Hotel Union Faces Federal Charges for Forcing Nonmember Employees to Fund Lobbying, Strikes

Case emphasizes need for a Right to Work law in the Aloha State

Honolulu, HI (April 27, 2012) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, two Honolulu Hilton employees have filed federal unfair labor practice charges against the UNITE HERE Local 5 union.

Grant Suzuki and Daryl Sakugawa don’t belong to Local 5 but can still be forced to pay union dues and fees as a condition of employment because Hawaii lacks a Right to Work law. However, the Foundation-won Supreme Court precedent Communication Workers v. Beck holds that nonunion employees cannot be forced to pay for union activities unrelated to workplace bargaining, such as political lobbying or members-only activities.

In December 2011, Suzuki and Sakugawa received a breakdown of union financial expenditures from Local 5. According to the union’s books, both employees were forced to contribute to a variety of activities outside the scope of workplace negotiations, including UNITE HERE political lobbying and a union strike fund.

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Honolulu, HI (April 27, 2012) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, two Honolulu hotel employees have filed federal unfair labor practice charges against the UNITE HERE Local 5 union.

Grant Suzuki and Daryl Sakugawa don’t belong to Local 5 but can still be forced to pay union dues and fees as a condition of employment because Hawaii lacks a Right to Work law. However, the Foundation-won Supreme Court precedent Communication Workers v. Beck holds that nonunion employees cannot be forced to pay for union activities unrelated to workplace bargaining, such as political lobbying or members-only activities.

In December 2011, Suzuki and Sakugawa received a breakdown of union financial expenditures from Local 5. According to the union’s books, both employees were forced to contribute to a variety of activities outside the scope of workplace negotiations, including UNITE HERE political lobbying and a union strike fund.

Suzuki has repeatedly clashed with union officials, filing successful unfair labor practice charges in 2008 to force UNITE HERE operatives to return illegally-seized union dues. Suzuki has since been targeted by union officials for harassment because he informed his coworkers of their rights to opt-out of union dues, resign their union membership, and continue working during union-instigated strikes.

The charges will now be investigated by the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency charged with administering private sector labor law.

“They’ve been caught red-handed before, but Local 5 bosses continue to have no qualms about extracting forced dues from nonunion hotel workers to fund their political agenda,” said Patrick Semmens, legal information director for the National Right to Work Foundation. “While we hope the NLRB will promptly return Suzuki and Sakugawa’s dues to their rightful owners, the only permanent solution is a Hawaii Right to Work law, which would make union membership and dues payments strictly voluntary.”

Latino Express Bus Drivers Tell Teamster Union Bosses to Hit the Road

School bus drivers desperately need Right to Work protections

Lyons, IL (April 26, 2012) – A large majority of Latino Express bus drivers in Lyons, Illinois have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago for a secret-ballot election to remove an unwanted local Teamster union hierarchy from their workplace.

Led by Ramiro Lopez, who learned about his legal rights from the National Right to Work Foundation, over 50 of the 76 total drivers signed the petition.

Teamster Local 777 seized monopoly bargaining control over the workplace a year ago. However, Teamster union bosses have yet to negotiate a contract with Latino Express, a conflict that has resulted in union legal accusations against the company and picketing of the workplace, alienating workers.

Meanwhile, Teamster union operatives have singled out workers who want nothing to do with the union hierarchy.

Read the entire release here.

Lyons, IL (April 26, 2012) – A large majority of Latino Express bus drivers in Lyons, Illinois have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago for a secret-ballot election to remove an unwanted local Teamster union hierarchy from their workplace.

Led by Ramiro Lopez, who learned about his legal rights from the National Right to Work Foundation, over 50 of the 76 total drivers signed the petition.

Teamster Local 777 seized monopoly bargaining control over the workplace a year ago. However, Teamster union bosses have yet to negotiate a contract with Latino Express, a conflict that has resulted in union legal accusations against the company and picketing of the workplace, alienating workers.

Meanwhile, Teamster union operatives have singled out workers who want nothing to do with the union hierarchy. For example, union operatives reportedly stalked and videotaped Lopez, who has refrained from formal union membership, while on his route and posted them on Youtube.com. At least one of those videos resulted in disciplinary action against Lopez even though it is impossible to decipher if it was actually him in the video.

Federal law prohibits further contract negotiations between Latino Express and Teamster Local 777 officials because a majority of workers in the bargaining unit signed a petition requesting a decertification election, indicating the union no longer has majority support at the workplace. The workers must now wait to see if the NLRB will grant them the election or if Teamster union bosses will do the workers the favor of disclaiming representational powers over them.

Until then, workers who refrain from formal union membership are still forced to pay union dues and fees to the Teamster union hierarchy because Illinois does not have Right to Work protections for its workers.

“Now that a clear majority of Latino Express bus drivers have shown their disdain of the Teamster union hierarchy, union bosses should remove themselves from the workplace,” said Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work. “Even though Teamster union officials clearly lack the support they need to maintain their grip over the workplace, workers who want nothing to do with the union will still be forced to pay union dues and fees to the union as a condition of employment.”

“This is why Illinois desperately needs to join Indiana and pass a Right to Work law making union affiliation and dues payments completely voluntary,” added Mix.

Obama’s Controversial NLRB ‘Recess’ Appointments Challenged in Federal Appeals Court

Worker advocate argues Labor Board does not have legitimate quorum to hear pending cases since Congress was not in actual recess

Washington, DC (April 26, 2012) – National Right to Work Foundation attorneys filed two appeals with the U.S. Appeals Court for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago to challenge President Barack Obama’s recent purported recess appointees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The appeals stem from two cases, Richards, Yost, & Echegaray v. Steelworkers and Lugo v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, in which union bosses illegally forced workers to annually renew their objections to paying full union dues. Such schemes, designed to force workers into full-dues-paying union membership, are a clear violation of federal law and the NLRB found that to be the case here.

However, the NLRB – filled with President Barack Obama’s legally-suspect appointments – only applied their ruling to the workers involved in the cases and not retroactively to all workers who have objected in the past to paying full union dues to the respective unions.

As Foundation attorneys appeal to have the Board rulings applied retroactively, Foundation attorneys will again challenge Obama’s move to install three members to the NLRB as “recess appointees” in January despite the fact that the U.S. Senate was not in recess.

Read the entire release here.

Washington, DC (April 26, 2012) – National Right to Work Foundation attorneys filed two appeals with the U.S. Appeals Court for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago to challenge President Barack Obama’s recent purported recess appointees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The appeals stem from two cases, Richards, Yost, & Echegaray v. Steelworkers and Lugo v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, in which union bosses illegally forced workers to annually renew their objections to paying full union dues. Such schemes, designed to force workers into full-dues-paying union membership, are a clear violation of federal law and the NLRB found that to be the case here.

However, the NLRB – filled with President Barack Obama’s legally-suspect appointments – only applied their ruling to the workers involved in the cases and not retroactively to all workers who have objected in the past to paying full union dues to the respective unions.

As Foundation attorneys appeal to have the Board rulings applied retroactively, Foundation attorneys will again challenge Obama’s move to install three members to the NLRB as “recess appointees” in January despite the fact that the U.S. Senate was not in recess. Foundation attorneys have argued that the appointments are unconstitutional and, therefore, the Board lacks the quorum necessary to hear any cases. When Foundation attorneys raised the issue in these two cases, the Board declared the appointments to be valid.

If Obama’s NLRB appointments are unconstitutional, then the Board has only two valid members and lacks a quorum to enact rules or enforce federal labor law under a U.S. Supreme Court precedent issued in 2010. Foundation attorneys anticipate that the issue will eventually reach the Supreme Court.

Foundation attorneys were among the first to challenge the constitutionality of Obama’s “recess appointments” in federal court with an earlier motion challenging the appointments in another case involving the NLRB’s new posting notice rules. That motion was denied by an Obama-appointed judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

“Barack Obama’s so-called recess appointments to the Labor Board clearly violate the U.S. Constitution,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Because the Board does not have a legitimate quorum, it must cease handing down lopsided rulings in Foundation cases until a legitimate quorum is established.”

Worker Advocate Announces New Addition to Legal Team

Regent-trained attorney dedicated to the cause of individual liberty for America’s workers

Washington, DC (April 26, 2012) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has hired Nathan McGrath, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an addition to its legal staff.

McGrath is an active member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and 2010 graduate of the Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“Nathan brings to the Foundation energy and dedication to defending and advancing individual liberty against the injustices of compulsory unionism in the workplace,” said Ray LaJeunesse, vice president and legal director of the National Right to Work Foundation.

“He will assist the Foundation’s cutting-edge legal team in defending America’s workers from Big Labor’s growing influence in the government sector, enforcing individual employees’ rights against compulsory unionism, and establishing new precedents to increase workplace freedom for America’s workers.”

Read the entire release here.

Washington, DC (April 26, 2012) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has hired Nathan McGrath, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an addition to its legal staff.

McGrath is an active member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and 2010 graduate of the Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“Nathan brings to the Foundation energy and dedication to defending and advancing individual liberty against the injustices of compulsory unionism in the workplace,” said Ray LaJeunesse, vice president and legal director of the National Right to Work Foundation.

“He will assist the Foundation’s cutting-edge legal team in defending America’s workers from Big Labor’s growing influence in the government sector, enforcing individual employees’ rights against compulsory unionism, and establishing new precedents to increase workplace freedom for America’s workers.”

As the newest of the Foundation’s 12 staff attorneys, McGrath will help build on the Foundation’s litigation record for union-abused workers that includes 15 cases argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Currently, National Right to Work Foundation attorneys represent thousands of workers in nearly 200 active cases nationwide.

Before joining the Foundation, McGrath was an Associate Attorney for Lawlor & Lawlor, P.C., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and served as an intern for a Virginia Court of Appeals judge, the Honorable Robert J. Humphreys. Prior to starting his legal career, McGrath worked at the National Right to Work Committee, advocating for legislation across the country to roll-back Big Labor’s forced unionism powers.

Additionally, McGrath spent several years as a legislative assistant for U.S. House Representative Donald A. Manzullo (IL-16), during which time he handled Rep. Manzullo’s labor policy, in addition to other policy issues.

While at Regent, McGrath participated in a variety of activities and organizations and was the Symposium & Senior Editor of the Regent University Law Review, and Vice Chairman of the Trial Advocacy Board. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in Business from Grove City College, where he graduated in 2004.

Unionized Probation Officers Win Refunds in Federal Suit over Free Speech Rights

New York public employees desperately need Right to Work protections

Rochester, NY (April 24, 2012) – Four Monroe County probation officers have won relief in their protracted federal legal battle against two government unions for violating their First Amendment rights.

The four officers, led by David Scheffer, filed the suit with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys.

The probation officers sued Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) union and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union for deliberately violating their First Amendment rights by seizing forced union dues from their paychecks for illegal union expenditures. The officers charged that union officials were spending their forced dues on union organizing drives, despite the officers’ objections.

Read the entire release here.

Rochester, NY (April 24, 2012) – Four Monroe County probation officers have won relief in their protracted federal legal battle against two government unions for violating their First Amendment rights.

The four officers, led by David Scheffer, filed the suit with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys.

The probation officers sued Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) union and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union for deliberately violating their First Amendment rights by seizing forced union dues from their paychecks for illegal union expenditures. The officers charged that union officials were spending their forced dues on union organizing drives, despite the officers’ objections.

In 2005, the officers filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York seeking to prevent the further collection of forced union dues and asking for full refunds and punitive damages. The officers won on appeal in the U.S. Appeals Court of the Second Circuit in 2010 when the court found that the CSEA union hierarchy illegally spent workers’ forced dues money on organizing.

One of every ten dollars spent by the CSEA union hierarchy was spent illegally on organizing.

The District Court judge last week ordered CSEA union officials to refund each officer of all illegally-seized union dues and interest.

The officers’ suit initially sought similar relief for all nonmember public employees represented by CSEA union affiliates throughout the State of New York, a number believed to be in the thousands. However, the courts’ decision only gives relief to the four officers in this case.

“Employees should not have to go to federal court to stop use of their forced union dues being illegally spent on union boss politics and organizing,” said Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work. “However, as long as public employees in New York labor under forced unionism, these abuses by union officials will inevitably continue.”

“This is why New York desperately needs to pass a Right to Work law making union affiliation and dues payments completely voluntary,” added Mix.