to Work laws lead to better economic performance.

Without forced dues, union officials must be more responsive to workers’ direction, or else risk losing their financial support. This incentivizes union brass to put workers’ interests first, rather than focusing on political power and personal gain. Meanwhile, with forced dues union bosses can ignore members, knowing ultimately they will have to fund the union’s activities just to keep their job.

No worker should be forced to join or pay money to an organization he or she has no interest in supporting. This is the rule churches, civic associations, and every other private organization in the country must play by, and unions — made up of individual workers who freely choose to band together — should be no different.

This is why Right to Work laws are important. The economic benefits are a nice feature, but at heart, this is a matter of principle, of fundamental rights.

So let’s celebrate Iowa's protections for workers’ rights this Labor Day, because here, a worker can choose whether or not they want to support a labor union. This creates exactly what every American should want: More freedom and prosperity for all.

Mark Mix is president of the National Right to Work Committee and National Right to Work Foundation