Right-to-Work States
| State |
Year Constitutional Amendment Adopted |
Year Statute Enacted |
| Alabama |
2016 |
1953 |
| Arizona |
1946 |
1947 |
| Arkansas |
1944 |
1947 |
| Florida |
1968 |
1943 |
| Georgia |
|
1947 |
| Idaho |
|
1985 |
| Indiana |
|
2012 |
| Iowa |
|
1947 |
| Kansas |
1958 |
|
| Kentucky |
|
2017 |
| Louisiana |
|
1976 |
| Mississippi |
1960 |
1954 |
| Nebraska |
1946 |
1947 |
| Nevada |
|
1952 |
| North Carolina |
|
1947 |
| North Dakota |
|
1947 |
| Oklahoma |
2001 |
2001 |
| South Carolina |
|
1954 |
| South Dakota |
1946 |
1947 |
| Tennessee |
2022 |
1947 |
| Texas |
|
1993 |
| Utah |
|
1955 |
| Virginia |
|
1947 |
| Wisconsin |
|
2015 |
| West Virginia |
|
2016 |
| Wyoming |
|
1963 |
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Labor, state websites
State Legislative Action
2017 Legislation
Kentucky became the 27th right-to-work state when it enacted HB 1 on Jan. 9, 2017.
2015 Legislation
Wisconsin became the 25th right-to-work state, with a bill that was signed into law on March 9, 2015. Track 2015 legislative bills in our collective bargaining database.
2014 Legislation
Summary: During the 2014 legislative session, bills related to right to work were introduced in 20 states but no additional states became right-to-work states. The only state to enact a related law was Tennessee, which adopted a right-to-work statute in 1947. The 2014 law prohibits any unit of government from enacting ordinances or regulations that infringe on rights guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act, including provisions related to collective bargaining.
2013 Legislation
Summary: Right-to-work legislation was introduced in 21 states during the 2013 legislative session, as well as in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Congress. Tennessee was the only state to pass legislation, prohibiting waiver of rights to join or refrain from joining a union.
2012 Legislation
Summary: Nineteen states debated right-to-work legislation during the 2012 session. Laws were passed in four states, two of which either established or expanded right-to-work laws and two of which added enforcement or notice provisions to their current right-to-work laws. Michigan became a right-to-work state and Indiana expanded its right-to-work provisions from covering just school employees, to covering all private sector employment. The activity in the 2012 legislative session compares to sixteen states that considered right-to-work bills in the 2011 legislative session, although none passed.