Labour lawLesson 5 of 5 in the course Unions and collective bargaining

U.S. Right-to-Work Law: Union Security, Legal History, and Policy Debate

5 flashcards · 4 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson explains what right-to-work laws regulate, how union-security arrangements differ, and how federal labor law developed.

In U.S. labor law, a right-to-work law prohibits employers and unions from agreeing to certain union-security agreements. These agreements may otherwise require employees represented by a union to join it or contribute toward the costs of representation.

All flashcards

What is a right-to-work law in U.S. labor law?
A law that prohibits certain union-security agreements, so employees cannot be required under those agreements to join a union or make specified payments as a condition of employment.
How does an agency shop differ from a union shop?
In an agency shop, employees need not formally join the union but may have to pay representation costs. In a union shop, employees hired as nonmembers must join within a specified period.
What did the Wagner Act of 1935 do regarding union-security arrangements?
It allowed employers and unions to agree to arrangements including closed shops, union shops, agency shops, and open shops.
What did Section 14(b) of the Taft–Hartley Act authorize?
It authorized states, but not local governments, to prohibit union-shop and agency-shop arrangements.
What did the Supreme Court decide in Janus v. AFSCME?
In 2018, the Court held that public-sector employees could not be required to pay agency-shop fees to a union without consent.

Quiz questions

  1. Which 1935 statute established key federal labor-relations rules and permitted several types of union-security arrangements?Answer: The Wagner Act.
  2. Which workplace arrangement requires employees to be union members as a condition of employment?Answer: A closed shop.
  3. Under Section 14(b) of Taft–Hartley, which level of government may prohibit union-shop and agency-shop arrangements?Answer: State governments.
  4. What did the Supreme Court hold in Janus v. AFSCME about public-sector agency fees?Answer: Mandatory fees from nonconsenting public employees violate the First Amendment.

Based on the Wikipedia article Right-to-work law, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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