New Hampshire stands as a beacon of freedom and fairness, yet thousands of private-sector workers are still forced to pay union fees against their will. This is an affront to individual liberty. Working people should be free to decide how their hard-earned money is spent.
Mandatory union fees are a relic of a bygone era. Americans today value economic freedom and personal choice, which is why right-to-work laws are so popular. These laws don’t ban unions or prevent collective bargaining. They just say that companies can’t force non-union workers to pay union fees.
More than two-thirds of Granite Staters support right-to-work laws, and 80% of Americans do. That’s because Granite Staters, like most Americans, value personal freedom.
Compulsory union payments violate worker rights. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in 2018 in Janus v. AFSCME that mandatory union fees for public-sector employees violate the First Amendment, as they force individuals to subsidize speech they may not support.
While this ruling freed public-sector workers from compulsory union payments, private-sector employees in New Hampshire remain ensnared in a system that denies them these same protections. This disparity is both unconstitutional and unjust. Every worker, regardless of their profession, deserves the right to decide where their money goes without government-backed coercion.
Beyond the fundamental issue of individual rights, ending forced dues is essential for economic growth—especially in regions like the North Country, where economic stagnation has left communities struggling.
How long have the people of the North Country talked about bringing manufacturing back? Well, that’s what right-to-work laws do. A 2021 study by Harvard University found that right-to-work laws increased manufacturing jobs by 28%.
Right-to-work laws also increase overall job openings, reduce childhood poverty and attract new residents.
Right-to-work states consistently attract more businesses, create more jobs, and foster stronger economic environments. According to the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, states that embrace worker freedom see higher job creation, increased investment, and greater economic mobility. If we want to ensure New Hampshire’s continued prosperity, and a better future for the North Country, the quickest way is to join the 26 other states that have already embraced worker freedom.
Studies show that workers in states that embrace worker freedom experience higher wage growth, greater job opportunities, and a more flexible labor market. Employers are more inclined to invest in their workforce, expand operationsand improve working conditions. States that enforce compulsory union fees tend to experience slower economic growth, higher unemployment rates and a business climate that discourages innovation.
Opponents argue that banning compulsory fees will weaken unions. But strong unions should not rely on coercion. When workers are free, unions that provide genuine value continue to thrive because they earn their members’ voluntary support.
Unions should have to earn their pay like everybody else. That accountability would make unions more responsive to their members’ needs, ensuring that they focus on real workplace improvements rather than political lobbying or bureaucratic self-preservation.
Right-to-work is not anti-union. It is pro-worker, pro-freedom, and pro-New Hampshire. Unions can provide valuable services to their members. But they are private organizations. In America, no private organization should get to take your money without your consent.
Only when workers are empowered to make their own financial choices can they be financially free. Ending compulsory union dues ensures that workers retain control over their own hard-earned money.
For many employees, union fees can amount to hundreds of dollars a year. Those are funds that could be better spent on their families, retirement savings, personal investments or even paid to a union that they choose to support. The point is that the worker should get to decide.
New Hampshire has always prided itself on its Live Free or Die spirit. Now is the time to prove it by ending compulsory union fees once and for all.
Joining the 26 other right-to-work states to become the only one in the Northeast will not only uphold the fundamental rights of workers but also strengthen our state’s economy, attract new businesses and create thousands of new job opportunities.
New Hampshire is committed to liberty, fairness and economic prosperity. As long as workers don’t have the freedom to choose how to spend their hard-earned pay, that commitment is a hollow promise. Let’s live up to our ideals and make sure every worker has the freedom to control every dollar he earns.
The North Country has tried for decades to bring manufacturing back. Studies show that when states adopt right-to-work laws, they experience a surge in manufacturing jobs. We can keep trying and failing to get the attention of manufacturers who are busy starting new factories in the half of the country with right-to-work laws. Or we can finally recognize reality, become the only right-to-work state in our region, and welcome the new jobs and economic growth that will follow.
