(The Center Square) – A lack of pro-growth labor policies in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and other New England states are hindering workplace freedom and flexibility, according to a new report.
The American Legislative Exchange Council’s States that Work report, released Tuesday, ranked the 50 states on whether they adopted labor reforms like Right-to-Work laws, banning labor discrimination in public job contracting and protections for public sector employees who don’t want to join a union.
Massachusetts was ranked 49th in the nation, followed only by dead-last Alaska, over the state’s lack of a right-to-work law, protections for taxpayers, and prohibitions on paid union activity, among other market-friendly policies. The Bay State was ranked 41st for its $15 per hour minimum wage – which tied it with four other states.
New York (47th) and Connecticut (46th) also scored poorly in the group’s report, which also cited a lack of labor-friendly policies in the states with heavy Democratic bases. The Empire State was ranked 49th in the nation for having one of the highest percentages of union membership in the nation, or 63.68% of the state’s public workforce, according to the report.
Connecticut was 50th in the nation for union membership, or 67% of its workforce. Massachusetts followed closely behind, with 54.48% of its public sector, workforce unionized.
Maine was ranked 43rd in the nation overall for lacking many pro-worker policies, and placed 34th for union membership with about 38% of its public workforce unionized.
New Hampshire, the “live free or die” state, didn’t fare much better than other New England states, with the report’s authors ranking it 34th in the nation for overall labor policies. But the Granite State was ranked in a tie for first in the nation for its $7.25 per hour minimum wage, which is tied to the federal level.
Other Northeast states, including Rhode Island (45th) New Jersey (36th), also got low marks for labor policies, according to the report.
The report’s authors pointed to Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee as states that have taken “bold steps” to protect private sector workers’ right to cast secret ballots in union elections. Other states like Nebraska, Florida and Louisiana got high marks for approving “universal recognition” laws that allow licensed workers to work in other states without getting additional authorization.
Lisa B. Nelson, CEO of ALEC, said the report’s findings show that states which adopt labor policies that “respect worker freedom are winning the race for talent and economic growth.”
“While Arizona and Utah are embracing reforms that empower workers and attract businesses, states like New York and Massachusetts are doubling down on outdated mandates that drive prosperity away,” she said in a statement. “This is more than a ranking, it’s a wake-up call for lawmakers who want their state to thrive in today’s economy.”
ALEC bills itself as “America’s largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism. Comprised of nearly one-quarter of the country’s state legislators and stakeholders from across the policy spectrum, ALEC members represent more than 60 million Americans and provide jobs to more than 30 million people in the United States.”
