MADISON, Wis. — Workers for Opportunity, a leading national initiative for advancing employee freedom, has named former Wisconsin state senator Leah Vukmir to its inaugural board of advisors.
Under the board’s guidance, Workers for Opportunity will continue to expand employee freedom through state laws that notify public employees of their rights, ensure employees have voting rights on union representation, and empower employees to exercise their right to withdraw from union membership without facing unnecessary or unconstitutional red tape.
“Individual liberties are a founding principle of our democracy,” said Board Member Leah Vukmir, “which is why I voted in 2015 for Wisconsin to become the 25th right-to-work state. I’m excited to now put that experience to use by joining Workers for Opportunity to promote employee freedom.”
Vukmir joins other newly installed board members including former Missouri State Representative Justin Hill, Indiana State Representative Heath VanNatter, former Florida State Representative Scott Plakon and Utah State Senate President J. Stuart Adams.
“We are proud to welcome a dynamic group of state leaders and labor reform champions to our new board of advisors,” said Workers for Opportunity Vice President for Strategy Lindsay Killen. “Their combined expertise and guidance will drive our mission to empower employees in states across the country.”
Workers for Opportunity’s announcement coincides with the five-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Janus v. AFSCME. The court ruled that the First Amendment protects public employees from being required to pay a union as a condition of employment.
Workers for Opportunity’s Labor Reform Success
In the years since the Janus v. AFSCME decision, Workers for Opportunity has led state-level reform efforts to advance workplace freedom and safeguard workers’ rights.
In 2023 alone, Workers for Opportunity celebrated major labor reform victories following years-long efforts in both Florida and Tennessee. Workers for Opportunity has also made strides on labor reform in Kentucky, Indiana, Alaska and Oklahoma, and supported reform efforts in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia over the past five years.
