Employee Hits Newspaper Guild Union with Federal Charges for Illegal Forced Dues Policy
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.
However, local union bosses maintain a controversial policy that requires employees to annually renew their objection to paying forced union dues unrelated to bargaining. If an employee fails to register an objection within a window period designated by union officials, they are automatically re-enrolled as full dues-payers.
In response, Rosenbaum filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), seeking union recognition of his right to opt-out of dues for ideological activities and a rescission of the union’s annual objection policy. The charges will now be investigated by NLRB officials. Several courts and NLRB administrative law judges have ruled similar policies unlawful.
“We intend to make the union hierarchy pay for their violations of employee rights,” said Stefan Gleason, vice president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “However, the best way to protect all workers from similar mistreatment would be for New York to adopt a Right to Work law, making the payment of union dues purely voluntary.”
American Spectator on Government-Run Health Care Plan: “Taking Care of Big Labor”
In The American Spectator, reporter Kevin Mooney interviews Right to Work experts about the hidden payoffs to union bosses tucked away in the thousands of pages of health care overhaul legislation. Here’s a sample:
Consider the language contained in section 2531 submerged deep within the House version. Here the bill stipulates that any participating health care employer "provides wages and benefits to its nurses that are competitive for its market or that have been collectively bargained with a labor organization."
"This phrase ‘competitive for its market’ is not defined," said Greg Mourad, the main author of the NRTWC study. "This means the Obama administration will be free to define the phrase using Davis-Bacon standards and this would make it almost impossible for non-union employees to qualify."
The approach is similar to what has been done with apprentice programs in federal construction work, Stefan Gleason, vice-president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, explained.
"This is a scheme that is used to fund union organizations that are supposedly doing job training but are often doing other activities," he said. "The scenario that is set up essentially bblack-balls non-union contractors from even being eligible to work on federal contracts at all. There is a similar strategy at work here with health care."
Read the full article here.
Fort Jackson Security Guard Takes Courageous Stand Against Repeated Union Boss Threats and Abuses
Fort Jackson Security Guard Takes Courageous Stand Against Repeated Union Boss Threats and Abuses
National Labor Relations Board agents investigate charges after Right to Work Foundation attorneys join worker’s efforts
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.
Starting in May 2009, in violation of the settlement, the employer and SPFPA union officials issued new threats against Paul’s job.
Fort Jackson Security Guard Takes Courageous Stand Against Repeated Union Boss Threats and Abuses
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.
Starting in May 2009, in violation of the settlement, the employer and SPFPA union officials issued new threats against Paul’s job. Claiming that Paul’s workplace is on an “exclusive federal enclave” not protected by South Carolina’s popular Right to Work law, SPFPA union officials compelled Paul to attend a meeting and coerced him to apply for union membership as a condition to keep his job. In response, Paul filed another round of unfair labor practice charges against the union – pointing out that the union’s own contract explicitly states that formal union membership is not a condition of employment. In September, the NLRB notified Mr. Paul that his charges would be dismissed.
Attorneys from the National Right to Work Foundation contacted Mr. Paul offering free legal aid (which Paul eagerly accepted), and the regional NLRB office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is now investigating Paul’s charges and additional charges filed by Foundation attorneys. Related charges against Wackenhut are also pending.
In the Foundation-won Communication Workers of America v. Beck (1988), the U.S. Supreme Court held that union officials can lawfully compel nonmembers to pay union dues as a job condition, but not the part of dues spent for non-bargaining activities like political activism, lobbying, and member-only events. Under Beck, unions must also provide such employees with an audited breakdown of chargeable expenses.
SPFPA union officials continue to threaten Paul despite the fact that they did not provide him with an adequate explanation as required under Beck for the basis of their claims against a portion of his earnings. Additionally, SPFPA union bosses are requiring employees who refrain from formal, dues paying union membership to partake in an overly burdensome process of specifying the amount of non-bargaining dues they do not wish to pay without providing them with sufficient information to make such a decision. And finally, Paul is challenging the SPFPA union’s nationwide policy of requiring employees to object every single year to paying union dues they cannot be lawfully forced to pay – rather than objecting just once.
“SPFPA union bosses have repeatedly reneged on their own word and we hope the NLRB will now hold them accountable for their thuggery,” said Stefan Gleason, vice president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Right to Work litigators stand guard with Mr. Paul to protect him from union bosses who will stop at nothing to seize hard earned money for their own purposes.”
Podcast: Right to Work Warns of Big Labor NLRB Appointees
National Right to Work Committee Legislative Director Greg Mourad sits down with Breitbart TV to discuss Craig Becker, Obama’s radical nominee to the National Labor Relations Board. Click here to listen or use the embeddable player below:
Employees Slap Teamster Bosses with Federal Charges for Blocking Their Attempt to Stop Paying Full Union Dues
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.
However, Teamsters officials have not stopped collecting forced dues from Vetrovec, Harris, and Kunk earmarked for non-chargeable activities. Union officials have also failed to provide them with an independently audited breakdown of union expenditures, which is required by law to ensure that workers are not being compelled to pay for objectionable activities.
Moreover, union officials told Vetrovec that he would have to sign another check-off form authorizing the automatic payroll deduction of union dues if he wanted to opt-out of dues unrelated to collective bargaining. Previous Foundation-won precedents have also established that non-members cannot be required to authorize automatic dues deduction.
The charges will now be investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.
“While we’re confident that this dispute will be resolved in favor of the workers, no one should have to file federal charges just to keep their hard-earned salary from being diverted to fund a union’s radical politics,” said Stefan Gleason, vice president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “The best way to end this type of abuse would be for Michigan to adopt a Right to Work law, making the payment of union dues strictly voluntary.”
Fact Sheet: Families Benefit from Right to Work Laws
The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) has released a telling study comparing Right to Work states with forced-unionism states in a variety of statistical categories. The statistics, provided by various governmental departments and agencies as well as respected non-profits, show the stunning economic and personal benefits families enjoy from their states’ popular Right to Work laws.
The last five years of available data shows that workers in Right to Work states not only enjoy higher non-farm private-sector job growth (9.1% versus 3.6% from 2003-2008), but their real personal incomes are also growing faster (15.8% vs. 9.1% from 2003-2008) and they enjoy a higher disposable income ($34,878 vs. $32,811 in 2008) than their counterparts in forced unionism states.
Families in Right to Work states also benefit from lower taxes and are more likely to buy a home, send their children to college, and gain private, employment-based health insurance for parents and children alike.
While Right to Work is about employee freedom in the workplace, NILRR‘s analysis shows that rolling back coercive union power has undeniable economic benefits as well.
To view the full details of NILRR‘s report entitled "Right to Work States Benefit From Faster Growth, Higher Real Purchasing Power — 2009 Update," click here.
NRTW In the News: Forced Unionism Radical Craig Becker Dangerous to Workers’ Rights
Today, President Barack Obama’s nomination of pro-compulsory unionism radical Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is scheduled to be taken up in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
National Right to Work President Mark Mix warns in today’s Washington Times of the grave dangers Becker’s possible confirmation will pose to workers’ rights:
When the union bosses have the NLRB in their fold, workers who try to exercise their legal rights to dismiss unwanted union monopoly bargaining agents – or even to stop their forced dues from being used to elect handpicked Big Labor candidates – are denied even the most basic protections.
That’s why, especially considering Mr. Becker’s record, it’s not a stretch to believe that – should he be confirmed by the U.S. Senate – Mr. Becker wouldn’t think twice about rubber-stamping even the most abusive forced unionism schemes cooked up by union militants.
In fact, as a former AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) lawyer, Mr. Becker is solely responsible for forcing tens of thousands of workers under union boss control.
In one case, reports from a Los Angeles SEIU local union revealed that almost 63,000 people rejected membership in the union in 2007, but thanks to Mr. Becker, were still forced to pay dues.
And Mr. Becker’s own words explain why. He was even so bold as to say unions were "formed to escape the evils of individualism and individual competition … their actions necessarily involve coercion."
With that kind of anything-goes attitude, it’s no surprise Mr. Becker supports "home visits," in which union militants repeatedly harass workers at home until they sign union-authorization cards, and even advocates letting Mr. Obama’s handpicked arbiters impose contracts on workers, without even allowing the workers to vote on their own contract.
In fact, Mr. Becker is so extreme he actually believes the only choice workers should have is which union they should be forced to join and pay dues to!
In Mr. Becker’s view, if an independent worker refuses to pick, he and the rest of Big Labor’s lackeys on the NLRB should be able to choose a union for that worker. This kind of Big Labor kowtowing is not only outrageous, but it’s also dangerous.
To read all of Mark Mix’s op-ed in the Washington Times click here.
Fox Business Video: Why Union Bosses Are Pushing for Government-Run Health Care
Right to Work President Mark Mix appeared on Fox Business yesterday to explain Big Labor’s supposed opposition to the Baucus health care plan. The reality is union bosses are quietly licking their chops, because every pending proposal would hand them billions of taxpayer dollars and grease the skids for the forced unionization of the health care field:
Sickening Blagojevich Legacy Ready to Metastasize to Rest of Country
The alarming trend of politicians forcing workers into union ranks continues in Illinois as Governor Pat Quinn — in order to win Big Labor’s political support — is resurrecting the sordid legacy of disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich (and Gray Davis of California) subverting workers’ rights to benefit forced dues-hungry union bosses.
Quinn recently signed an executive order arbitrarily reclassifying state-reimbursed in-home health-care providers as state employees — thereby opening them up to forced unionism under state law. Service Employee International Union (SEIU) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union organizers, armed by the state with the addresses of Illinois’s nearly 3,500 in-home health-care providers, are competing to corral home health-care providers into compulsory union membership by going door-to-door to solicit support for their respective unions.
Pam Harris, a mother who stays home to take care of her son with special needs, was visited by two aggressive out-of-state SEIU organizers at her front door. Understandably, Ms. Harris is worried that the Detroit-style labor relations that destroyed America’s auto industry could also destroy her right to care for her son as she wants. (To say nothing of the union dues she will be forced to pay for the “privilege.”)
Because she does not live in a state with Right to Work protections, if SEIU union bosses are successful in corralling all home health-care providers into forced dues membership, Ms. Harris will be forced to pay tribute to union bosses just to continue to take care of her own son — even if she refrains from formal union membership.
However, as many Freedom@Work readers may already be aware, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Just last month, National Right to Work President Mark Mix reiterated in the Wall Street Journal NRTW’s previous warnings that union bosses are working to unionize the health-care industry and that under Obamacare, the very thing that is happening in Illinois will happen nationwide:
Following [the Davis/Blagojevich] playbook, pending government-run health care bills create a "personal care attendants workforce advisory panel" that will likely impose union affiliation on hundreds of thousands of folks like Ms. Harris to qualify for a newly created "community living assistance services and support (CLASS)" reimbursement plan.
Ms. Sebelius will be taking her marching orders from the numerous union officials who are guaranteed seats on the various federal panels (such as the personal care panel mentioned above) charged with recommending health-care policies. Big Labor will play a central role in directing federal health-care policy…
