A new study released Monday by Marquette University found that right-to-work legislation would not provide any economic advantage to the state of Wisconsin, but would lead to serious economic and social costs.
The study, conducted by Marquette University professor Dr. Abdur Chowdhury, focuses on the potential effects of making union dues optional for members in Wisconsin by analyzing the effects of right-to-work laws across the country. The study estimates Wisconsin workers and their families could face a net loss of $3.89 to $4.82 billion in direct income. The study estimates lost tax revenue at $234 million to $289 million.
Walker, who approved collective bargaining restrictions for public sector unions in 2011, said earlier this month that expanding union restrictions to the private sector with right-to-work laws would be a “distraction” this year.
"While considerable efforts are being made by certain legislators to pass the RTW law in Wisconsin, the empirical evidence on the effect of adopting such a law does not support prescribing it as an economic policy tool," Chowdhury said in the study.
Chowdhury continued by noting that right-to-work legislation is a "shortsighted and superficial selling point."
A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Contractor Coalition said in a Monday statement that Chowdhury's report "is very consistent with numerous studies done throughout the country."
Currently, 24 states have right-to-work legislation, mostly in the South and West. Michigan and Indiana were the most recent states to pass the legislation, doing so in 2012.
