The National Right to Work Committee (NRTWC) is a non-partisan advocacy organization that opposes mandatory union membership and supports “right to work” protections against compulsory union fees. ¹ NRTWC advocates for the passage of the National Right to Work Act, which would prohibit compulsory union fees in all private workplaces,² and the Freedom from Union Violence Act, which would close a loophole in federal anti-extortion law that prevents punishment of union officials who use violence or threats of violence for so-called “legitimate union objectives.” ³

NRTWC claims to have a membership of 2.8 million supporters, with an average contribution of $59 to the organization. ⁴ The is the lobbying wing of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ⁵

While NRTWC is non-partisan, members of its board have affiliations with the Republican Party.

Activity

The National Right to Work Committee is a non-partisan organization that opposes mandatory unions and supports right to work protections. ⁶

According to its 2019 tax filings, the National Right to Work Committee spent $5,404,796 on lobbying and political expenditures to protect and expand state-level right-to-work laws. ⁷ While 27 states have right to work laws, NRTWC continues to lobby for the adoption of right-to-work laws by other states and on the federal level. ⁸ NRTWC claims that its ultimate goal of eliminating compulsory unionism will protect individual freedom, allowing citizens to work the job of their choice without being forced to join a union. ⁹

The National Right to Work Committee advocates for a federal-level National Right to Work Act, claiming it would support workers’ individual freedom by allowing individuals to choose whether or not to join or financially support a labor union. NRTWC claims that compulsory unionism allows unions to advance their own political agendas, damages competitiveness, and does not allow for job creation. NRTWC further claims public opinion supports ending forced unionism. ¹⁰

The National Right to Work Committee advocates for the Freedom from Union Violence Act to close a loophole in the Hobbs Act, which it claims does not hold union officials to the same legal standards as other Americans, especially as it relates to union-related violence and extortion. NRTWC further claims that compulsory unionism inherently creates violence and that the Hobbs Act prevents law enforcement from taking action in violent situations. ¹¹

Funding

The National Right to Work Committee is primarily funded by its members. According to its 2019 tax filings, NRTWC received $7,778,226 in membership dues. ¹² NRTWC claims to have a membership of 2.8 million supporters, with an average contribution of $59. ¹³

Board of Directors

Morton Blackwell is the president of the Leadership Institute and the former executive director of the College Republican National Committee. Blackwell serves on the executive committee of the Republican National Committee and on the rules committees of the state Republican parties of Louisiana and Virginia. ¹⁴

Stephen Goodrick is a vice president and treasurer of NRTWC and the founder and president of RainMakers, a conservative PAC fundraising organization. ¹⁵

Mary King is a vice president for NRTWC as of 2021, serving within the position since 1992. ^{16 17}

Mark Mix serves as president of both the National Right to Work Committee and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. ¹⁸ Mix also serves as the executive vice president and treasurer of the National Institute for Labor Relations Research, the research arm of the National Right to Work network. ¹⁹

Greg Mourad is the vice president for legislation at NRTWC. Mourad formerly managed campaigns for Republican congressional candidate George Landrith and one-term U.S. Rep. Randy Tate (R-WA). ²⁰

Kirk Shelley is the senior consultant for state operations for Campaign for Liberty, formerly worked for the Oklahoma Freedom to Work Committee, and is a former guest speaker at the Leadership Institute. ²¹

Guy Short formerly served as a national delegate to the Republican National Convention from Colorado and was elected to the 2012 Republican National Committee Platform Committee.

Jennie Stephenson is the chair of the board of the National Right to Work Committee and a former client of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. ²²

1. “About the National Right to Work Committee.” National Right to Work Committee, 2021. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/about/.
2. “Fact Sheet: National Right to Work Act.” National Right to Work Committee. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/wp-content/uploads/issue-briefs/NRTWA-Fact-Sheet%20-Pre-Introduction.pdf.
3. “Fact Sheet: Freedom from Union Violence Act.” National Right to Work Committee. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/wp-content/uploads/issue-briefs/FUVA-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
4. “About the National Right to Work Committee.” National Right to Work Committee, 2021. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/about/.
5. “The Network: Virginia.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#VA.
6. “About the National Right to Work Committee.” National Right to Work Committee, 2021. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/about/.
7. The National Right to Work Committee, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule C, Part III-B, Line 2a.
8. The National Right to Work Committee, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part III, Line 4a.
9. The National Right to Work Committee, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part III, Line 1.
10. “Fact Sheet: National Right to Work Act.” National Right to Work Committee. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/wp-content/uploads/issue-briefs/NRTWA-Fact-Sheet%20-Pre-Introduction.pdf.
11. “Fact Sheet: Freedom from Union Violence Act.” National Right to Work Committee. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/wp-content/uploads/issue-briefs/FUVA-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
12. The National Right to Work Committee, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule C, Part III-B, Line 1.
13. “About the National Right to Work Committee.” National Right to Work Committee, 2021. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/about/.
14. “Morton Blackwell.” Leadership Institute, 2021. Accessed May 5, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/aboutus/Morton.cfm.
15. “Meet Our Team.” The Rainmakers, 2017. Accessed May 5, 2021. http://therainmakers.biz/our-team/.
16. “Mary Jenifer King.” LinkedIn, Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-jennifer-king-9957944a
17. National Right to Work Committee, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Part VII, Section A. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/510147724/202202169349300900/full
18. “Information for Media: Mark A. Mix.” National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, 2020. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.nrtw.org/bio-mam.
19. National Institute for Labor Relations Research, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.
20. “Greg Mourad.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 4, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mourad-7b390241/.
21. “Kirk  Shelley.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 8, 2021. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/training/contact.cfm?FacultyID=196487.
22. “About the National Right to Work Committee.” National Right to Work Committee, 2021. Accessed May 5, 2021. https://nrtwc.org/about/.