Right to Work Laws
Q&A Radio: 16 December 2012, Question 1
I answered a question on right to work laws on 16 December 2012. You can listen to or download the podcast of just this question below – or check out the whole episode of Philosophy in Action Radio.
Do right-to-work laws violate or protect rights? Some states are attempting to pass "right to work" laws, despite massive union opposition. Under such laws, employers cannot require employees to be a member of a union – as often happens due to federal law. These laws aim to empower employees against unwelcome unions. Are these laws legitimate – perhaps as defense against unjust federal law or a step toward freedom of contract? Or are they indefensible because they violate the rights of employers to dictate the terms of employment?
My Answer, In Brief: Right to Work Laws sound like an excellent way to combat the coercive powers granted to unions by federal law. Yet in fact, one rights violation cannot be fixed by another rights violation. Even worse, such laws will help entrench the dangerous principle that employment terms can be overridden by freedom of conscience.
Tags: Activism, Business, Contracts, Ethics, Free Society, Government, History, Law, Rights, Unions, Work
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- Duration: 25:50
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Relevant Links
- Wikipedia: Right to Work Law, National Labor Relations or Wagner Act, and Taft-Hartley Act
- The Objective Standard: There is No 'Right to Work' Against an Employer's Consent by Ari Armstrong
- Right-To-Work Laws and the Modern Classical-Liberal Tradition by Sheldon Richman
- KevinMD: A physician takes his flu vaccine under protest by Dr. Doug McGuff
- Politics Without God: Muslims and Sikhs Show Arrogant Disdain for Patient Safety by Gina Liggett
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About Philosophy in Action
I'm Dr. Diana Brickell (formerly Diana Hsieh). I'm a philosopher, and I've long specialized in the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I completed my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. I retired from work as a public intellectual in 2015.
From September 2009 to September 2015, I produced a radio show and podcast, Philosophy in Action Radio. In the primary show, my co-host Greg Perkins and I answered questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life. We broadcast live over the internet on Sunday mornings.
You can listen to these 362 podcasts by subscribing to the Podcast RSS Feed. You can also peruse the podcast archive, where episodes and questions are sorted by date and by topic.
My first book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, can be purchased in paperback and Kindle. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck." My second book (and online course), Explore Atlas Shrugged, is a fantastic resource for anyone wishing to study Ayn Rand's epic novel in depth.
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I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].
