Today NC Chamber President and CEO Gary J. Salamido issued the following statement regarding Senate Bill 1082, an act to amend the Constitution of North Carolina to ensure the right to work for all North Carolinians.

“No one in North Carolina should have to join a union or pay union dues just to hold a job.  North Carolina has protected the right to work without mandatory union membership since the 1940s. SB 1082 would enshrine that protection in the state constitution. To be clear, this amendment does not make unions illegal.  It does, however, protect our workers and preserve one of North Carolina’s longstanding competitive advantages.” 

More on North Carolina’s Right-to-Work Status

North Carolina has protected the right to work without mandatory union membership since the 1940s. Now, a proposed constitutional amendment, SB 1082, would strengthen that longstanding policy by placing those protections directly into the North Carolina Constitution.

The amendment would ensure no worker can be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. Importantly, the proposal does not make unions illegal or prohibit workers from joining a union if they choose. Instead, it protects a worker’s freedom to choose whether to join a union.

North Carolina’s right-to-work status has played an important role in establishing the state as a national leader in economic competitiveness and job growth. As outlined in North Carolina Vision 2030, maintaining policies that strengthen North Carolina’s business climate remains critical to attracting investment, supporting job creation, and expanding opportunity for all North Carolinians.

The NC Chamber will continue advocating for policies that preserve North Carolina’s right-to-work framework and strengthen long-term economic competitiveness.

Read more on the history of North Carolina’s right-to-work statute here.