(Right to Work, Home Rule, D.C. Rule)
Employment law can be confusing when living and/or working in the D.C. metro. Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland all have their own rules about potential requirements for union membership. Here are the primary rules you need to know about these three states. Keep in mind that you will be subject to the rules and laws of the state in which you are actually working.
Washington, D.C., is the most flexible for unions and companies.
Workers in Washington, D.C., are not employed under Right to Work rules. This means that an employer is able to require an employee to belong to a union or to pay dues or fees to a union as a condition of employment.
Virginia is “Right to Work”
The state of Virginia is a Right to Work state, meaning that employees have a right to work whether or not they belong to or pay a union. Employers in Virginia are barred from requiring employees to be part of a union or to pay the union any fees or dues.
Maryland’s Home Rule
Maryland is perhaps the most confusing of all the metro. That’s because Maryland has a home rule that says municipalities are equal under the law and able to make their own laws and ordinances regardless of state law. Due to home rule, different cities in the metro may have different laws about unions, even if they are in the same state.
To learn more about union participation in the D.C. metropolitan area, contact us today or browse our site for more information.
