Kentucky has been a right-to-work state for nearly a decade. But now, some Democratic state lawmakers are looking to remove the laws they argue are hurting Kentucky workers.
The Bluegrass State passed a law in 2017 barring employers from requiring union membership as a condition for employment. Supporters of the law argued at the time that the policy protects workers’ right to choose whether to join a union and pay membership dues. Proponents also say right-to-work policies help attract new businesses to the commonwealth.
But Lexington Democratic Rep. Adrielle Camuel argues the law weakens union strength and makes it harder for workers to form unions. She has filed House Bill 585, which would effectively dismantle Kentucky’s right-to-work policy.
“When we talk about right to work, it changed the landscape as far as the ability for people to participate in or join a union, it was an effort to union bust,” Camuel said.
It is already illegal under federal law to require union membership for employment, but is some states workers who are not union members could have to pay union dues through “union-security” agreements.
Labor organizations like the AFL-CIO also push back on right-to-work laws, saying those policies are meant to shift power away from workers and towards corporations.
The year before Kentucky’s right-to-work law was passed, 11.1% of Kentucky workers belonged to unions. But union membership in Kentucky decreased after the law’s passage and bottomed out in 2021, when union members accounted for 7.2% of Kentucky workers.
However, according to data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, union members made up a slightly larger share of Kentucky’s workforce last year – with 8.9% of workers in the Bluegrass State belonging to a union.
Camuel said unions help workers make a better living.
“If you are employed by a company that has a union with that collective bargaining contract… there is a significantly higher rate of pay as well as extended benefits,” Camuel said.
According to data compiled by the AFL-CIO from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in right-to-work states have a 56% higher chance of fatality on the jobsite.
HB 585 was filed after a poll published earlier this year from the left-leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy found that around 60% percent of Kentuckians are in support of policies to make joining and forming a union easier.
Camuel attributes this growth in support to a better understanding of what unions provide.
“I think there's a resurgence of people realizing that whether you're a member of the union or not, a rising tide raises all ships. So I think people are realizing that they want it to be easier to join a union or easier to form a union,” Camuel said.
HB 585 was assigned to the House’s Committee of Economic Development and Workforce Investment in mid-February, but has not yet been heard in front of that group.
A similar piece of anti right-to-work legislation has been introduced into the state Senate. The measure titled Senate Bill 161 is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Gary Clemons, who also leads the United Steelworkers chapter overseeing Louisville. That bill has not been assigned to a committee.
