Right-to-work legislation, social capital, and variations in state union density

Abstract

This paper exploits the variation in union membership among states to analyze the impact of right-to-work (RTW) laws on union density. The study is unique in its use of controls for employer opposition to unions, political affiliation, and social capital. These variables capture different dimensions of attitudes toward unions that can underlie both union density and the passage of RTW laws. We pay particular attention to social capital, which has not previously been used in an empirical study of union density. Our model explains over three-quarters of the state-to-state variation in union density. RTW legislation lowers union density by 8.8 percentage points, ceteris paribus. We conclude that RTW laws have a strong, negative effect on union density that is independent of underlying attitudes toward unions.