Anti-racism on the Factory Floor: Union Membership, Right-to-Work, and Racial Attitudes
Authors
Conn, Dallas
Mahoney, Alexandria
Burns, Thomas
Issue Date
2024-04-04
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Abstract
Right-to-Work's (RTW) left-labor critics have claimed that since its inception it erodes racial solidarity that is key to collective bargaining and democratic organizations. Current literature has shown that union membership correlates with more support for policies primarily supporting African Americans and positive racial attitudes among white members (Frymer & Grumbach, 2020). RTW has also been shown to decrease union membership in states where it is enacted, (Eren & Serkan, 2015). Union membership itself being disproportionately POC means that RTW in some ways already has racebased economic effects (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). However, there has been limited research on potential relationships between RTW and potential relationships to racial resentment among union members in RTW states. As RTW erodes union membership, it is essential to understand any impact this may have on the positive social effects of unions.