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Do right-to-work laws matter? Explaining the variation in union density among states

Abstract

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.

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right-to-work laws
union density
unionization

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