Steelworker Union Bosses Slapped with Federal Charges for Continuing to Seize Dues from Worker’s Paycheck

Union officials ignore own rules to force worker into full dues paying union membership

Des Moines, Iowa (December 31, 2009) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a Bridgestone Corporation employee filed federal charges after his employer illegally diverted a portion of his paycheck to a local union to which the employee does not belong.

The case points out the need for strong and fully enforced Right to Work laws and other protections against forced unionism abuse. A few Iowa legislators have recently tried to repeal the state’s Right to Work law that makes union membership and dues payment voluntary – even though doing so would lead to employee rights violations on a massive scale.

Terry L. Welch of Polk City filed federal unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against United Steelworkers Local 310 union bosses and Bridgestone.

In October, Welch resigned from the Steelworkers union and revoked his dues deduction authorization. Dues deduction authorizations are used by union officials to automatically withhold union dues from employee paychecks.

Under Iowa’s popular Right to Work law no worker can be required to join or pay any money to a union as a condition of employment. Additionally, the union’s own dues authorization card allows Welch to revoke his authorization at any time.

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Iowa union bosses and their patsies in the state legislature are again taking aim at Iowa's longstanding and popular Right to Work law.

Sarah Swisher, Iowa political director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), recently told the Des Moines Register the real reason why union chiefs want to pass a repeal of Right to Work:

Unions want to be able to charge nonunion workers "reasonable" fees to help cover costs of union representation, such as when workers file grievances, Swisher said. She said the money would also be used to organize more workers, such as nurses.

"It certainly isn't for union halls or more union staff or higher wages for union staff," she said. "It's because we have a lot of workers in the state that need to be organized."

So there you go. Union bosses want more money so they can organize even more workers to get more money. While it is illegal for unions to charge nonmembers for any activity which union bosses cannot prove relates to collective bargaining -- and courts have found organizing to be unrelated -- a strong Right to Work law is the only true protection.

As many people across the nation make their New Year’s resolutions, one state representative in Iowa has vowed not to give up on employee free choice in the Hawkeye State in 2008. The Ottumwa Courier reports:

State Representative Betty DeBoef said the first major issue that comes to mind for the upcoming year is a bill the Iowa House will vote on.

“The one thing I really hope is that we do not pass the bill that will decimate Iowa’s 60-year-old right-to-work law. Iowa being a right-to-work state has served our state well. It provides a business-friendly environment for companies that want to come to Iowa,” she said. “Passing that bill would be a mistake.”

DeBoef warned of other ramifications if the Right to Work law is lost:

“A number of teachers I know do not support the agenda of the NEA and the ISCA [teacher unions], and they would be forced to pay dues to these unions even though they don’t agree with their agenda.”

For more reasons why Iowa’s highly-popular Right to Work law is so vital, please read this study.