Is there a higher rate of workplace fatalities in states with 'right-to-work' laws?
According to a 2017 study, "right-to-work" laws in the U.S. have "led to a 14.2% increase in occupational mortality through decreased unionization." The laws, in effect in 27 states, allow workers not to pay dues to a union, even if the union represents their workplace.
The study found that for every 1% decline in unionization in a state, workplace fatalities increased by 5%. It advised policymakers to "consider the potentially deleterious effects of anti-union legislation on occupational health." The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5,250 workplace deaths nationwide in 2018.
According to the 775,000-member International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, right-to-work laws deprive unions of the funding they need to provide members with safety training, and make workers who fear workplace retaliation less likely to report safety hazards.
