Springfield, Va. (September 26, 2001) – Oklahoma became the nation’s 22nd Right to Work state yesterday after voters approved a constitutional amendment making it illegal for union officials to force workers to join a union or pay any union dues as a condition of employment.

“Oklahomans reaffirmed what a vast majority of the American people already believe – that no individual should be forced to pay union dues in order to keep his or her job,” said National Right to Work Foundation Vice President Stefan Gleason.

Gleason also vowed the National Right to Work Foundation’s vigilance in making sure that Oklahoma union officials do not violate Oklahoma workers’ rights under the new law. “Union bosses spent $8 million on television and radio ads trying to defeat this referendum. They are not going to take this loss laying down.”

While the National Right to Work Committee continues to build support within the U.S. Congress and several state legislatures for additional Right to Work laws, the Foundation will continue to advance the rights of employees through the nation’s courts.

Additional information on the rights of employees in Right to Work states is available at https://www.nrtw.org/a/a_prime.htm.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.