3 Feb 2015

Workers to Have Fourth Vote on Whether to Remove Union after Ballot Box Stuffing Taints Third Vote

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News Release

Workers to Have Fourth Vote on Whether to Remove Union after Ballot Box Stuffing Taints Third Vote

Case underscores workers’ difficulty in removing unwanted unions from their workplaces as workers take fourth vote in response to blatant irregularities in third election

Hamilton, AL (February 3, 2015) – Workers in a local parts manufacturing plant are voting a fourth time in a federally-supervised union election after union officials skirted being kicked out of the workplace in a recent election tainted by ballot stuffing and mishandling of ballots.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will conduct the fourth election after NTN-Bower Corporation employee Ginger Estes, who is receiving free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, filed objections to the tainted third election.

United Auto Workers (UAW) union officials currently hold monopoly bargaining power over 140 NTN-Bower manufacturing workers. Ginger Estes and other employees at the plant requested an election with the NLRB in 2013 to determine whether to remove the UAW union from their workplace.

Click here to read the full release.

3 Feb 2015

Workers to Have Fourth Vote on Whether to Remove Union after Ballot Box Stuffing Taints Third Vote

Posted in News Releases

Hamilton, AL (February 3, 2015) – Workers in a local parts manufacturing plant are voting a fourth time in a federally-supervised union election after union officials skirted being kicked out of the workplace in a recent election tainted by ballot stuffing and mishandling of ballots.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will conduct the fourth election after NTN-Bower Corporation employee Ginger Estes, who is receiving free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, filed objections to the tainted third election.

United Auto Workers (UAW) union officials currently hold monopoly bargaining power over 140 NTN-Bower manufacturing workers. Ginger Estes and other employees at the plant requested an election with the NLRB in 2013 to determine whether to remove the UAW union from their workplace.

After workers cast ballots in the first election, union and company officials agreed to set aside that election and allow the workers to vote in a second election. In the second election, workers voted to remove the union by a margin of two votes. Union officials challenged the results of that election, and a 2-1 panel of the Obama Labor Board voted to invalidate the results and schedule a third election.

On January 16, 2015, workers voted a third time to determine whether to remove the UAW union from their workplace. Even though 139 workers voted in the third election out of the 140 eligible, 148 ballots were cast. UAW union officials skirted being kicked out of the workplace by a small margin.

After Estes formally challenged the results of the tainted third election, the NLRB and all parties agreed to hold a fourth election.

“This is a good example of a rigged election characterized by obvious ballot box stuffing and mishandling of ballots,” said Mark Mix, president of National Right to Work. “This case underscores the difficulty workers often experience when trying to remove unwanted unions from their workplaces.”

2 Feb 2015

Kroger Workers Win Hundreds in Federal Settlement After Grocery Union Bosses Ignore Right to Work Protections

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News Release

Kroger Workers Win Hundreds in Federal Settlement After Grocery Union Bosses Ignore Right to Work Protections

UFCW bosses stonewalled Fort Wayne grocery workers’ attempts to cut off forced dues confiscations

Fort Wayne, IN (February 2, 2015) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, two Fort Wayne Kroger workers have won a settlement after filing federal charges against a local union for ignoring their right to refrain from paying union dues.

In September 2014, Eleanor Haynes and Barbara Peter filed the unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union Local 700.

Click here to read the full release.

2 Feb 2015

Kroger Workers Win Hundreds in Federal Settlement After Grocery Union Bosses Ignore Right to Work Protections

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Fort Wayne, IN (February 2, 2015) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, two Fort Wayne Kroger workers have won a settlement after filing federal charges against a local union for ignoring their right to refrain from paying union dues.

In September 2014, Eleanor Haynes and Barbara Peter filed the unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union Local 700.

Haynes and Peter resigned from the union and revoked their dues deduction authorizations – a document used by union officials to automatically collect dues from workers’ paychecks – effective with the expiration of the union’s contract with their employer. Under federal labor law, workers can unconditionally revoke their dues deduction authorizations when a contract between the union and their employer terminates. Under Indiana’s popular Right to Work law, no worker can be required to join or pay any money to a union.

Despite the workers’ efforts to exercise their rights, UFCW Local 700 union officials continued to confiscate union dues payments from their paychecks.

Per the terms of the settlement, Kroger and Local 700 union officials will refund Haynes $197.21 and union officials will refund Peter $169.73 in illegally-seized union dues, plus interest. The union hierarchy must also post a notice in the workplace informing other workers of their right to refrain from dues-paying union membership.

“These two Kroger workers followed all necessary procedures to exercise their legally-protected right to resign their union membership and cut off union dues to no avail,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Local 700 union officials relented and acknowledged these workers’ rights only after the workers filed federal charges.”

“This case underscores just how important Indiana’s Right to Work law is for workers who want nothing to do with scofflaw union bosses,” added Mix.

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

29 Jan 2015

Kaiser Permanente Nurse Files Federal Charge Against Union for Violating Disclosure Guidelines

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News Release

Kaiser Permanente Nurse Files Federal Charge Against Union for Violating Disclosure Guidelines

Case underscores need for Right to Work protections to make union membership and dues payment strictly voluntary

Sacramento, CA (January 29, 2015) – A local Kaiser Permanente nurse has filed a federal charge against the California Nurses Association (CNA) union for violating her rights and failing to follow federal disclosure requirements.

With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento nurse Elizabeth Wilber filed the unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

On November 16, 2014, Wilber sent a letter resigning her union membership in the CNA union. Her letter also objected to paying full dues.

Click here to read the full release.

29 Jan 2015

Kaiser Permanente Nurse Files Federal Charge Against Union for Violating Disclosure Guidelines

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Sacramento, CA (January 29, 2015) – A local Kaiser Permanente nurse has filed a federal charge against the California Nurses Association (CNA) union for violating her rights and failing to follow federal disclosure requirements.

With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento nurse Elizabeth Wilber filed the unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

On November 16, 2014, Wilber sent a letter resigning her union membership in the CNA union. Her letter also objected to paying full dues.

Under federal labor law, workers have the right to refrain from formal union membership. However, because California does not have Right to Work protections for workers, nonmember workers can be forced to pay a part of union dues and fees or be fired from their job.

As a result of the Foundation’s U.S. Supreme Court victory in Communications Workers v. Beck, employees can refrain from paying for politics and many other union activities. Union officials must also provide workers with an independently-audited financial breakdown of all forced-dues union expenditures and the opportunity to challenge the amount of forced union fees before an impartial decision maker.

Despite Wilber’s union resignation, the CNA union hierarchy has refused to follow the federal disclosure requirements outlined under Beck and its progeny.

“CNA union bosses are keeping this nurse in the dark about their forced-dues expenditures by skirting federal disclosure guidelines,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “This case demonstrates that California desperately needs a Right to Work law, which would make union affiliation and dues payments completely voluntary.”

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

29 Jan 2015

National Workplace Advocacy Group to Charter School Employees: “You Have Rights”

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News Release

National Workplace Advocacy Group to Charter School Employees: “You Have Rights”

Union bosses fail to block charter school education, now seek to make charter schools part of forced unionism empire

Washington, DC (January 29, 2015) – Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation, has issued the following statement in recognition of National School Choice Week 2015:

“For many years, union officials orchestrated a prolonged campaign to delegitimize and do away with school choice and charter schools. Despite that opposition, charter schools have enjoyed steady growth both in popularity and in practice.

“As such, union officials have decided that if they can’t stop the growth of charter schools, then they might as well try to force charter school employees under a union monopoly. Of course this could prove disastrous for charter school teachers and students nationwide.

“The unionization of charter schools jumped 444 percent in the last decade, 2001-10, compared 1992-2000, and is increasing rapidly. But all charter school employees are entitled to certain constitutional and statutory rights. And unfortunately, these rights are not automatically provided.

“To enjoy many of the benefits of these protected rights, an employee may first have to assert his or her entitlement to them. Unfortunately, union officials often keep workers in the dark about their rights.

Click here to read the full release.

29 Jan 2015

National Workplace Advocacy Group to Charter School Employees: “You Have Rights”

Posted in News Releases

Washington, DC (January 29, 2015) – Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation, has issued the following statement in recognition of National School Choice Week 2015:

“For many years, union officials orchestrated a prolonged campaign to delegitimize and do away with school choice and charter schools. Despite that opposition, charter schools have enjoyed steady growth both in popularity and in practice.

“As such, union officials have decided that if they can’t stop the growth of charter schools, then they might as well try to force charter school employees under a union monopoly. Of course this could prove disastrous for charter school teachers and students nationwide.

“The unionization of charter schools jumped 444 percent in the last decade, 2001-10, compared 1992-2000, and is increasing rapidly. But all charter school employees are entitled to certain constitutional and statutory rights. And unfortunately, these rights are not automatically provided.

“To enjoy many of the benefits of these protected rights, an employee may first have to assert his or her entitlement to them. Unfortunately, union officials often keep workers in the dark about their rights.

“Led by National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the National Right to Work Foundation’s Charter School Initiative aims to enlighten charter school employees so that they can make decisions about union representation in an atmosphere free of union boss threats, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. To that end, Foundation attorneys have developed free educational materials for charter school teachers and employees. Furthermore, Foundation staff attorneys are prepared to defend charter school workers from the injustices of forced unionism.

“Charter school employees: You have rights. For more information about your rights and the Foundation’s Charter School Initiative, check out our website at www.nrtw.org/charterschools.”

28 Jan 2015

State Labor Board Certifies Vermont Childcare Providers’ Vote Against Unionization

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Montpelier, VT (January 28, 2015) – After the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB) rejected their attempt to overturn a recent vote by childcare providers against unionization, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union officials have officially declined to appeal that decision to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Several childcare providers who sought to uphold the election results received free legal assistance and advice from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

In September 2014, AFT union officials submitted a petition for a unionization election with the VLRB. The proposed bargaining unit would have included 1323 childcare providers, all of whom receive a small state subsidy for caregiving.

In November and December of 2014, the VLRB conducted a mail-in unionization election. On December 9, the VLRB determined that a majority of Vermont childcare providers had voted against unionization. However, AFT officials promptly challenged the election results.

With the help of Foundation staff attorneys, six childcare providers filed a motion to intervene with the VLRB to defend their vote. Fortunately, the Board determined that there was no merit to the union’s election objections. The union subsequently declined to appeal that ruling to the Vermont Supreme Court.

“From Minnesota to Michigan to Rhode Island, aggressive union organizers have set their sights on home and childcare providers, even though these providers are not state employees and therefore should not be subject to monopoly unionization,” said Patrick Semmens, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “These unionization drives imperil the rights of independent-minded caregivers by pushing them to into union ranks simply because they receive a small state subsidy.”

“In the case of Vermont, childcare providers clearly rejected unionization,” continued Semmens. “We’re happy to report that their decision will stand despite an attempt by union lawyers to overturn the election results.”

16 Jan 2015

NRTW Submits FOIA to Uncover Dealings between Department of Labor and German Union during VW Unionization Drive

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Washington, DC (January 15, 2015) – Today, the National Right to Work Foundation, a charitable organization that provides free legal assistance to thousands of workers nationwide, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Department of Labor to uncover any communication between the Department and two German labor organizations regarding the ongoing unionization campaign at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga facilities.

Foundation staff attorneys assisted several workers who were subjected to coercive card check unionization tactics and pressure from management and union organizers during the United Auto Workers (UAW) union’s multi-year campaign to unionize VW’s Chattanooga plant. The Foundation also helped several VW workers file a federal suit challenging the company’s assistance to UAW officials during the campaign as an illegal exchange of “thing[s] of value” under the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA).

VW’s Global Works Council and IG Metall, a German autoworker union, were both prominent supporters of the UAW’s organizing drive. However, neither organization divulged the extent of their involvement in Chattanooga to the Department of Labor, despite the fact that their high-profile support for the UAW should have triggered disclosure requirements under the LMRA.

Although a majority of Chattanooga workers voted against the UAW in a secret ballot election last February, the UAW and its German backers have continued to push for unionization. Furthermore, UAW officials have refused to abide by an agreement they signed with VW not to engage in organizing activities at the facility for one year if workers voted against them.

In November 2014, Foundation President Mark Mix submitted a letter to Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez calling on the Department of Labor to require both German labor organizations to comply with American labor law and disclose their relationship with the UAW. To date, Mix’s letter has received no substantive response and there is no record of either organization filing the mandated disclosure reports.

The Foundation’s FOIA request seeks to uncover any communications between the Department of Labor, VW’s Global Works Council, and the IG Metall union. Foundation staff attorneys hope to determine if the Department of Labor is actively assisting these organizations in their efforts to unionize VW’s Chattanooga facilities.

“German labor organizations shouldn’t be exempt from American disclosure guidelines when they operate in the United States,” said Mix. “Did the UAW make promises to IG Metall to obtain its support that could affect the wages and working conditions of VW Chattanooga employees down the road? Is the Department of Labor actively supporting the UAW and IG Metall’s efforts to unionize the Chattanooga plant? Chattanooga VW workers facing the prospect of another unionization drive deserve to know the answers to these questions, which is why we filed this FOIA request.”