Right to Work Sponsorship at All-Time High

Election Results Warrant U.S. House, Senate Roll-Call Votes

More members of Congress than ever before are cosponsors of federal legislation to repeal forced union dues. 

Thanks largely to relentless grassroots activism by members of the National Right to Work Committee, the number of congressional cosponsors of the National Right to Work Act surpassed its previous all-time high of 168 shortly before November’s federal elections. 

On October 22, Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) became the 169th member of Congress to sign on to H.R.1200 or S.532, the National Right to Work measures respectively introduced in the U.S. House and Senate by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in the 2023- 24 Congress. 

This legislation would repeal all the parts of federal law that authorize compulsory union dues as a job condition.

Committee Legislative Staff Delivered Constituents’ Messages to Lawmakers 

States currently have the option of passing Right to Work laws to exempt their own workers from these coercive provisions; the National Right to Work Act eliminates them entirely. 

If it passes, workers in all 50 states will have the ability to freely choose to join and pay dues to a union, but they could never be fired for refusing to do so. 

National Right to Work Committee staff used two main tools to recruit a record number of cosponsors for federal Right to Work legislation: the Committee’s candidate survey program, and petitions from Right to Work supporters. 

Before they are even elected to Congress, politicians have the opportunity to sign the National Right to Work Committee’s candidate survey and make their opposition to forced unionism clear to thousands of Right to Work supporters in their districts and states. 

Before the 118th Congress was sworn in, dozens of members had already pledged full support for legislation to repeal forced union dues. 

Throughout 2023 and 2024, Committee staff contacted members of Congress and their staff via emails and in-person meetings, informing them about the Right to Work legislation, and reminding those who’d signed the Committee’s survey about the commitment they’d made to their constituents. 

Committee staff also delivered hundreds of thousands of petitions from Right to Work supporters, so that lawmakers knew just how many of their own constituents had urged them to cosponsor the legislation.

In 2024, Voters Proved Yet Again That Right to Work Is a Winning Issue 

“In election after election, Right to Work supporters are holding on to their seats, while those who stand with union bosses and against the 80% or more of Americans who believe that union dues should be voluntary are losing their bids for reelection,” said Committee Vice President Matthew Leen. 

“As a result, support for Right to Work has steadily been rising with each passing election.” 

At the outset of the 119th Congress, there will be more members who have previously cosponsored or pledged to cosponsor the National Right to Work Act than there were at the start of the 118th. 

“The case for a roll-call vote on the National Right to Work Act is even stronger now that American voters have showed once again it is a winning issue,” Mr. Leen declared. 

Public Roll-Call Votes Are Best Way to Expose Politicians He continued: “Right to Work activists have achieved record levels of support because the Committee’s program forces politicians to get on the record through pledges and cosponsorship, so that they can be held accountable to their voters. 

“A recorded vote is the ultimate test of a politician’s commitment to Right to Work. 

“It cannot be faked or evaded. 

“The full force of Big Labor’s lobbying machine will be unleashed once Right to Work legislation comes up for a vote, and those who stand against that machine and vote to protect worker freedom will be greatly rewarded by their constituents. 

“House and Senate leaders should have a roll-call vote on the National Right to Work Act in the 119th Congress so that voters can know where each and every politician stands: with workers, or in favor of preserving union bosses’ privilege to force workers to pay union dues and fees as a condition of employment.”

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