“Right-to-work” sounds pro-worker: the data tell a very different story

Pittsburgh hosts one of the largest Labor Day parades in the country. It is only fitting then that today’s post focuses on a new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign finds that America added more than 411,000 union members in 2025, the largest one-year increase since 2008.

The growth was driven overwhelmingly by Democratic legislatures that protect, restore, or strengthen collective bargaining rights. That stands in stark contrast to so-called “right-to-work” states with Republican controlled legislatures where laws make it harder for unions to organize and bargain effectively.

States with strong worker protections, like Pennsylvania, added nearly 305,000 union members in 2025 alone, compared to just 107,000 in right-to-work states.

And the consequences show up in workers’ paychecks. Workers in right-to-work states earn 6.7% less on average than comparable workers in states without these laws, a difference of more than $4,000 a year for a typical full-time worker. For workers at the lower end of the pay scale, the right-to-work pay gap can creep up to 15% versus non-right-to-work states. That wage penalty has more than doubled over the past decade.

Despite the name, “right-to-work” laws don't create a right to a job. They undermine working families at a time when wage growth lags far beyond inflation. The lesson is clear: when workers have a stronger voice at the bargaining table, they have a better chance of earning higher wages and building economic security.

Read more about the Pittsburgh Labor Day parade: https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-labor-day-parade-2026/