On February 14, 2019, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the National Right-to-Work Act (S. 525).

The Act would remove language from the National Labor Relations Act, which governs private sector workers, and the Railway Labor Act, which affects airline and railroad employees.

Specifically, the Act removes language in the National Labor Relations Act that curtails the right of an employee to refrain from joining and supporting a labor organization. The worker no longer has the right if there is an agreement between the employer and the union requiring employee union membership. It also removes language that allows an employer to make an agreement with a labor union to require employees to join the union. In the Railway Labor Act, the Act also removes language allowing employers and labor unions to make agreements requiring workers to join a union as a condition of employment.

This Act would help American workers because they would have the freedom to decide whether or not to join and support a union. However, the National Right-to-Work Act would not stop workers from joining or supporting a union.

As Dr. Paul says,

“The National Right to Work Act stands up for all American workers by ensuring their ability to choose to refrain from joining or paying dues to a union as a condition for employment. It respects their fundamental right to freedom of association, and it is time for the federal government to follow the lead of Kentucky and other states by passing Right to Work.”

Sixteen Senators so far have co-sponsored the legislation: Sen. James Risch (R-ID), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY), Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND).

The Center for Worker Freedom and Americans for Tax Reform support this bill because it would restore the First Amendment rights of workers and allow them to choose whether to join and support a union or not.

Thank you to Senator Paul and the sixteen co-sponsors for supporting American workers!