Flint, Mich. (May 10, 2004) — An Intier Automotive, Ontegra-Brighton (Intier) employee today filed class-action charges against the United Auto Workers (UAW) union after union officials unlawfully misinformed workers about their rights to refrain from formal union membership. The worker also charged UAW officials with threatening workers with internal union discipline – even discharge – simply for reporting accidents, machine failures, or health and safety violations to their employer.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys, Erik Daly, a nonunion employee at the Intier factory, filed the unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against both the UAW Local 599 union and the UAW International union.

Daly charges that UAW officials unlawfully informed the entire bargaining unit, in writing, that all workers are required to be full union members in good standing with the union, and if they are suspended or otherwise placed in bad standing with the union, they will be fired from their jobs.

Daly also charges that the UAW Local 599 union’s own newsletter contains explicit threats against Intier workers that reporting accidents or health and safety concerns may result in workers being “reprimanded or suspended” and that “This means you may not work in this union-represented plant.”

In November 2001, a previous unfair labor practice charge filed by Daly required Local 599 officials to revoke illegally obtained membership and dues deduction authorization cards obtained by union officials after they issued an illegal ultimatum to Intier employees telling them to sign membership cards or “join the unemployment line.”

“UAW officials are again using lies, intimidation, and threats to stamp out any independence or professionalism exercised by Intier workers,” said Stefan Gleason, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “This recalcitrant union hierarchy seems willing to use any tactic to punish workers that refuse to toe the UAW line.”

Under numerous U.S. Supreme Court precedents, including Pattern Makers v. NLRB, workers have the right to resign their formal union memberships at any time. Union officials must also specifically inform employees of their right to refrain from formal, full dues-paying union membership before seizing any forced union dues.

UAW officials’ actions also violated the Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court decision in Communications Workers v. Beck. Under Beck, union officials may not compel workers to pay for politics and other activities unrelated to collective bargaining activities. The UAW union, in the past, has admitted that at least 21% of each member’s union dues goes toward politics and similar activities.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.