Local Bus Drivers Overwhelmingly Vote to Remove Union

Monroeville, PA (July 8, 2014) – Gateway School District bus drivers have overwhelmingly voted to remove a local union from their workplace.The school bus drivers were finally allowed to vote to remove the union from their workplace after driver Robert Williams, who received free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, and his coworkers petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a secret-ballot election four times.In July of last year, Student Transportation of America, Inc. took over bus services at the Gateway School District. Student Transportation of America then recognized Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1729 union officials as the drivers' monopoly bargaining representative after a majority of their workforce was hired from the previous, unionized student transportation contractor.

After Eight Year Legal Fight, Teamsters Finally Agree to Pay $51,500 Judgment to Victim of Illegal Union Discrimination

Tulsa, OK (July 8, 2014) – After years of stonewalling and legal wrangling, a local Teamster union has finally agreed to pay a former Interstate Bakeries Wonder Bread/Hostess delivery driver $51,500 in damages and interest for discriminating against the worker.Oklahoma worker Kirk Rammage has received free assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys during his eight year legal battle challenging the local Teamster union's discriminatory policy.Rammage was the single nonunion sales representative with a Dolly Madison facility in Ponca City for over 15 years before his division was merged in 2005 with Wonder Bread/Hostess. Although the company initially wanted to protect Rammage's seniority during the merger, Teamster Local 523 union officials insisted that Rammage be put at the bottom of the seniority roster despite his longer workplace tenure. The company later complied with the union bosses' demand.

Supreme Court Clears Path for Michigan Childcare Providers to Win Back Money Illegally Seized by Union Officials

Washington, DC (July 1, 2014) – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it has granted, vacated, and remanded a federal lawsuit which seeks to require that Michigan's 50,000 home childcare providers receive a refund of union dues illegally taken during a now-defunct unionization scheme.National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys argue that all of Michigan's home childcare providers should be entitled to refunds of the union dues collected after former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and a UAW and AFSCME coalition, the Child Care Providers Together Michigan (CCPTM) union, colluded to force the state's providers into union ranks against their will.

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Illinois Homecare Provider Unionization Scheme

Washington, DC (June 30, 2014) – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in a case over whether Illinois homecare providers can be forced into union ranks against their will.The case, Harris v. Quinn, is a class-action lawsuit argued by National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys and filed by Pam Harris and seven other Illinois care providers after Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed an executive order rendering them vulnerable to unwanted union organizing.

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Obama Labor Board Recess Appointments

Washington, DC (June 26, 2014) – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Barack Obama's controversial purported "recess appointments" to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, Noel Canning v. NLRB. The brief was filed for the Foundation and Jeanette Geary, a worker who is receiving free legal assistance from Foundation staff attorneys in a case pending before the Board, which had been decided in part by the faux Board. Foundation staff attorneys had challenged the recess appointments in nearly a dozen other pending NLRB cases.

SEIU Officials Face Charge for Violating County Pharmacist’s Rights

San Jose, CA (June 18, 2014) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation-provided staff attorneys, a Santa Clara Valley Medical Center pharmacist has filed a state charge against a local union for illegally refusing to honor her right to refrain from full dues-paying union membership.Han Kwan Wong, a pharmacist from San Jose, filed the charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) against Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 521 for illegally forcing her into full union dues payments against her will.In December 2013, Wong attempted to hand deliver a letter to SEIU Local 521 notifying the union hierarchy that she was exercising her right to refrain from formal union membership. An SEIU official refused to accept Wong's letter.

Bus Driver Union Fails to Block Workers’ Overwhelming Request for Election to Remove Union

Monroeville, PA (June 13, 2014) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Gateway School District bus drivers have won the right to a secret-ballot vote to determine whether if they want to remove the union from their workplace.The bus drivers will finally have a chance to vote on June 27, 2014, after driver Robert Williams and his coworkers petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for the secret-ballot election four times.In July of last year, Student Transportation of America, Inc. took over bus services at the Gateway School District. Student Transportation of America then recognized Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1729 union officials as the drivers' monopoly bargaining representative after a majority of their workforce was hired from the previous, unionized student transportation contractor.

Local Union Hit with Federal Charges for Blacklisting Construction Worker

Evansville, IN (June 5, 2014) – An Industrial Contractors Skanska construction worker has filed federal charges against a local union and his employer for discriminating against him based on his lack of union membership.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Michael Feist, a 15-year construction worker, filed the federal charges late last week with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).In early April 2014, Feist was expelled from the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 561 after Feist challenged the amount of dues going toward a union fund. Since then, LIUNA Local 561 union officials have refused Feist's attempts to remain current on his union dues payments.

Michigan Civil Servant Files Motion to Defend Michigan’s Public-Sector Right to Work Law at Supreme Court

Lansing, MI (June 5, 2014) – A Michigan civil servant has filed a motion to file a brief at the state's Supreme Court defending Michigan's recently-enacted public-sector Right to Work law and arguing that it applies to the state's civil servants.Michigan Department of Natural Resources Inventory and Planning Specialist Thomas Haxby, of Kingsley, filed the motion with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.The case, brought by several union hierarchies, is a challenge to Michigan's Right to Work law and whether is applies to the state's civil servants.

School Bus Drivers File Federal Suit Against District and Local Union for Rights Violations

Little Rock, AR (May 29, 2014) – A group of Pulaski County Special School District bus drivers have filed a federal suit against the school district and a local union for violating their rights.The five Little Rock-area bus drivers filed the federal suit with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.The school bus drivers all sent a letter to the Pulaski Association of Support Staff (PASS) union exercising their right to refrain from union membership and refrain from paying union dues or fees.Under the U.S. Constitution, workers have the unconditional right to refrain from union membership at any time. Under Arkansas's popular Right to Work law, nonmember workers can refrain from paying union dues and fees.