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National Right to Work
| National Right to Work Committee | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Springfield, Virginia |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Affiliation: | Nonpartisan |
| Top official: | Mark Mix |
| Founder(s): | Fred A. Hartley |
| Year founded: | 1955 |
| Website: | Official website |
The National Right to Work Committee is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that describes itself as "the only national grass-roots organization in America dedicated exclusively to combating the evils of compulsory unionism," when employment is contingent upon joining a labor union.[1]
Background
The National Right to Work Committee was founded in 1955 by Fred A. Hartley, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey, in the wake of the passage of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act.[2] The Taft-Hartley Act modified the National Labor Relations Act to allow states to ban requirements making employment contingent upon joining a labor union.[3]
The National Right to Work Committee provided the following mission statement on its website as of July 2025:[1]
| “ |
The National Right to Work Committee is the only national grass-roots organization in America dedicated exclusively to combatting the evils of compulsory unionism. As part of a coalition of 2.8 million workers, small business owners and freedom-loving Americans, National Right to Work Committee members bring the power of grassroots pressure to bear on their elected officials in Congress and all 50 state legislatures. Their message is simple: No worker should be forced to join or pay dues to a labor union in order to get or keep a job — a belief shared by more than eight in ten Americans.[4] |
” |
As of July 2025, the National Right to Work Committee supported the passage of the National Right to Work Act, a proposed piece of legislation seeking to enact a national ban on requirements that make employment contingent upon joining a labor union.[5]
Leadership
As of July 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at the National Right to Work Committee:
- Sandra Crandall, chairman of the board of directors
- Cornell W. Gethmann, vice chairman of the board of directors
- Mark Mix, president
- Matthew M. Leen, vice president
- Stephen O. Goodrick, vice president and treasurer
- Greg W. Mourad, vice president
- John A. Kalb, vice president
Work and activities
National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation
NRTWC is related to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a nonprofit group that "provides free legal aid to employees suffering from compulsory unionism abuse."[1] The Legal Defense Foundation does not engage in legislative activities. Rather, it attempts to sway public labor policy through the legal system. The Legal Defense Foundation's website lists a number of United States Supreme Court cases that the organization has worked on, including the following:
- Abood v. Detroit Board of Education (1977)
- Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson (1986)
- Davenport v. Washington Education Association (2007)
- Mulhall v. UNITE HERE Local 355 (2012)
- Harris v. Quinn (2014)[6]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the National Right to Work Committee's revenues and expenses from 2004 to 2023. The information comes from Internal Revenue Service reports.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $7,582,465 | $7,436,979 |
| 2005 | $6,039,954 | $6,016,377 |
| 2006 | $7,990,676 | $7,538,042 |
| 2007 | $6,636,267 | $6,590,980 |
| 2008 | $9,119,458 | $8,342,391 |
| 2009 | $13,994,655 | $10,828,404 |
| 2010 | $14,971,791 | $15,588,428 |
| 2011 | $12,267,849 | $10,300,411 |
| 2012 | $16,236,323 | $14,498,410 |
| 2013 | $11,071,587 | $11,424,412 |
| 2014 | $13,653,045 | $12,866,294 |
| 2015 | $9,000,337 | $8,420,286 |
| 2016 | $11,599,787 | $10,679,607 |
| 2017 | $8,684,566 | $7,391,051 |
| 2018 | $12,316,772 | $12,756,146 |
| 2019 | $8,843,095 | $8,651,022 |
| 2020 | $13,273,024 | $9,977,103 |
| 2021 | $10,236,180 | $9,135,287 |
| 2022 | $10,943,623 | $10,597,790 |
| 2023 | $8,409,287 | $8,687,982 |
See also
External links
- National Right to Work Committee website
- National Right to Work Committee on Facebook
- National Right to Work Committee on X
- National Right to Work Committee on YouTube
- National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Right to Work Committee, "About The National Right to Work Committee," accessed July 25, 2025
- ↑ National Right to Work Committee, "February 1955 National Right to Work Newsletter Summary," February 1, 1955
- ↑ National Labor Relations Board, "1947 Taft-Hartley Substantive Provisions," accessed July 25, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Right to Work Committee, "Paul and Wilson Introduce the National Right to Work Act," February 12, 2025
- ↑ National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, "Foundation Supreme Court Cases," accessed May 7, 2015
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