Tennessee Labor Day 2022: A debate about state constitutional amendment enshrining state’s ‘right to work’ law

Staff photo / Signs for and against unionization stand in a roundabout along Volkswagen Drive in front of the Volkswagen plant in 2019 in Chattanooga. Volkswagen workers that year voted 833-776 against joining the UAW in the biggest union bid in Chattanooga in the past decade. Staff photo / Signs for and against unionization stand in a roundabout along Volkswagen Drive in front of the Volkswagen plant in 2019 in Chattanooga. Volkswagen workers that year voted 833-776 against joining the UAW in the biggest union bid in Chattanooga in the past decade.

By Andy Sher, Dave Flessner September 4, 2022 11 min read

NASHVILLE — Tennessee has had a “right to work” law on its books for 75 years, but this November state voters will be asked to decide if they want to make it a part of the state’s constitution that no one can be compelled to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of their employment.

The effort is being led by Tennessee business leaders with the backing of Republican Gov. Bill Lee.

Former Gov. Bill Haslam, also a Republican, is serving as treasurer of the effort, organized as the Yes on 1 Committee. It has the active involvement of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry in promoting the amendment.

Opposing the measure is organized labor, which says enshrining the state’s 1947 law in the state constitution makes no sense because unions have never had plans to try to gut it.