Chula Vista, Calif. (May 1, 2003) — Responding to charges brought by two employees of Raytheon Technical Services, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will prosecute the Electronic and Space Technicians (EST) Local 1553 and its affiliate, the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters (SWRCC) for unfair labor practices.

Enjoying free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation, Michael Adams and Brent Bull filed the charges against EST and SWRCC union officials for refusing to honor their resignations from the union, and for threatening them with internal union “disciplinary” charges. The NLRB has set a trial date for August 11, 2003.

“Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Union bosses routinely trample the rights of workers they claim to represent,” said Stefan Gleason, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “No one should be forced to pay compulsory dues to a union, especially when its officials continually abuse that federally granted special privilege.”

As part of their charges, Bull and Adams, and sixteen other employees, also allege that union officials never properly informed any of the workers at the facility of their rights to refrain from formal, full-dues-paying union membership. The workers are also demanding the union drop its “disciplinary” charges, and properly inform workers of their rights.

“This shows that union bosses are more concerned with keeping workers in line rather than actually respecting the rights of the workers they are supposed to be protecting,” said Gleason.

EST and SWRCC union officials’ actions violated the workers’ rights established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Pattern Makers v. NLRB decision. Under Pattern Makers, unions must accept all resignations from union members, and they cannot threaten or discipline employees because they choose to resign from the union.

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.