Take a look back at this post from April 25, 2018 for a view into the power of the Right to Work.
A recent study by the Jefferson City-based Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) estimates the average annual cost of living in 2017 for all 50 states. The National Institute for Labor Relations Research used MERIC’s data to calculate the average annual cost of living in Right to Work States and forced-unionism states. As of last year, 28 states are Right to Work—protecting employees from federal labor law provisions authorizing forced union dues and fees.
Here are the results:
how out of touch are big labor bossesUnfortunately, Missouri’s law has yet to take effect as a consequence of Big Labor’s so-far successful exploitation of an obscure state constitutional provision to prevent its implementation.
The 27 states with active Right to Work laws combined had a population-weighted cost of living 6.1% below the national average in 2017. Forced-unionism states combined had a population-weighted cost of living 20.9% above the national average.
(MERIC itself does not weigh states based on population size in calculating its indices.
For that reason, the national average for population-weighted states does not equal 100.)
On average, forced-unionism states were 28.8% more expensive to live in than Right to Work states last year.
The correlation between forced-unionism status and a higher cost of living is robust.
Not one of the 14 highest-cost states in 2017 has a Right to Work law. But the 13 lowest-cost states all have Right to Work laws, and in 12 of the 13 those laws were in effect last year.
Correlation does not equal causation, but there is a compelling case to be made that compulsory unionism actually fosters a higher cost of living.
Union officials wielding forced-dues privileges funnel a large share of the conscripted money they reap into efforts to elect and reelect politicians who favor higher taxes on and heavier regulation of businesses.
