Who is behind these anti-worker bills?

Politicians across the country are promoting these anti-worker bills as payback to their corporate campaign donors. So-called “right to work” weakens unions’ ability to serve as an advocate for all workers and a check against corporate greed — making it easier to pay workers less and increase CEO profits.

These lawmakers work with a coordinated network of special interest groups to provide the resources and research to pave the way for “right to work” and other bills that don't support working families.

The most well-known of these groups include the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Right to Work Committee.

ALEC

ALEC is a membership organization made up of state lawmakers and corporations that work together to develop legislative proposals which are then introduced by its political members in their state’s legislatures.

The organization’s leadership and membership includes executives from corporations like Comcast and Walmart that are notorious for their low-wage, anti-worker business practices, and is tied to heavy hitters like the billionaire Koch brothers.

So what’s their goal? Through bills like “right to work” and paycheck deception, they want to limit the rights of workers and their unions.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a member organization made up of more than three million businesses. It is also one of the nation’s most powerful lobbying groups.

Chamber members funnel money into lobbying so they can promote their agenda in Congress and in state legislatures. What’s at the top of their agenda? Campaigning against unions, fair labor practices, increases in the minimum wage and legal protections for America’s workers has been their top priority for over a century.

When states where Chamber members have businesses pass “right to work” and other anti-worker laws, they can pay their workers less and increase profits for CEOs and shareholders.

National Right to Work Committee

The National Right to Work Committee and its legal arm, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, are longtime proponents of “right to work.”

The committee is a “citizens’ organization” that accepts donations from supporters who agree with their mission (it is unknown who all contributes). Those funds are then used to build community support for anti-worker laws and lobby politicians to propose “right to work” legislation.

The foundation provides free legal aid to workers who believe they’ve suffered from forced unionism abuse in the hopes that the outcomes of these cases will establish precedent for national “right to work” laws.