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.

Airline Workers’ Federal Class-Action Suit Seeks to Ground Union Boss Forced Dues Powers

Relying on landmark Knox Supreme Court decision, workers seek to roll back union boss power to collect forced dues

Dallas, TX (June 27, 2013) – Six airline workers have filed a federal class-action lawsuit that seeks to expand workers’ right to refrain from paying union dues in light of last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Knox v. SEIU Local 1000.

Five American Eagle Airlines baggage handlers from Texas and a Southwest Airlines flight attendant from Maryland filed the lawsuit with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas.

The workers all are not members of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWUA). However, the workers must still accept the TWUA hierarchy as their monopoly bargaining representative even though they are prohibited from voting on the union’s bargaining agreement or participating in union meetings. Additionally, federal labor law empowers union officials to extract union dues and fees from the workers as payment for their so-called “representation.” If the workers refused to pay union dues or fees, they would be terminated from their jobs.

Last year, the Supreme Court suggested in its Foundation-won Knox v. SEIU ruling that it was ready to reassess whether union bosses’ forced dues powers, which it called “something of an anomaly,” violate workers’ First Amendment rights. Responding to that suggestion, the workers’ lawsuit seeks to eliminate forced unionism in America.

Click here to read the full release.

Dallas, TX (June 27, 2013) – Six airline workers have filed a federal class-action lawsuit that seeks to expand workers’ right to refrain from paying union dues in light of last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Knox v. SEIU Local 1000.

Five American Eagle Airlines baggage handlers from Texas and a Southwest Airlines flight attendant from Maryland filed the lawsuit with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas.

The workers all are not members of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWUA). However, the workers must still accept the TWUA hierarchy as their monopoly bargaining representative even though they are prohibited from voting on the union’s bargaining agreement or participating in union meetings. Additionally, federal labor law empowers union officials to extract union dues and fees from the workers as payment for their so-called “representation.” If the workers refused to pay union dues or fees, they would be terminated from their jobs.

Last year, the Supreme Court suggested in its Foundation-won Knox v. SEIU ruling that it was ready to reassess whether union bosses’ forced dues powers, which it called “something of an anomaly,” violate workers’ First Amendment rights. Responding to that suggestion, the workers’ lawsuit seeks to eliminate forced unionism in America.

Alternatively, the airline workers seek to expand to all union forced fees allocated to politics and other non-bargaining activities Knox‘s ruling that a union may not exact special assessments or mid-year dues increases from nonmembers without their affirmative consent. Currently, nonmembers must pay full union dues – including the portion used for union politicking – unless they affirmatively object.

The workers are also challenging the TWUA union bosses’ burdensome requirements that workers must annually opt out of paying full union dues. The suit also attacks the TWUA union’s rebate scheme, under which full dues are taken from the paychecks of nonmember workers who pay the forced union fees by payroll deduction, giving the union officials a forced loan for up to four months that can be used for political activities.

“Union bosses have abused their extraordinary government-granted power to automatically compel workers to fund their political activities unless workers object – a power granted to no other private organization in our country – for far too long,” said Mark Mix, president of National Right to Work. “The First Amendment right of workers who refrain from union membership to automatically refrain from paying union dues at all and especially for politics is long overdue.”

Paris Las Vegas Casino Union Bosses Play High Stakes Game with Worker’s Legal Rights

Union officials threaten nonmember worker with benefits cuts unless she pays union dues

Las Vegas, NV (June 26, 2013) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino worker has filed a federal charge against a local union for violating her right to refrain from union affiliation.

Nani Sugianto filed the federal unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last week against the Culinary Workers Union Local 226.

According to the charge, after union brass signed a new contract with the hotel, a union steward illegally threatened Sugianto that she would lose all of her benefits and her seniority, and would be required to start over again as a new hire, unless she paid union dues even though she is not a union member.

Click here to read the full release.