Employees filed charges after IAM officials ignored resignation requests when workers tried to exercise their rights under Wisconsin’s Right to Work law

Sparta, WI (May 11, 2016) – Recently, International Association of Machinists Lodge No. 1771 (IAM) union officials and Northern Engraving Corporation officials jointly distributed a letter to all Northern Engraving employees notifying workers that their attempts to resign union membership and stop union dues deductions from their paychecks would no longer be blocked or ignored. The letter, which came in response to NLRB charges filed by Northern Engraving employees, also stated that all wrongfully seized union dues would be refunded.

However, some workers still have not received refunds. On Monday, another worker, with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation-provided staff attorneys, filed new charges against the company and union officials.

Earlier this year Foundation-provided staff attorneys assisted multiple Northern Engraving Corporation employees in filing federal unfair labor practice charges against their employer and the IAM union local. According to the charges, union and company officials violated federal law by ignoring the workers’ attempts to resign from the union and stop paying union dues. Under Wisconsin’s recently-enacted Right to Work law, no employee can be forced to join or pay dues to a union to keep a job.

Although the workers had previously belonged to the IAM, they sent letters to their employer and the union announcing their decision to resign and stop paying dues. Not only did union officials fail to respond to the resignation letters, but Northern Engraving continued seizing the money from employees’ wages and turning it over to the union.

The employees’ charges are being investigated by Region 18 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

“Even as union officials claimed they were willing to finally follow the law so these workers could finally exercise their rights to refrain from union membership and payment of union dues or fees, it appears more legal action will be required to force union officials to respect the rights of the very workers they claim to represent,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation.

“Foundation staff attorneys will continue to vigorously defend and enforce Wisconsin’s Right to Work law to ensure that no worker is forced to pay union dues or fees just to get or keep a job,” added Mix.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.