I want to take a moment to address arguments make by those promoting so-called “Right to Work” (RTW) laws and the claim that such legislation would benefit New Hampshire. The evidence tells a very different story. Among the 27 states where RTW laws are in effect, wages and standards of living are consistently lower compared to states without these laws.
Take West Virginia, for example. When RTW was enacted there, it failed to attract new business or spur economic growth. Even West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice acknowledged that reality in stark terms:
“Really and truly, let’s just be brutally honest,” Gov. Justice said during a town hall meeting. “We passed the right-to-work law in West Virginia. And we ran to the windows looking to see all the people that were going to come — and they didn’t come. We got rid of prevailing wage. We changed our corporate taxes and we’ve done a lot of different things. And we’ve run to the windows and they haven’t come. We’ve absolutely built the field in a lot of different places thinking build the field and they’ll come, and they didn’t come.”
That admission underscores what the data already shows: RTW laws do not deliver on their promises. Instead, they weaken unions, suppress wages, and fail to attract the economic development their proponents claim.
The truth is, RTW legislation isn’t about workers—it’s about money. Outside interests funnel substantial funds to far-right extremists to push RTW bills that undermine labor rights and weaken unions. These efforts prioritize corporate profits over the well-being of workers and their families.
However, there is hope that the Republican Party may move in a new direction, led by emerging voices like West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore. Moore, who garnered the support of 15 trade unions, acknowledged the shared concerns of labor unions and rank-and-file Republican voters, saying, “The concerns of these labor unions, in many ways, mirrored the concerns of rank-and-file Republican voters.”
We’re also seeing a shift at the national level. President-elect Donald Trump removed RTW from the Republican Party platform and invited Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to address its national convention. Furthermore, Trump’s nomination of U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor demonstrates a commitment to labor-friendly policies. Chavez-DeRemer has a strong record of supporting workers’ rights, including co-sponsoring legislation to strengthen public-sector unions.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is also collaborating with O’Brien on a version of the PRO Act, which aims to restore workers’ rights to organize freely and bargain collectively for fair wages and workplace conditions. These leaders recognize that strong unions and empowered workers are essential to economic growth and prosperity.
If New Hampshire truly wants to attract new businesses and grow its economy, we need to focus on pressing issues like middle-class housing shortages, high energy costs, and the need for more robust trade and vocational education programs. These areas will make our state more competitive—not outdated, ineffective, and focused on ideologically driven legislation like RTW, which only serves to line the pockets of special interests.
The path forward for New Hampshire is clear: support policies that invest in workers, strengthen unions and build a thriving middle class. That is how we’ll attract businesses and create an economy that works for everyone.
