There are no states in the U.S. that are not at-will states. When people make a differentiation between states based on some at-will status, it's usually based

There are no states in the U.S. that are not at-will states. When people make a differentiation between states based on some at-will status, it's usually based on the number of exceptions a state recognizes, none of which are based on work councils, unions, or arbitration. In most cases, these are protections like: - you can't be fired for refusing to break the law - you have an implied contract (good luck proving that) - you can't be fired in bad faith or with malicious intent The last of those is considered the most broad exception, and is the least common. You want to work in a state with none of these exceptions? You're looking at Georgia and Florida. The longest period of time I spent in Florida was in a union shop. The largest exception to at-will employment in the U.S. is civil service workers, the second largest is non-unionized private sector workers with contractual exceptions. Whether working in a union or without a union, I've found that there are always people that work, and people that work the system. I received better wages and better job security as a non-union worker, but that may not be the case for others. I receive better benefits as a union worker (eventually the job security would come, but I have yet to see a union in which anything other than seniority improves job security). The only place I've ever seen freedom come into it is in how the law limits your ability to defend your professional reputation if you encounter a malicious or incompetent manager. Thankfully, I've never needed to test that.