Minneapolis, MN (July 29, 2010) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, three Minneapolis nurses have filed federal unfair labor practice charges against the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) union after MNA officials illegally threatened them with disciplinary action for refusing to participate in a recent strike. Foundation attorneys anticipate filing additional charges within the next several days.

Under the 1985 Supreme Court decision Pattern Makers v. National Labor Relations Board, workers have the right to resign from union membership. Although workers can still be fired for failing to pay union dues, nurses and other employees who exercise their right to refrain from formal union membership cannot be subjected to internal union discipline or compelled to participate in union activities, including strikes. Such union “discipline” often includes punitive fines, which can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Despite these safeguards, MNA officials are threatening to discipline nurses who resigned from the union before the June 10, 2010 strike. Nurses who left the union received letters from the MNA on July 23 notifying them of an upcoming union disciplinary hearing for working during the strike. The letters also stated that nurses who didn’t participate in the strike are “subject to reprimand” from MNA operatives.

In early June, the Right to Work Foundation announced an offer of free legal assistance to any nurses who wished to resign their union membership to avoid participating in the MNA work stoppage or felt threatened or coerced into joining the union strike. Right to Work attorneys know from experience that workers who refuse to abandon their jobs during a union-instigated strike often face threats and retaliation from union officials.

“Attempting to drag these brave nurses into a kangaroo court is nothing more than a tired union boss intimidation tactic,” said Patrick Semmens, Legal Information Director for the National Right to Work Foundation. “All workers – including medical professionals – have the right to resign their formal union membership and continue working rather than be ordered off the job by union operatives.”

The nurses’ charges will now be investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.

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.