Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Open Access
Do right-to-work laws matter? Explaining the variation in union density among states
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2003) Hogler, Raymond, author; Shulman, Steven, author; Weiler, Stephan, Weiler, author
Do right-to-work laws lower union density? This question is addressed with a cross-sectional model of the variation in union density among states. Control variables capture employer hostility to unions, social capital, and political ideology, so that the remaining effects of right-to-work laws are independent of state-to-state variations in social, cultural and political context. The study is unique in its use of state-level indices for employer hostility and social capital. The findings show that right-to-work laws exert a significant, negative effect on union density, with right-to-work states exhibiting union densities 6.6 percentage points lower than their otherwise identical counterparts.