Washington State

Statement: Washington State Court Blocks Compulsory Unionism Power Grab at FedEx Ground

Patrick Semmens — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:41:37 -0400

The following is a statement from Stefan Gleason, Vice President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, regarding today's Washington Superior Court ruling in Anfinson v. FedEx Ground. The court ruled the plaintiffs are independent contractors and are not therefore "employees."

"This case is nothing more than a Trojan Horse -- a union organizing tactic brought by lawyers allied with UPS and organized labor. The real goal of this litigation is to force FedEx Ground independent contractors out of business and instead turn them into 'employees' for purposes of forced unionization.

"Union bosses are desperately grabbing for more forced union dues -- and meanwhile UPS is buckling under pressure from its non-union competition.

Truck Drivers and Dockworkers Fight Back Against Teamster Union Intimidation

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:05:57 -0500

Truck Drivers and Dockworkers Fight Back Against Teamster Union Intimidation

Employees seek to throw out union after union bosses’ ugly campaign of harassment and coercion

Seattle, Washington (March 5, 2009) — Employees from nine collective bargaining units of Oak Harbor Freight Lines, Inc. have filed decertification petitions seeking elections to oust the Teamster union as the workers’ monopoly bargaining agent.

Washington State Appeals Court Upholds Teachers’ Right to Restitution for Dues Illegally Spent By WEA Union Officials

Patrick Semmens — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:50:00 -0500

Washington State Appeals Court Upholds Teachers’ Right to Restitution for Dues Illegally Spent By WEA Union Officials

After securing U.S. Supreme Court victory, National Right to Work attorneys pick up the pieces of an otherwise impotent campaign finance regulation

Seattle, WA (December 17, 2008) — A recent decision by a Washington State Court of Appeals, Division 2, has ruled union officials can be held liable for illegally spending teachers’ forced union dues under a now-effectively defunct campaign finance regulation.

Reminder: Time is Running Out for Rebates for Employees Under the IAM and Washington State Teacher Union

Anthony Riedel — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:04:10 -0500

Recently, Foundation attorneys notified employees represented by the Machinists union (IAM) and Washington Education Association union (WEA) nonmembers of their opportunity to reclaim a portion of their forced union dues from supporting the union officials' politics as determined by law and Foundation-won court precedent.

Employees Represented by IAM

In the National Right to Work Foundation's "Special Legal Notice to Employees Represented by the Machinists union", it states that:

Quick Hits - June 24, 2008

Will Collins — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:35:11 -0400

A few Right to Work-related updates from around the web:

1.) The Toledo Blade has a great editorial up on one city official's attempt to strong arm private contractors into blackballing non-union workers. Money quote:

Mr. Szollosi argues that because public money was spent on the property, the principles that apply to public construction should hold sway even after the property is sold to the private sector. But the only thing that would be accomplished by restricting development on the site to union workers would be to limit Mr. Dillin's ability to negotiate the best deal he can with local trade unions, raising labor costs and potentially putting the project in jeopardy.

California Seeks to One-Up Washington State by Forcibly Unionizing Grandmas

Justin Hakes — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:48:33 -0500

Following up on forced dues for foster parents in Washington State, another op-ed in the Seattle P-I this week says that the California Legislature wants to "unionize Grandma." The article states:

A bill pending in the Senate would create a union to organize family
members who provide child care for their kin and are paid by the state
so that mothers can work outside the home.

Furthermore:

Child-care providers who did not want to join the union would still
have to pay fees -- likely in the same amount as the union dues.

Most disturbingly, this extension of compulsory unionism is part of a broader trend:

The move in California is part of a nationwide strategy by SEIU and the
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Since
2005, governors in eight states have issued executive orders or taken
other action giving family child-care providers the right to unionize
and bargain as a group.

And in all of those states without a Right to Work law, those care providers must pay union dues. What a tell tale sign that this is all about the money that union officials must stoop to compelling payment of union dues from people taking care of their own families.

Forced Union Dues for Foster Parents?

Justin Hakes — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:42:41 -0500

You heard it right. According to an op-ed just run by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington State is considering subjecting foster parents within the state to compulsory unionism, which could cause some serious problems. The piece cites:

If forced to join, I predict foster parents already fed up with the
system will depart in droves. If even 20 percent leave already thin
ranks, it will be a foster care disaster.

The author also brands the idea as a "beachhead," and that:

Once a precedent is set, it will be easy to expand the scope because virtually all children in foster care are special needs.

Sounds like union officials in Washington are once again using the legislature to expand their special privileges rather than soliciting voluntary support of those they seek to organize. Not to mention the fact that these are foster parents we're talking about here.

Union Officials Stonewall Religious Objector’s Right to Divert Forced Dues to Charity

John Powell — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:19:47 -0500

In Washington State, Susan Wiggs, a teacher with a religious objection to paying union dues, fought tooth-and-nail against the Vancouver Education Association (VEA) over her right to divert those dues to charity. VEA union officials refused time and again to accommodate the teacher’s wishes.

Citizenlink.com has the story:

“[Union officials] absolutely don't want a precedent of religious objectors being able to choose their own charity," Wiggs said.

After the seemingly never-ending battle, a labor board ruled last week in favor of the teacher, but the VEA won’t give up and still refuses to approve Wiggs’ choice.

For more information on your rights as a religious objector, read the Foundation’s pamphlet entitled, “An Employee's Guide--To Union Dues and Religious Do Nots.” The guide describes how to obtain as accommodation of an employee's religious beliefs against joining or financially supporting a labor union.

An All Too Familiar Scene

Justin Hakes — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:39:06 -0400

In an all too familiar scene, Nevada County employees in California are outraged at a recent union election they called "underhanded" and "sneaky," that now means they have to pay union dues or be fired.

"It left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. It was just kind of snuck in," said Mike Sherman, an employee in the welfare department who didn't hear of the election until after ballots were cast.

Similar groups of frustrated employees have formed grassroots groups opposed to forced union dues in Maine and Washington State in recent years. California, Maine, and Washington State all are without a Right to Work law which would make union affiliation and dues payment strictly voluntary.