Illegal Forced Dues and Money for Politics

Worker Advocate Files Lawsuit to Force Disclosure of Administration’s Big Labor Ties

Will Collins — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:29:44 -0500

Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2009) – Because the Obama Administration has stonewalled a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted last April, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation filed a lawsuit today to compel the Department of Labor (DOL) to release information related to high-ranking officials’ contact with union operatives.

“The Administration’s apparent involvement with union officials fatally undermines the integrity of the Department of Labor’s rule-making and administrative oversight,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “The public deserves to know the extent of the close ties between this Administration and organized labor bosses.”

Employee Lawsuit Pushes Teacher Union Bosses to Refund Dues, Allow Educators to Resign

Will Collins — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:39:23 -0500

Louisville, KY (November 18, 2009) – Facing an embarrassing legal setback from rank-and-file teachers, Jefferson County Teacher Association (JCTA) union officials announced their intention to refund several educators’ forced dues and allow public school employees to resign from union membership during a new window period and terminate certain forced dues payments.

This announcement comes on the heels of a class-action lawsuit filed by Jefferson County educators with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation. The lawsuit, filed against the JCTA union and its national affiliate, the National Education Association (NEA) union, in U.S. District Court, seeks the return of illegally seized dues, a modification of the union’s contract to allow employees to resign from union membership at any time, and a regular notice from the union brass informing public school employees of their right to refrain from formal union membership.

Independent-Minded Employees Slap Teamster Bosses with Federal Labor Charges For Illegal Threats

Anthony Riedel — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:08:48 -0500

Auburn, Washington (November 17, 2009) – Two Alan Ritchey Incorporated employees have hit local Teamster union officials with unfair labor practice charges after the union brass illegally threatened them with imminent termination.

Gayle May and Patricia Allen, employees of the transportation, storage, and mail delivery manufacturer and supplier, contacted the National Right to Work Foundation after they received a letter from Teamster Local 117 union officials giving them only days to exercise their legal rights to refrain from paying union dues spent for non-bargaining activities like political activism, lobbying, and member-only events, even though they had already exercised these rights.

With help from Foundation attorneys, the employees – on behalf of dozens of other similarly-situated Alan Ritchey employees – filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board regional office in Seattle.

Teamster Bosses Face Federal Charges After Blocking Workers from Stopping Dues Payments

Will Collins — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:51:46 -0500

Orlando, FL (November 4, 2009) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a local worker is challenging Teamster officials’ efforts to block several UPS employees from opting out of union dues.

Dean Alamo, a Kissimmee resident and UPS freight employee, filed federal unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 385 union and UPS on behalf of himself and similarly situated workers.

Employee Hits Newspaper Guild Union with Federal Charges for Illegal Forced Dues Policy

Will Collins — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:35 -0500

New York, NY (November 2, 2009) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a local employee has filed federal unfair labor practice charges against the Newspaper Guild of New York Local 3 Union.

Jeremy Rosenbaum, a financial analyst at Standard & Poor’s, is not a union member and had previously exercised his right to opt-out of certain union dues. In July of 2009, Rosenbaum discovered that union officials arbitrarily stripped him of his objector status, forcing him to pay full dues.

Although employees can be required to pay union dues as a condition of employment, the Foundation-won Supreme Court decision Communication Workers v. Beck guarantees the right of workers to opt-out of dues intended for purposes other than union bargaining, including lobbying, political activism, and members-only activities.

Fort Jackson Security Guard Takes Courageous Stand Against Repeated Union Boss Threats and Abuses

Anthony Riedel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:37:45 -0400

Columbia, South Carolina (October 30, 2009) – A local employee of Wackenhut Services, Inc, a security service provider contracted with Fort Jackson, is fighting back against compulsory unionism after union officials illegally attempted to have him fired from his job for refusing to pay forced union dues.

In September 2008, Ronald I. Paul filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) challenging Wackenhut and International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) and its affiliated Local 339 union bosses after Wackenhut fired him in August 2008 for refraining from formal, dues paying union membership. The charges were eventually settled in December of 2008 and Paul continued his employment.

Employees Slap Teamster Bosses with Federal Charges for Blocking Their Attempt to Stop Paying Full Union Dues

Will Collins — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:53:01 -0400

Jackson, MI (October 28, 2009) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, three local employees have filed unfair labor practice charges against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 164 union for obstructing their attempts to opt-out of forced union dues.

Michael Vetrovec, Robert Harris, and Larry Kunk are employed by Perfection Associates L.L.C. in Jackson, Michigan. All three employees object to Teamster membership and attempted to opt-out of paying full union dues.

Because Michigan lacks a Right to Work law, employees can be forced to pay certain union dues as a condition of employment. But the Foundation-won Supreme Court decision Communication Workers v. Beck guarantees the right of workers to opt-out of forced dues intended for purposes other than workplace bargaining, including lobbying, political activism, and members-only activities.

Union Bosses Block Worker’s Attempt to Stop Paying Forced Dues When Resigning from Union Membership

Will Collins — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:05:25 -0400

Albion, Nebraska (October 1, 2009) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a local worker has filed unfair labor practice charges against the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 7476 union for blocking his attempt to stop paying union dues after resigning from union membership.

James Getzfred, an employee of Source Gas, resigned from the union and attempted to revoke authorization for union dues deduction on September 9, 2009. Instead of complying with his request, CWA bosses told Getzfred that he’d have to wait for a union-designated “window period” before he could opt out of union dues.

Nurse Hits Union Brass with Unfair Labor Practice Charges for Illegal Forced Dues Scheme

Nick Cote — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:01:04 -0400

Warwick, RI (September 23, 2009) – With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation, a Kent Hospital nurse has filed federal unfair labor practice charges against a local nursing union for illegally attempting to coerce her and other employees into formal, full-dues paying membership.

The charges come just as the nurses are seeking an election to strip the United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) Local 5008 union hierarchy of all power to compel dues payments as a job condition.

Employees File Federal Class Action Suit to Halt Abusive Mandatory Union Dues Scheme

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:28:33 -0400

Aberdeen, Maryland (September 21, 2009) – Today, two employees filed a class action federal suit challenging the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union’s nationwide policy requiring employees to object year after year to paying union dues they cannot be lawfully forced to pay.

With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation, Jacobs Technology Incorporated employees Rick Gorham and Robert Negosta are challenging the IAM union officials’ scheme intended to thwart non-union members’ legal rights to refrain from paying union dues for union electioneering and other non-bargaining activities. Foundation attorneys filed the complaint in Maryland’s U.S. District Court on behalf of the two employees and all of Jacobs Technology’s other similarly-situated employees.