Actually, when it comes to states with serious pension liability problems, there does seem to be a difference.There are only 5 states that don't allow collective bargaining for public sector unions. Of the 45 states where it is permitted, it's mandatory in 34 of them.
Now, according to a 2010
Pew Research study, there are 19 states considered to be in serious financial trouble when it comes to funding the pensions of state union workers. Of those 19 states, 18 of them allow collective bargaining and only 1 does not. The study also considers 16 states to be in solid financial shape when it comes to funding union pensions. Of those 16, 14 of them allow collective bargaining, while 2 do not. The remaining 15 states the study classifies as "needing improvement".
So, when it comes to funding union pensions:
* Currently, 40% of the states that allow collective bargaining are in serious financial trouble, compared to only 20% for the states that don't allow it.
* Less than 1 in 3 collective bargaining states (31%) are financially solid, compared to the 40% for states that don't allow collective bargaining.
As you can see, when you break the numbers down it shows there is a difference.