In Alabama and Virginia, voters considered measures on Election Day to amend their state constitutions to bar unions from collecting fair-share fees from workers who opt not to join the union even though federal law requires unions to represent all workers in the bargaining unit. Voters in Alabama approved the right-to-work measure with nearly 70 percent support, while voters in Virginia rejected it, by 53 percent to 46 percent.

Unions in both states will see little short-term impact as each state already has passed right-to-work legislation. Proponents of the amendments sought to codify the policy in their respective state constitutions, making it harder to repeal in the future.

In South Dakota, which is also a right-to-work state, almost 80 percent of voters rejected an initiative that would have allowed unions to charge fees to nonunion workers for the services they receive under union contracts.

Right-to-work laws regained momentum in the United States after Republicans won sweeping victories on the state level in the 2010 midterm elections. Twenty-six states now have right-to-work laws on the books.

Bloomberg BNA, Nov. 9