We got some pushback last week from our HOTLINE item on Republicans who are against right-to-work laws. Some readers don’t believe that Missouri Senator Josh Hawley opposes Right to Work, and others think that forcing workers to join a union is the only “fair” solution.

Here is the YouTube video of Hawley on right to work:

“I do not support right to work because I believe it is unfair to union organizers to negotiate on behalf of workers who benefit from the contract but are not in the union.”

One flaw in this argument is that many top performing workers do not “benefit” at all from union collective bargaining. The best workers – and employers know exactly who they are – often could do better negotiating wage and benefits on their own. All workers are not created equal.

As for the free rider problem, this is very simple to resolve: repeal federal labor laws that require unions to represent all workers in the factory, etc., whether they pay dues to the union or not. Union contracts should only apply to union members.

This gets rid of Senator Hawley’s “fairness” issue once and for all.