He joined the Amalgamated Society of Journeymen Felt Hatters, and in 1935 he was elected as its general secretary.
[1][2] In 1936, Worthington was also elected to the management committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions, and he served as its chair in 1949 and 1950.
He was also elected to Denton Urban District Council, serving on the body for more than forty years.
He served as a Labour Co-operative member, and was the first person to chair the council for three years in succession.
[1][2] Worthington retired from his trade union posts in 1967, already aged 75, and died six years later.