right to work?

[Thepreacherswife]

Originally Posted by jdslady

As someone who presently lives and works in a RTW state, I hope Missouri will NOT become one.
When you go to work you have to sign a paper stating that you are aware of Arkansas being a
RTW state and that your employer has the option to "terminate" you for basically no reason at all.
The workers have no recourse or rights. Unions??? Don't make me laugh.
I certainly hope that Missouri will remain a non right to work state, especially since we closed
on our house there last Friday and will (hopefully) be living up there before the end of the year.

There seems to be confusion between RTW and at-will employment.

All U.S. states already have "at-will" employment, so you can be fired for basically any reason unless you have an employment contract (many workers don't) or are covered under a collective bargaining agreement in your workplace. Of course, there are state and federal statutory exceptions to this rule (discrimination, public policy, FMLA, ADA, etc.)

RTW simply means that you can't have a "union shop" or "agency shop" - i.e., compulsory payment of union dues or the equivalent as a condition of continuing employment. It doesn't change the at-will doctrine.

When I lived in Missouri, My employment letter from the last job I had (2002-2008) stated my employment was "at will" - I could quit whenever I wanted, and they could fire me whenever they wanted. Now I live and work in Chicago, which is heavily union; Illinois is definitely not a RTW state. But I have no employment contract, and again when I started my job I had to sign an affidavit that basically reiterated the "at-will" doctrine - I can leave whenever I want, and they can fire me whenever they want.

[mrsgenealogy]

Very interesting discussion! Thanks, everyone!

I don't have anything else to offer except that.

Carry on...

[chrokee69]

Has a law, that I did not know even know we had until of recent years.
It is called right to fire. A company can fire you or let you go with out just cause. I had this happen to me at a company I was with for a few years.
When I was younger, a factory that I worked for said that WE did have a law of RTW law in this state.

[jdslady]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

So, and I am just asking, that that is better or worse in a non-RTW state than being forced to join a union to have employment? That no matter your preference, part of your pay will go to a union - one that you may or not agree with? Dunno,,, maybe there is need for a middle-ground area? Me, I just can't stomach the times I've seen well-known inept employees be protected by a union - sometimes at the expense of good workers.

Shadow, in my opinion, at least with unions you have some rights and a recourse if your employer does you wrong. In Arkansas don't even think about mentioning the word "union". The police department where I work has the Faternal Order of Police, but since I'm not a "certified" officer (just a lowly dispatcher) I can't join. Even though I have been out on workmans comp for the past several weeks they are still showing me on FMLA as well. That means (according to them) that they can go ahead and replace me if they need to. Can't help wonder if there was some kind of union they would have the same opinion.