Local Security Guards Win Federal Settlement to End Illegal Forced Union Dues Payments

White Oak, MD (September 9, 2014) – Four local Coastal International Security, Inc. security guards have won a federal settlement from a local union and their employer for illegally forcing them into paying union dues and fees.The settlement comes in the wake of federal charges filed by the security guards with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.In December, Coastal security guard Karif King, who has been employed by Coastal International since 2008, and his coworkers voted to deauthorize the "Union Rights for Security Officers" union, thus revoking the union's power to force nonmember workers into forced dues payments. Federal law requires that union officials cease forcing nonmember workers into forced dues payments upon request if a majority of workers vote to deauthorize the union's forced dues powers.

Judge Strikes Down Michigan Teacher Union’s Illegal “Window Period” Scheme

Lansing, MI (September 4, 2014) – A Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) judge has struck down the Michigan Education Association (MEA) union hierarchy's scheme to prohibit public school teachers and employees from exercising their rights to refrain from union membership.The ruling stems from state charges filed by Mark Norgan, a Standish-Sterling Community Schools janitor, Alphia Snyder, a Battle Creek Public Schools secretary, and Mary Carr, a Grand Blanc Community Schools special education department secretary, with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.The charges challenged MEA's policy of requiring workers to resign union membership and refrain from union dues payments only during a "window period" of August 1 through August 31.

Ford Employee Slaps UAW & Company with Federal Charges for Illegal Dues Deductions

Dearborn, MI (August 20, 2014) – A Dearborn-area Ford Motor Company worker has filed federal charges against the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and the company for violating his rights.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Todd Lemire, a 16-year Dearborn Tool & Die plant worker, filed the charges last week with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).On April 7, 2014, Lemire sent a letter to Ford Motor and UAW union officials exercising his statutory rights to resign his union membership and refrain from full union dues. Under Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court precedent, nonmember workers can refrain from paying for union boss politics and members-only events. The current contract was agreed to before Michigan's Right to Work law came into effect, which is why Lemire cannot yet cut off all union dues and fees.

Federal Court Hears Challenge to Minnesota Homecare Providers’ Unionization

Minneapolis, MN (August 19, 2014) – Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota will consider a motion brought by a group of home-based personal care providers to immediately halt the unionization of the state's homecare providers.With free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Teri Bierman and eight other providers from around the state filed a federal lawsuit last month against Governor Mark Dayton and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).The suit challenges a law that authorizes the forcible unionization of the state's providers on the grounds that it violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of free political expression and association.

Three Years Later, Workers Ask for Secret Ballot Vote After Obama Labor Board Kills Card Check Protections

Houston, TX (August 12, 2014) – Three years after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) eliminated workers' right to challenge union card check recognition with a secret ballot vote, the very workers involved in that case have petitioned for an election to remove the unwanted union from their workplace.In 2007, National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys secured a new NLRB precedent in Dana Corp. which held that workers may collect signatures to request a secret ballot election during a 45-day window period following notice that their employer has recognized a union based on a card check organizing drive. The ruling was intended to counteract coercive practices frequently associated with card checks, which allow organizers to bully or mislead employees into signing cards that count as "votes" toward unionization.

Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Files Federal Suit Challenging Transport Union Discrimination

Dallas, TX (August 8, 2014) – An Oakland, California-based Southwest Airline (NYSE: LUV) flight attendant has filed a federal lawsuit against a local union for discriminating against him for resigning his union membership.With free legal assistance from staff attorneys provided by the National Right to Work Foundation, Kent Hand, a flight attendant for 12 years, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.In October 2013, Hand resigned his membership in the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 556.Shortly thereafter, Hand received a phone call from a TWU Local 556 union official informing him that he was being removed from the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team because he resigned his union membership.

National Right to Work Supreme Court Victory Forces SEIU to Abandon Forced Dues Demands in Illinois, Minnesota, & Massachusetts

Washington, DC (August 5, 2014) – In the wake of a National Right to Work Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court victory in June, government union bosses from across the country are now abandoning their forced dues demands on home-based personal care and childcare providers.On June 30, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in a case concerning whether Illinois homecare providers can be forced into union ranks against their will. The case, Harris v. Quinn, is a class-action lawsuit litigated by Foundation staff attorneys and filed by eight Illinois care providers after Illinois Governors signed executive orders rendering them vulnerable to unwanted union representation.

Minnesota Homecare Providers File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Forced Unionization Scheme

Minneapolis, MN (July 28, 2014) – Today, a group of home-based personal care providers who care for family members filed a federal lawsuit challenging a law that authorizes forcible unionization of the state's home-based personal care providers.With free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys, Teri Bierman and eight other providers from around the state filed the suit against Governor Mark Dayton and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.The homecare providers' suit requests an injunction halting implementation of a law intended to designate SEIU union officials as the monopoly political representative of thousands of providers in the state. The SEIU seeks to unionize the providers via a mail-in vote starting August 1.

Obama NLRB Excludes Worker Input in Case that Seeks to Restrict Workers’ Ability to Remove Unwanted Union Bosses

San Francisco, CA (July 21 2014) – In a precedent-setting federal case, a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional director has denied a local restaurant worker's motion to intervene to stop the federal agency from foisting unwanted union representation back on her workplace after she and her coworkers attempted to remove the union.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Scoma's of Sausalito restaurant worker Georgina Canche will appeal the NLRB regional director's order to an NLRB Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).Canche and a majority of her coworkers petitioned their employer to remove the UNITE HERE Local 2850 union from their workplace. After the workers presented the petition, restaurant management withdrew recognition of the union as the workers' monopoly bargaining representative as long-standing law allows.

Grand Rapids Teacher Files State Charges Against Union and School District for Circumventing Right to Work Law

Grand Rapids, MI (July 18, 2014) – A Grand Rapids-area special education teacher has filed state charges against a local union and the school district for violating Michigan's Right to Work law.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Becky Lapham of Portland, Michigan, filed the state charges with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) in Detroit.The 11-year Lincoln Developmental Center school teacher filed charges against the Michigan Education Association (MEA) union and Grand Rapids Public Schools for entering into an agreement illegally amending and extending the forced dues provisions in the monopoly bargaining agreement beyond the date allowed under Michigan's Right to Work law for public employees.That law specifies that contracts or amendments entered into after the law went into effect must respect workers' right to refrain from the payment of any union dues or fees.