However, employing right-to-work laws could have a costly impact on women and people of color. A new working paper by Rutgers University professor William Rodgers III found that right-to-work laws hit the earnings of black and Latino workers the hardest because they are disproportionately represented in unions. Black women, in particular, make up 17.7% of public sector employment, and thus would suffer most.
That’s why the unions have gained support from a broad swath of civil rights groups.