Seattle, WA (March 20, 2012) – An employee at a private, non-profit public defense law firm has filed federal unfair labor practice charges against a Seattle-area union for violating her rights.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys, Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons employee Stephanie Kalfayan filed the charges Friday with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Seattle.

Kalfayan resigned from formal union membership in Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925 and invoked her right to refrain from paying full union dues. However, because SEIU Local 925 officials enjoy monopoly bargaining privileges over her workplace, and because Washington does not have state Right to Work protections for its workers, Kalfayan is forced to accept SEIU officials’ “representation” and pay union fees as a condition of employment.

When resigning from formal union membership, Kalfayan exercised her rights upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Foundation’s Communications Workers of America v. Beck (1988) case. In Beck, the Court determined that union officials cannot compel nonmembers to pay the portion of union dues used for the union’s political, lobbying, and member-only activities. Additionally, union officials are required to provide adequate financial disclosure of union expenditures to inform workers who refrain from union membership of how their forced dues are being spent.

However, the SEIU Local 925 hierarchy charges nonmember workers to pay for the union’s controversial “Unity Fund,” but does not provide the adequate disclosure to ensure Kalfayan and her coworkers are fully aware of the fund and its activities.

Further, SEIU Local 925 officials are demanding Kalfayan sign a union dues authorization form – a document used by union officials to deduct union dues from workers’ paychecks. If Kalfayan refuses, union officials have threatened to deduct full union dues from her paycheck.

“SEIU Local 925 officials are blatantly violating the rights of workers who have exercised their right to refrain from full-dues-paying union membership,” said Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work. “Forced unionism abuses such as this shows that Washington desperately needs a Right to Work law making union affiliation completely voluntary.”

Twenty-three states have Right to Work protections for its workers. Recent public polling shows that 80 percent of Americans and 80 percent of union members support the Right to Work principle of voluntary unionism.

Union Officials Challenging Indiana Right to Work Law Forced to Settle Union Dues Case

Refund of twelve hundred dollars highlights why Indiana needed Right to Work law that ends union boss forced dues powers

Indianapolis, IN (March 9, 2012) – The union headquartered in suburban Chicago, Illinois challenging Indiana’s newly-enacted Right to Work law in federal court has been forced to refund money illegally taken from workers’ paychecks as part of a settlement.

The National Right to Work Foundation provided free legal assistance to Valparaiso-area Minteq International employees Joel Tibbetts and Adam Hill in the prolonged legal battle dating back to 2007.

The Minteq employees’ workplace is unionized by the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150 union hierarchy. Both workers have refrained from union membership but still must accept IUOE Local 150 union officials’ so-called “representation” and are required to pay dues to the union to keep their jobs, until their current contract expires, after which they will be freed from that requirement by Indiana’s new Right to Work law.

Read the entire release here.

Indianapolis, IN (March 9, 2012) – The union headquartered in suburban Chicago, Illinois challenging Indiana’s newly-enacted Right to Work law in federal court has been forced to refund money illegally taken from workers’ paychecks as part of a settlement.

The National Right to Work Foundation provided free legal assistance to Valparaiso-area Minteq International employees Joel Tibbetts and Adam Hill in the prolonged legal battle dating back to 2007.

The Minteq employees’ workplace is unionized by the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150 union hierarchy. Both workers have refrained from union membership but still must accept IUOE Local 150 union officials’ so-called “representation” and are required to pay dues to the union to keep their jobs, until their current contract expires, after which they will be freed from that requirement by Indiana’s new Right to Work law.

Tibbetts and Hill filed federal charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 25 in Indianapolis in September 2007 and again in June 2009 because Local 150 union officials refused to recognize their right to refrain from full-dues-paying union membership.

Facing NLRB prosecution, Local 150 union officials settled in 2008 and 2011. Despite the settlements, union officials continued to illegally force the workers to pay excessive union dues. Moreover, the union hierarchy continued to illegally force the workers to object annually to paying full dues.

The latest settlement reimburses the two workers $1,268. It also requires union officials to post notices about the workers’ rights in the workplace and at the union office in Merrillville.

Meanwhile, in response to IUOE Local 150 union bosses’ recent federal lawsuit against Indiana’s popular Right to Work law, Tibbetts joined a group of Indiana workers from across the state to file an amicus brief in support of their newly-enacted Right to Work freedoms.

“IUOE Local 150 union bosses have been long waging a campaign against Indiana’s workers, even before their frivolous federal lawsuit against Indiana’s popular Right to Work law,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “A Right to Work law undermines the IUOE Local 150 union bosses’ agenda to take workers’ hard-earned money from their paychecks at all costs.”

Indiana is the nation’s 23rd Right to Work state. Public polling shows that nearly 80 percent of Americans support the Right to Work principle, including 80 percent of union members.

SEIU Hit with Federal Charge for Sweeping Hospital Housekeeper’s Rights Under the Rug

Union officials ignore member’s repeated requests to resign

Kissimmee, FL (March 8, 2012) – An Osceola Regional Medical Center housekeeper has filed federal charges against a major healthcare union for repeatedly violating federal law by refusing to allow her to exercise her right to refrain from dues-paying union membership under Florida’s popular Right to Work law.

With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, Imaculada Camara of St. Cloud filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

On December 8, 2011, Camara sent a letter notifying Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers East officials that she was exercising her right to resign from union membership. Instead of acknowledging her request, SEIU officials rejected her letter because it was not sent via registered mail. On December 28, Camara sent a second letter, which SEIU officials again rejected, this time for not being timely.

In both instances, the SEIU officials’ refusal to allow Camara to exercise her right to refrain from union membership clearly violates federal law because any worker has the right to resign from full-dues-paying union membership at any time and is not required to notify the union she is resigning via certified mail.

Read the entire release here.

Kissimmee, FL (March 8, 2012) – An Osceola Regional Medical Center housekeeper has filed federal charges against a major healthcare union for repeatedly violating federal law by refusing to allow her to exercise her right to refrain from dues-paying union membership under Florida’s popular Right to Work law.

With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, Imaculada Camara of St. Cloud filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

On December 8, 2011, Camara sent a letter notifying Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers East officials that she was exercising her right to resign from union membership. Instead of acknowledging her request, SEIU officials rejected her letter because it was not sent via registered mail. On December 28, Camara sent a second letter, which SEIU officials again rejected, this time for not being timely.

In both instances, the SEIU officials’ refusal to allow Camara to exercise her right to refrain from union membership clearly violates federal law because any worker has the right to resign from full-dues-paying union membership at any time and is not required to notify the union she is resigning via certified mail.

Camara’s federal charge also challenges the legality of the union hierarchy’s dues deduction authorization – a document used by union officials to automatically collect dues from employees’ paychecks – which restrains a worker’s ability to exercise their right to resign from union membership.

Eduardo Lopez, a colleague of Camara, filed a similar charge in January. The charges will be investigated by the NLRB Regional Office 12 in Tampa.

“SEIU officials are just making up excuses to prevent workers from exercising their constitutionally-protect right to refrain from union membership,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Schemes like this show that the ultimate goal of union officials is to collect more forced dues from workers, even when rank-and-file employees want nothing to do with the union.”

Alaska State Troopers Seek to Handcuff Government Union Forced-Dues Scheme

Right to Work Foundation attorneys challenge union hierarchy for violating employees’ constitutional rights

Anchorage, AK (March 8, 2012) – Two Alaska State Troopers have filed a federal lawsuit against a local union and the Department of Public Safety for violating their rights. Patrick Johnson and Robin Benning filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska in Anchorage with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation.

Both Johnson and Benning resigned from formal union membership in the Public Safety Employees Association (PSEA) union, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 803, in August 2011, and invoked their right to refrain from paying full union dues.

Read the entire release here.

Anchorage, AK (March 8, 2012) – Two Alaska State Troopers have filed a federal lawsuit against a local union and the Department of Public Safety for violating their rights. Patrick Johnson and Robin Benning filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska in Anchorage with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation.

Both Johnson and Benning resigned from formal union membership in the Public Safety Employees Association (PSEA) union, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 803, in August 2011, and invoked their right to refrain from paying full union dues.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Foundation’s Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson (1986) case that union officials can collect union fees as a condition of employment, but must first provide nonmember public workers with an independently-audited financial breakdown of all forced-dues union expenditures and the opportunity to object and challenge the amount of forced union fees before an impartial decision maker. This minimal safeguard is designed to ensure that workers have an opportunity to refrain from paying for union boss political activities and union member-only events.

PSEA and state officials continue to deduct full union dues from the Troopers’ paychecks as if they were union members. PSEA union officials have refused to provide a breakdown of union expenditures and have not given the Troopers an opportunity to challenge the forced union fees before an independent third party.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit for its complicity in the confiscation of full forced dues from the Troopers’ paychecks.

The Troopers seek refunds of the amount of forced union dues payments illegally taken from their paychecks and to enjoin future collection of any dues until PSEA union officials comply with the requirements laid down by the Supreme Court in Hudson.

“PSEA union bosses are deliberately keeping rank-and-file workers in the dark to keep their forced-dues gravy train going,” said Patrick Semmens, National Right to Work Foundation legal information director. “To prevent these types of forced unionism abuses in the future, Alaska needs a Right to Work law making union affiliation and dues payments completely voluntary.”

Public Employee Union Faces Federal Lawsuit for Illegal Forced Dues Scheme

Right to Work Foundation attorneys challenge union hierarchy for violating employee’s constitutional rights

San Francisco, CA (March 6, 2012) – An Alameda County East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) employee has filed a federal lawsuit against a local union and the public agency for violating his rights.

James C. Hankins filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation.

Hankins resigned formal union membership from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 444 more than ten years ago.

However, in April 2011, AFSCME Local 444 and EBMUD officials began to deduct full union dues from Hawkins’s paycheck as if he was a full union member.

Read the entire press release here.

San Francisco, CA (March 6, 2012) – An Alameda County East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) employee has filed a federal lawsuit against a local union and the public agency for violating his rights.

James C. Hankins filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation.

Hankins resigned formal union membership from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 444 more than ten years ago.

However, in April 2011, AFSCME Local 444 and EBMUD officials began to deduct full union dues from Hawkins’s paycheck as if he was a full union member.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Foundation’s Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson (1986) case that union officials can collect some union fees as a condition of employment, but they must first provide public workers with an independently-audited financial breakdown of all forced-dues union expenditures and the opportunity to object to and challenge the amount of forced union dues or fees before an impartial decision maker. This minimal safeguard at least ensures that workers have an opportunity to refrain from paying for union boss political activities and union member-only events.

AFSCME Local 444 union officials have refused to provide such a breakdown and have not given workers an opportunity to opt out of paying full union dues. The EBMUD is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit for its complicity in the confiscation of full forced dues from Hankins’s paycheck.

Hankins seeks refunds of the amount of forced union dues payments illegally taken from his paychecks and to enjoin future collection until AFSCME union officials comply with Hudson.

"AFSCME Local 444 union bosses are deliberately keeping rank-and-file workers in the dark to keep their forced-dues gravy train going," said Patrick Semmens, National Right to Work Foundation legal information director. "To prevent these types of forced unionism abuses, California needs a Right to Work law making union affiliation and dues payments completely voluntary."

Madison, WI (March 6, 2012) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a Wisconsin public school teacher filed an amicus curiae brief in state court yesterday supporting Governor Walker’s public sector union reform bill. The recently-enacted legislation ensures that most Wisconsin public employees do not have to join or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment and bans automatic union dues deductions from public employees’ paychecks.

Eli Grajkowski, a veteran Wisconsin educator, filed the brief today in Dane County Circuit Court in response to a union legal challenge by the Public Employees Local 61 union and Madison Teachers, Inc., a local affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA) union.

In the brief, Grajkowski asks the judge to uphold the legislation as constitutional and deny the unions’ request to suspend the law. Grajkowski’s arguments rely on the Foundation-won Supreme Court precedent Davenport v. WEA, in which the Court unanimously held that union bosses enjoy an “extraordinary power” to force workers to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, but have no constitutional right to use government resources to deduct union dues or fees from workers’ paychecks.

Meanwhile, three additional Wisconsin civil servants –Kristi Lacroix, Nathan Berish, and Ricardo Cruz – continue to defend Walker’s reforms from a federal court challenge to the recently-enacted legislation. Two other public servants – Christopher King and Carie Kendrick – have also filed an amicus brief opposing a third union legal challenge to the legislation in another federal court.

“Once again, courageous Wisconsin public servants who want nothing to do with union bosses’ so-called ‘representation’ have stepped forward to protect these vital reforms,” said Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work. “No worker should be forced to pay union dues just to get or keep a job, which is why Wisconsin should pass full Right to Work law, ensuring that all Badger State employees are free of forced unionism.”