Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows that I am a big fan of the Office of Legislative Research, a little-known office at the Connecticut General Assembly.  They produce reports, backgrounders and items like that for legislators and release them to the public.

As a result, you can get some free research into topics that may be of interest.

While reviewing their recent reports over the weekend (it was a snow day), I found one done a few months ago analyzing “Right to Work” and the impact on various states.

As noted by the report, “Right-to-work laws allow employees to decide whether or not to join or financially support a union. Twenty-two states currently have right-to-work laws; Connecticut is not one of them. ”

The report notes that studies have shown that such laws have no impact (positive or negative) on wages. But it goes on to note that such laws appear to have a “statistically significant, positive effect on employment levels and job creation.” 

Studies show that right-to-work laws have a statistically significant positive effect on employment levels and job creation, including faster growth in manufacturing jobs and lower unemployment rates. This may be because right-to-work laws affect where companies locate and manufacturing plants open. For example, all new auto plants built in the United States in the last 10 years were built in right-to-work states.

The report does indicate that other scholars dispute this conclusion, however.

“Right to Work” made headlines again last night.  The Indiana House passed a “right to work” bill yesterday.  And the Wall Street Journal Law Blog did an overview as well.   

It seems very unlikely that Connecticut will ever approve — must less consider– such a proposal.  Governor Malloy would surely veto any such measure as well.  Will this movement, however, continue to pick up steam?  As the saying goes, only time will tell.