As Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee and the full Legislature debate Governor Evers’ Budget proposal, which includes the repeal of Wisconsin’s so-called right-to-work law, a new report finds that states with right-to-work laws have slower economic growth, lower wages, higher consumer debt, worse health outcomes, fewer apprenticeships and lower levels of civic participation than states that do not have right-to-work laws.
Read the report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute here.
The study finds that so-called right-to-work states have:
· 3% lower wages
· 5% less health insurance coverage
· 15% more people in poverty
· 26% higher consumer debt levels
· Slower economic growth
· Higher rates of on-the-job fatalities
· Lower life expectancy at birth
· Less investment in apprenticeship and worker training
· Lower voter participation and civic engagement
This real-world data showcases the far-reaching negative impact of so-called right-to-work laws have on state economies. It reinforces the need for strong union rights to provide pathways into the middle class and lay the foundation for improved economies where workers have greater financial security, more workforce training, and improved health outcomes.
Governor Tony Evers correctly calls for the repeal of right-to-work in his 2021-23 Budget. Click here to call on the Wisconsin Legislature to keep pro-worker policies like the repeal of Wisconsin’s Right-to-Work law in the Budget. It’s time to treat workers with the dignity and respect we deserve and repeal Wisconsin’s so-called right-to-work law for the health of our economy and the health of our workforce.
Comments