National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation
Encyclopedia
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a charitable organization
that provides free legal assistance to employees who claim that their civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism
. The Foundation was founded in 1968 and has represented 20,000 employees in over 2,200 cases, including 14 trips to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The identities of donors are not disclosed, but some of its funding has been traced to conservative foundations.
, which prohibit trade unions and employers from making membership or payment of dues or "fees" a condition of employment in a collective bargaining agreement, either before or after hire.
The National Right to Work Foundation operates under the guiding principle that no person should be forced to pay dues to a union to get or keep a job.
Unions believe that the issue of mandatory dues should be decided in the collective bargaining process.
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Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that provides free legal assistance to employees who claim that their civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism
Union shop
A union shop is a form of a union security clause under which the employer agrees to hire either labor union members or nonmembers but all non-union employees must become union members within a specified period of time or lose their jobs...
. The Foundation was founded in 1968 and has represented 20,000 employees in over 2,200 cases, including 14 trips to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Funding
The National Right to Work Foundation is a public foundation that operates under the tax-exempt status of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code meaning it is eligible for tax-deductible donations. The Foundation says its supporters are "union members, former union members, independent employees, business owners, and others" and that individuals, corporations, companies, associations and foundations" are eligible to donate, but that the group receives no government support. It says it has received donations from "more than 350,000 Americans."The identities of donors are not disclosed, but some of its funding has been traced to conservative foundations.
Administration
- Mark Mix, President
- Stefan Gleason, Vice President
- Raymond LaJeunesse, Jr., Vice President and Legal Director
Right-to-Work Principle
Right-to-work laws are statutes enforced in twenty-two U.S. States, allowed under provisions of the Taft-Hartley ActTaft-Hartley Act
The Labor–Management Relations Act is a United States federal law that monitors the activities and power of labor unions. The act, still effective, was sponsored by Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. and became law by overriding U.S. President Harry S...
, which prohibit trade unions and employers from making membership or payment of dues or "fees" a condition of employment in a collective bargaining agreement, either before or after hire.
The National Right to Work Foundation operates under the guiding principle that no person should be forced to pay dues to a union to get or keep a job.
Unions believe that the issue of mandatory dues should be decided in the collective bargaining process.
U.S. Supreme Court Cases
The Foundation has represented employees in the following cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
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- 1977 - Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, 431 U.S. 209
- 1984 - Ellis v. Railway Clerks, 466 U.S. 435
- 1985 - Pattern Makers v. NLRB, 473 U.S. 95
- 1986 - Teachers v. Hudson, 475 U.S. 292
- 1988 - Communications Workers of America v. BeckCommunications Workers of America v. BeckCommunications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 is a decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that, in a union security agreement, unions are authorized by statute to collect from non-members only those fees and dues necessary to perform its duties as a collective bargaining...
, 487 U.S. 735 - 1991 - Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty AssociationLehnert v. Ferris Faculty AssociationLehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association, 500 U.S. 507 deals with First Amendment rights and Unions in public employment. Due to collective bargaining laws in some states , employees in the public sector are often required to either join a union or pay a “service fee” to a union Lehnert v. Ferris...
, 500 U.S. 507 - 1998 - Air Line Pilots v. Miller, 523 U.S. 866
- 1998 - Marquez v. Screen Actors, 525 U.S. 33
- 2007 - Davenport v. Washington Education Association, 551 U.S. 177
- 2008 - Locke v. KarassLocke v. KarassLocke v. Karass, No. 07-610 , is a court case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Constitution permits the local chapter of a labor union to charge a "service fee" to non-members to cover non-local litigation expenses if the expenses are "appropriately related to...
, 07-610 (2008)