IAM officials ignored employees’ resignation requests when they tried to exercise their rights under Wisconsin’s Right to Work law

Sparta, WI (March 24, 2016) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, two Northern Engraving Corporation employees have filed federal unfair labor practice charges against their employer and the International Association of Machinists Lodge No. 1771 (IAM) union. According to charges filed by Sharon Kirchner and Julie Anderson, union and company officials violated federal law by ignoring their attempts to resign from the union and stop paying union dues.

Under Wisconsin’s recently-enacted Right to Work law, no employee can be forced to join or pay dues to a union to keep a job. Although Kirchner and Anderson previously belonged to the IAM, they both sent letters to their employer and the union within the past six months announcing their decision to resign and stop paying dues.

Not only did union officials fail to respond to Kirchner and Anderson’s resignation letters, they also ignored similar requests from other Northern Engraving employees. To this date, Northern Engraving continues to deduct – and IAM officials continue to collect – full union dues from Kirchner and Anderson’s paychecks.

The employees’ charges will now be investigated by Region 18 of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency responsible for administering private sector labor law.

“The passage of Wisconsin’s Right to Work law was a significant victory for employee rights,” said Patrick Semmens, vice president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “However, Wisconsin workers will only benefit if their rights to refrain from union membership and the payment of union dues are vigorously enforced. That’s why we stepped in to take this case.”

“Any other Wisconsin employee who faces obstructionist tactics when attempting to exercise his or her right to leave a union and stop paying union dues should contact the National Right to Work Foundation immediately for free legal assistance,” added Semmens.

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.