While this sense of a right to work is not our primary focus here (it is more a legal question than a philosophical one), we can consider the soundness of this reasoning. Should new employees be required to join a union when they enter a unionized workplace? The “free rider” argument is to be based on a reasonable understanding of fairness. If one receives benefits from a process that entails costs, it seems only fair that you share the costs. Especially if there is evidence that workers would receive lower wages and benefits without the union, mandatory union membership allocates the benefits and burdens of union membership in a fair and equal manner.