Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would prohibit workers from being required to support a union, making right-to-work laws the national standard. If enacted, the legislation would be a major challenge for organized labor, which has long counted on union-management contracts that force non-members to pay regular union fees.

Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Steve King, R-Iowa, sponsors of the legislation, said that joining a union should be the worker’s choice. “At least 80 percent of Americans are opposed to forcing employees to pay dues as a condition of their employment, and our bill would protect workers by eliminating the forced-dues clauses in federal statute,” Wilson said.