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Comment by ewillbefull | Hacker News Reader

Libertarians do not support right-to-work laws... they interfere with the freedom of contract between an employer and a worker.

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Your assertion is incorrect: http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2011/03/libertaria...

"What unions seem to be asking for is governmental protection from the free labor market. They are attempting to collude with government to force workers to pay up or lose their jobs. Voluntary union membership is a fine thing. Forcing people to pay for membership to a club they do not want to join as a condition of employment is not in the best interest of freedom and liberty."

Sorry, but no, you must have right to work laws confused with something else. The link you posted has nothing to do with the Libertarian Party, even a comment points out that the Libertarian Party has "not adopted a plank in favor of Right to Work laws" and that the column is "the opinion of the author".

I quote from your link:

> “We support the right of free persons to associate or not associate in labor unions, and an employer should have the right to recognize or refuse to recognize a union.”

Right to work laws prevent employers from mandating joining a union. To support right to work laws would be to deny the freedom of contract between an employee and a worker. Your freedom of association from the government gives you the ability to choose among employers who may or may not force you to join a union. And if you get a job for a business that does not mandate union membership, you can still join a union, as that is an exercise of freedom of association.

That is an inaccurate blanket statement. Some libertarians, such as myself, actually can be pragmatic. (I can't say I like right to work laws, but I think they are necessary so long as unions, which I think are natural and legitimate market phenomenons, are weak)

Edit: Right-to-work laws are not what I thought they were. What I meant to convey is that I am opposed to At-will Employment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At-will_employment)so long as unions are weak.

I think it's fair to say libertarians do not support right-to-work laws on principle, because the freedom of contract is used to justify dozens of other positions in their ideology. You cannot logically be a libertarian and support right-to-work laws.

Can you find a single local libertarian party or recognized libertarian organization that supports right-to-work laws? Can you find enough to challenge my "blanket statement"?

I was mistaken. What I meant to convey is that I do not support At-will employment as long as unions are weak.

(I believe the power of unions has been artificially weakened and corrupted by government interaction. Therefore I self-describe as libertarian, despite liking unions and disliking at-will employment. I concede that my politics are likely at odds with most self-described libertarian politicians.)

Putting aside the libertarian party I think FA Hayek is as libertarian as anyone in history and he supported right to work laws. Such laws make some contracts invalid and that's the extent to how they really operate.

I can't say I like right to work laws, but I think they are necessary so long as unions, which I think are natural and legitimate market phenomenons, are weak

I think you're confusing right-to-work laws with something else. Those prohibit private contracts which require union membership. In effect, they limit the monopoly power of large unions. (?)

You are correct.

I confused right-to-work laws with whatever the opposite "at-will employment" laws are.

To expand on this: The basis of a libertarian argument in favour of right-to-work laws would be that the employer-employee relationship should have just those two parties and be free from outside interference from another party (the union).

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