Jacksonville, FL (March 30, 2005) – National Right to Work Foundation attorneys today announced they are withdrawing charges in a case brought by local United Parcel Service (UPS) workers against Teamsters Union Local 385, after union officials belatedly refunded dues money unlawfully seized from workers’ paychecks.

Upon receiving the reimbursement checks worth more than $2,500 combined, and written notice that union officials had finally accepted their resignations as required by law, the two workers withdrew their charge against the Teamsters union local.

Johnny Bass and Kenneth Johnson obtained free legal assistance from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys and filed the charges in November of 2004 with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after union officials repeatedly refused to accept employees’ resignations from the union and continued to deduct full union dues from their paychecks.

The employees alleged that the Teamsters union’s practices were part of a pattern of discrimination against similarly situated employees who wish to exercise their rights to refrain from union membership.

“Union officials want workers like these simply to shut up and pay up,” said Stefan Gleason, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “For the Teamsters officials, it’s all about the money – regardless of whether workers want anything to do with the union.”

The actions of Teamsters officials’ actions violated employee rights explicitly recognized under the U.S. Supreme Court Pattern Makers v. NLRB decision. Under Pattern Makers and subsequent NLRB rulings, union officials are obligated to honor immediately the resignations of employees from union membership at any time.

Additionally, Teamsters officials’ actions violated the spirit of Florida’s highly-popular Right to Work law, on the books since 1968, which prevents workers from having to join or pay dues to an unwanted union.

“Unfortunately, even in states like Florida where Right to Work protections exist, workers continue to face the heavy-handed tactics of union officials,” said Gleason.

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 more than 250 cases nationwide per year.