Chicago, IL (August 1, 2012) – A State Street Macy’s Walnut Room restaurant worker has filed a federal charge against a local union for intimidating her and violating her rights.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Kathi Szkolny filed the federal charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United Local 2745 union on Monday.

Workers United Local 2745 union officials illegally misinformed workers that they must pay full union dues to keep their jobs. Union officials refused to inform workers of their right under Foundation-won Supreme Court precedent in Communication Workers v. Beck to refrain from full dues paying union membership.

In Beck, the Court held that workers who refrain from union membership cannot be forced to pay for union activities unrelated to workplace bargaining, such as politics and political lobbying. Additionally, union officials are required to provide audited financial disclosure of union expenditures to inform workers who refrain from union membership of how their forced dues are being spent.

Despite the union bosses’ misinformation, Szkolny exercised her right to refrain from formal union membership. However, because Illinois does not have Right to Work protections making union affiliation completely voluntary, she is still forced to pay part of forced union dues to keep her job.

Union officials have refused to provide the adequate disclosure to ensure that nonmember restaurant workers are fully aware of the amount of forced union fees the union hierarchy can legally confiscate from their paychecks.

Instead, union officials are demanding that Szkolny pay nearly $1,000 in full union dues by August 1 or be fired from her job.

«Workers United Local 2745 union officials are intimidating workers and keeping workers in the dark about their rights in order to keep their forced-dues gravy train going,» said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. «Illinois desperately needs a Right to Work law to protect workers from unscrupulous union bosses.»

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.