Pittsburgh, PA (July 30, 2013) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has launched an information campaign focusing on Pittsburgh-area hospital workers.

The Foundation launched the television ad campaign after receiving reports that a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is stepping up pressure on the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to hand over its workers and allow them to be shoved into union ranks.

The ad campaign currently consists of a series of messages featuring healthcare professionals the Foundation has assisted in the past. The Foundation is the nation’s premier organization exclusively dedicated to providing free legal assistance to employee victims of forced unionism abuse.

Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation, issued the following statement regarding the TV ad campaign:

“The SEIU has been orchestrating a years-long ‘corporate campaign’ to compel UPMC management to stand down and allow union organizers to strong-arm the hospital’s employees into their forced union ranks. Often in situations like this, workers are caught in the struggle between union organizers and the company and are left in the dark about their workplace rights.

“That is why the Foundation has launched this ad campaign: To let workers know that they have a place to turn to learn about their rights.

“Workers seeking to learn more about their workplace rights or free legal aid can call the Foundation at 1-800-336-3600 or visit www.nrtw.org.”

Ford Motor Security Company, Local Union Face Federal Prosecution for Numerous Violations

Union officials discriminate against nonmembers

Dearborn, MI (July 30, 2013) – A security company and a Dearborn-based union are facing a federal prosecution for a litany of workers’ rights abuses.

The prosecution comes in the wake of a series of charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by three security guards, one of whom is receiving free legal assistance from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.

The three security guards filed the charges after their employer, AlliedBarton Security Services, entered into a monopoly bargaining agreement with the United Protective Workers of America (UPWA) Local 1 union hierarchy shortly before Michigan’s new Right to Work law took effect.

The agreement illegally requires AlliedBarton security guards working at Ford Motor Company facilities in Dearborn to join the UPWA union and pay full union dues as a condition of employment. The agreement also requires the security guards to irrevocably sign up for full union dues payments in order to receive signing bonuses.

Click here to read the full release.

Dearborn, MI (July 30, 2013) – A security company and a Dearborn-based union are facing a federal prosecution for a litany of workers’ rights abuses.

The prosecution comes in the wake of a series of charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by three security guards, one of whom is receiving free legal assistance from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.

The three security guards filed the charges after their employer, AlliedBarton Security Services, entered into a monopoly bargaining agreement with the United Protective Workers of America (UPWA) Local 1 union hierarchy shortly before Michigan’s new Right to Work law took effect.

The agreement illegally requires AlliedBarton security guards working at Ford Motor Company facilities in Dearborn to join the UPWA union and pay full union dues as a condition of employment. The agreement also requires the security guards to irrevocably sign up for full union dues payments in order to receive signing bonuses.

Moreover, UPWA union and company officials promoted union members, and union members received signing bonuses, but nonmembers were explicitly denied job promotions and signing bonuses on account of their union membership status.

UPWA union officials also refuse to follow federal disclosure requirements and demand that workers who want nothing to do with the union pay full union dues. Under federal law, workers who do not have Right to Work protections can still refrain from paying for union dues used for union politics and are entitled to an audited breakdown of union expenditures to make it less difficult to discern how their union dues and fees are spent.

Moreover, a group of security guards circulated a petition to remove the UPWA union from their workplace, union officials spied on, interrogated, and threatened workers who supported the effort.

“This case underscores just how important Michigan’s new Right to Work law is for Michigan’s workers,” said Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work. “No worker should ever be forced to pay union dues or fees to a union as a condition of their employment.”

Update: An NLRB hearing on the case is scheduled for September 30, 2013 at the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit.

Elkton, MD (July 29, 2013) – With the help of National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, several IKEA employees have reached a class-wide settlement with their employer and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union that allows them and their coworkers to retroactively resign from the union and receive refunds for any union dues spent on political activism since September 1, 2012.

The settlement is the result of unfair labor practice charges filed by four IKEA employees in January and February 2013 after union officials failed to inform them and their coworkers of their rights to refrain from union membership and payment of full union dues. Many workers were threatened with termination by union officials for refusing to join the IAM or pay full dues.

In Maryland and other states without Right to Work laws, employees can be required to pay union dues or fees just to keep a job. However, workers have the right to refrain from formally joining a union and opt out of paying for union activities unrelated to workplace bargaining, such as members-only events and political activism.

Not only did IAM officials and IKEA fail to notify employees of their rights, they actively misled employees about their obligations to the union. IAM officials claimed that joining the union and paying full dues were required as a condition of employment.

When one worker asked about his right to refrain from financially supporting the IAM’s political activities, he was told by union officials that he had no such rights. What little material union officials provided to IKEA employees about their rights was deliberately obscured. Union officials printed information on employees’ right to refrain from full dues-paying membership on the back of a pink piece of paper in tan ink, making it virtually invisible.

The settlement requires union officials to return the illegally-seized dues to three IKEA employees and post workplace notices explaining workers’ rights to refrain from union membership and payment of full union dues. The union is also obligated to refund any dues unrelated to workplace bargaining collected since September 1, 2012 to employees who resign.

“We’re happy to report that IAM bosses have finally acknowledged that nonunion employees can’t be forced to join or pay for union political activism,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “We encourage all IKEA employees who want to resign from the union to take advantage of this settlement and recoup some of their hard-earned union dues.”

“Unfortunately, this type of abuse will continue until Maryland passes a Right to Work law,” continued Mix. “Only then will union membership and the payment of union dues be completely voluntary.”

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A copy of the IAM’s settlement can be found here.

Local Postal Worker Files Federal Charge Against Postal Service for Failure to Process Union Resignation

Human resources representative’s failure to process worker’s request to refrain from union dues payments forces him to pay union dues for another year

Hampden, ME (July 24, 2013) – A local United States Postal Service (USPS) worker has filed a federal charge against the agency for failing to timely process his request to refrain from union membership and dues payments, thus forcing him to pay union dues for another year.

Brett Johnson of Holden, Maine, filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Monday with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.

On April 30, 2003, Johnson joined the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) union and signed a dues deduction authorization form. Dues deduction authorizations are used by union officials to automatically withhold dues from employee paychecks.

On April 10, 2013, Johnson sent a letter to the NALC union resigning his membership and refraining from union dues payments. Johnson hand-delivered the same letter to his postal service human resources representative the following day.

Postal workers have the right to refrain from union membership and union dues payments. However, according to the union’s monopoly bargaining agreement, Johnson has only a ten day period starting on April 10 each year when he can revoke his union dues deduction authorization.

Click here to read the full release.

Hampden, ME (July 24, 2013) – A local United States Postal Service (USPS) worker has filed a federal charge against the agency for failing to timely process his request to refrain from union membership and dues payments, thus forcing him to pay union dues for another year.

Brett Johnson of Holden, Maine, filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Monday with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.

On April 30, 2003, Johnson joined the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) union and signed a dues deduction authorization form. Dues deduction authorizations are used by union officials to automatically withhold dues from employee paychecks.

On April 10, 2013, Johnson sent a letter to the NALC union resigning his membership and refraining from union dues payments. Johnson hand-delivered the same letter to his postal service human resources representative the following day.

Postal workers have the right to refrain from union membership and union dues payments. However, according to the union’s monopoly bargaining agreement, Johnson has only a ten day period starting on April 10 each year when he can revoke his union dues deduction authorization.

Despite his requests, the human resources representative failed to forward his letter to the proper human resources department officials for processing until June 10, 2013. As a result, the USPS continues to deduct union dues from Johnson’s paychecks, and he cannot ask again to stop dues payments until next year.

“Despite this worker going above and beyond what he needs to do to refrain from paying union dues, those dues will continue to be taken from his paychecks,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “This case displays how union officials have the power to make it difficult for workers to exercise their right to refrain from paying union dues, even in situations where workers have Right to Work protections.”

Johnson’s charge seeks to stop the confiscation of union dues from his paychecks and a refund of all union dues illegally seized from his paychecks.

Worker Rights Advocate Blasts McCain/Reid NLRB Deal

President’s NLRB appointments will pave the way for at least three more years of forced-unionism giveaways

Washington, DC (July 16, 2013) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s reported new nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

"Union bosses know their coercive agenda is overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people. This is why they’ve turned to unelected administrative agencies like the NLRB to push through much of what they cannot get through Congress.

"And after Senator John McCain apparently struck a backroom deal today with Senate Democrats to sell out independent-minded workers, the Obama White House wasted no time meeting with union bosses to determine who they want on the agency to enact their radical agenda.

"Even though the American people who are outraged by this rouge NLRB were not included in these discussions, Obama’s NLRB appointments will pave the way for at least three more years of the very forced-unionism giveaways union bosses failed to obtain through the legislative process.

Click here to read the full release.

Washington, DC (July 16, 2013) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s reported new nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

"Union bosses know their coercive agenda is overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people. This is why they’ve turned to unelected administrative agencies like the NLRB to push through much of what they cannot get through Congress.

"And after Senator John McCain apparently struck a backroom deal today with Senate Democrats to sell out independent-minded workers, the Obama White House wasted no time meeting with union bosses to determine who they want on the agency to enact their radical agenda.

"Even though the American people who are outraged by this rouge NLRB were not included in these discussions, Obama’s NLRB appointments will pave the way for at least three more years of the very forced-unionism giveaways union bosses failed to obtain through the legislative process.

"Obama reportedly will nominate career union lawyers Nancy Schiffer and Kent Hirozawa to the NLRB. Both NLRB nominees, who are practically guaranteed to be confirmed, are staunch pro-forced unionism advocates.

"Schiffer is a long-time supporter of ‘card check’ unionization and has testified before Congress in favor of this coercive scheme.

"Meanwhile, Foundation staff attorneys squared off against Kent Hirozawa in a case in which union officials unlawfully retaliated against a worker for initiating a successful workplace decertification drive to eject the unwanted union from her workplace.

"The worker received free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys after her home was flooded with hundreds of unwanted magazines and advertisements, jeopardizing her credit rating."

Machinist Union Hierarchy Faces Federal Prosecution in Wake of Last Summer’s Caterpillar Strike

Union officials illegally imposed thousands of dollars in strike fines on workers

Joliet, IL (July 3, 2013) – The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint against a local Machinist union for violating the rights of three Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) workers in the wake of last summer’s union boss-instigated strike against the company.

The NLRB’s complaint stems from federal charges filed by three Caterpillar workers, with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, against the International Association of Machinists (IAM) District Lodge 851 union for violating their rights and levying retaliatory strike fines against them.

Click here to read the full release.

Joliet, IL (July 3, 2013) – The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint against a local Machinist union for violating the rights of three Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) workers in the wake of last summer’s union boss-instigated strike against the company.

The NLRB’s complaint stems from federal charges filed by three Caterpillar workers, with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, against the International Association of Machinists (IAM) District Lodge 851 union for violating their rights and levying retaliatory strike fines against them.

On May 1, 2012, IAM District Lodge 851 union bosses ordered all of the over 800 Joliet Caterpillar workers on strike. Over a hundred workers worked despite the IAM union boss demands.

After the strike ended, IAM Local 851 union bosses levied fines that likely totaled over a million dollars against workers for continuing to work during the strike.

In response, 50 workers filed federal charges with free assistance from Foundation attorneys alleging that they were never truly voluntary union members and therefore were exempt from the union hierarchy’s constitution and bylaws and cannot be disciplined for continuing to work during a union boss-ordered strike.

Although many of those charges have since been withdrawn or settled, the NLRB has issued a complaint for two workers who allege that union officials gave them permission or told them it was acceptable to go back to work and a third worker who resigned union membership before returning to work.

“The NLRB will finally prosecute IAM union bosses now that their pattern of workers’ rights abuses has become clear,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “The ugly aftermath of the Caterpillar strike underscores the need for an Illinois Right to Work law.”

Twenty-four states have Right to Work protections for workers. Public polling shows that nearly 80 percent of Americans and union members support the principle of voluntary unionism.