Worker Advocate Offers $10,000 Reward’s Cars

Worker alleges union militants threatened non-striking workers and their families; police reports show two vehicles damaged during the same night

Chicago, IL (June 18, 2013) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has announced today a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrests and convictions of those responsible for damaging a South Water Market, Inc. worker’s personal and work vehicles during a Teamster union strike.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the Chicago-area South Water Market worker filed a federal charge last week against the Teamsters Local 703 union alleging that union militants threatened him, his family and his property, and that his personal property was damaged shortly after he received those threats.

Click here to read the full release.

Chicago, IL (June 18, 2013) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has announced today a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrests and convictions of those responsible for damaging a South Water Market, Inc. worker’s personal and work vehicles during a Teamster union strike.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the Chicago-area South Water Market worker filed a federal charge last week against the Teamsters Local 703 union alleging that union militants threatened him, his family and his property, and that his personal property was damaged shortly after he received those threats.

The worker filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago.

Teamsters Local 703 has been on strike at South Water Market. However, some of the workers are not union members and refuse to abandon their jobs. Under federal law, workers who are not union members cannot be disciplined for continuing to work during a strike.

According to the worker’s federal charge, union agents harassed and threatened nonmember workers who continue working to support their families. In the charge, the worker states that his personal property was damaged soon after the threats. The worker is seeking compensatory damages.

Two Chicago Police Department «Victim of Information Notices» reflect reports of property damage, one incident «by fire.»

A video posted on Youtube.com purports to show security camera footage of a South Water Market work truck on fire while someone on the sidewalk watches. The video also shows the purported damage to the truck after the fire was extinguished. Moreover, the video shows striking Teamster union militants asking each other «are we gonna kill ‘em or what?» and stating that they are going to «test the guys out today» while posing like boxers.

«Far too often union violence in America goes unpunished,» said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. «We hope this reward will help bring these criminals to justice.»

Anyone involved in the crimes is not eligible for a reward. The Foundation will decide who, if anyone, has earned the reward, and the reward may be split among multiple informants.

Bakersfield, CA (June 18, 2013) – A California District Court Judge has issued an order setting interest rates for the refund of an illegally-seized forced dues assessment by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 from thousands of California civil servants in 2005. The order results from last year’s Knox v. SEIU Supreme Court ruling, which held that the SEIU’s collection of union dues for political activism violated the rights of nonunion employees, who were never given notice of the assessment or an opportunity to opt out.

Diane Knox and her seven co-plaintiffs were represented by National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, who provided them with free legal assistance throughout their long legal battle.

SEIU lawyers had argued that nonmembers’ refunds should be calculated using the near-historically low interest rates applying at the end of the legal battle. The court disagreed, using rates that prevailed at the time the monies were seized in 2005 and 2006, 21-29 times higher than the rate the union sought.

According to preliminary estimates, the total judgment for refunds could cost the SEIU up to eight million dollars.

The final judgment concludes a prolonged legal challenge affecting some 42,000 California government employees. In 2005, union officials imposed a “special assessment” to raise money from all state employees subject to SEIU monopoly bargaining, regardless of their membership status. The fund was used to defeat a series of ballot proposals, including one that would have revoked public employee unions’ special privilege of using forced fees for politics without affirmative employee consent. Civil servants who refrained from union membership were given no chance to opt out of paying for the SEIU’s political assessment, which union officials labeled a “political fight back fund.”

On June 21, 2012, the Supreme Court issued a 7-2 decision that struck down the SEIU’s forced-dues fundraising scheme. A 5-4 majority went further and ruled that any future special assessments cannot be seized from nonmembers unless they affirmatively consent – or “opt in.”

“Eight years after the forced assessments began, tens of thousands of nonunion California civil servants are finally about to get their money back from SEIU bosses,” said Patrick Semmens, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Although it’s taken far too long for these workers to receive justice, it’s fitting that in the process of winning this case at the Supreme Court, we’ve also expanded the protections nonunion workers enjoy to refrain from paying for union politics.”

Local Unions Attempt to Circumvent Indiana’s Right to Work Law

Union officials game system to collect union dues and fees despite Indiana’s popular Right to Work law

Indianapolis, IN (June 14, 2013) – In separate cases, two Indianapolis-area workers have filed charges against two local unions for violating their rights to refrain from union dues payments.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the two workers filed federal unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

In one case, Indianapolis AT&T (NYSE: T) worker Joshua Sterrett resigned membership in the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 4900 union on January 21, 2013. Even though CWA Local 4900 union officials acknowledged Sterrett’s union membership resignation on January 30, Sterrett alleges that union officials failed to tell him how he could timely revoke his dues deductions. As a result, he is forced to pay union fees for an additional year.

Click here to read the full release.

Indianapolis, IN (June 14, 2013) – In separate cases, two Indianapolis-area workers have filed charges against two local unions for violating their rights to refrain from union dues payments.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the two workers filed federal unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

In one case, Indianapolis AT&T (NYSE: T) worker Joshua Sterrett resigned membership in the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 4900 union on January 21, 2013. Even though CWA Local 4900 union officials acknowledged Sterrett’s union membership resignation on January 30, Sterrett alleges that union officials failed to tell him how he could timely revoke his dues deductions. As a result, he is forced to pay union fees for an additional year.

In the second case, Indianapolis Kroger (NYSE: KR) worker Julie Huffman resigned membership in the United Food and Commercial Worker (UFCW) Local 700 union in May 2012, when the union did not have a forced dues contract in effect. Although union officials recognized Huffman’s union membership resignation, they informed her that she could not stop deduction of union dues for almost another year.

This year, Huffman attempted to follow the union hierarchy’s instructions on how to stop union dues payments. However, this time the union hierarchy denied her request because it was submitted two days late. UFCW Local 700 union officials continue to collect full union dues from Huffman’s paychecks.

Huffman’s charge alleges that the UFCW union’s restrictions of dues deduction revocations to a 5-day period by certified mail are unreasonable and arbitrary and violate federal law.

«Despite Indiana’s popular new Right to Work law, union officials are illegally extracting union dues and fees from workers by any means possible,» said Patrick Semmens, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. «These illegal actions must stop.”»

Salinas, CA (June 14, 2013) – After a prolonged legal battle, the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) has determined that a unionization election at Corralitos Farms, Inc. rejecting the United Farm Workers (UFW) union was lawfully conducted. The election was originally held on September 26, 2012, but was subsequently challenged by UFW lawyers after a majority of workers voted against unionization.

National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys represented employees who opposed the union’s presence and were called to testify at the initial ALRB hearing on the election.

When the ballots were counted last September, a clear majority of employees voted against unionization. UFW operatives refused to accept the results and instead moved to overturn the election by filing charges against Corralitos Farms, alleging that company officials unlawfully influenced the outcome.

UFW lawyers made numerous allegations against the company. However, none were found to have merit by an Administrative Law Judge or the ALRB. In fact, workers represented by the National Right to Work Foundation testified that it was union operatives, not company officials, who attempted to intimidate them.

Despite the UFW’s claims, an Administrative Law Judge upheld the election results on March 1, 2013. After reviewing the case and the UFW’s objections to that ruling, the ALRB also upheld the election results.

“We’re happy to report that the California ALRB has upheld the wishes of the Corralitos Farms employees who decisively voted against unionization last year.” said Patrick Semmens, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Employees who vote against a union shouldn’t be ignored because of trumped-up charges filed by union bosses attempting to reverse the outcome of an election they clearly lost.”

Worker Files Federal Charge After Vehicle Firebombed During Union-Instigated Strike

Worker charges union militants threatened non-striking workers and their families; police documents show two vehicles damaged

Chicago, IL (June 6, 2013) – A Chicago-area South Water Market, Inc. worker has filed a federal charge against a Chicago Teamster union local alleging that union militants threatened him, his family and his property, and that his personal property was damaged shortly after he received those threats.

The worker filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

The Teamsters Local 703 union has been on strike at South Water Market. However, some of the workers are not union members and refuse to abandon their jobs. Under federal law, workers who are not union members cannot be disciplined for continuing to work during a strike.

According to the charge, union agents harassed and threatened nonmember workers who continue working to support their families. In the charge, the worker alleges that his personal property was damaged soon after the threats.

Click here to read the full release.

Chicago, IL (June 6, 2013) – A Chicago-area South Water Market, Inc. worker has filed a federal charge against a Chicago Teamster union local alleging that union militants threatened him, his family and his property, and that his personal property was damaged shortly after he received those threats.

The worker filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

The Teamsters Local 703 union has been on strike at South Water Market. However, some of the workers are not union members and refuse to abandon their jobs. Under federal law, workers who are not union members cannot be disciplined for continuing to work during a strike.

According to the charge, union agents harassed and threatened nonmember workers who continue working to support their families. In the charge, the worker alleges that his personal property was damaged soon after the threats.

Two Chicago Police Department «Victim of Information Notices» reflect reports of property damage, one incident «by fire.»

A video posted on Youtube.com purports to show security camera footage of a South Water Market work truck on fire while someone on the sidewalk watches. The video also shows a fire truck responding to the scene and the purported damage to the truck after the fire was extinguished. Moreover, the video shows striking Teamster union militants asking each other «are we gonna kill ‘em or what?» and stating that they are going to «test the guys out today» while posing like boxers.

«Teamster union toughs are apparently trying to intimidate workers who had the courage not to toe the union line and instead provide for their families,» said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. «Workers should never be subjected to violence or threats of violence under any circumstance.»

The worker filed the charge against the Teamster Local 703 union, seeking compensatory damages. He filed the charge for himself and other similarly-situated workers.

Minnesota Childcare Providers File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Forced Unionization Scheme

Childcare providers fight dictate to push childcare business owners into union forced dues ranks

Minneapolis, MN (June 5, 2013) – A group of Minnesota home-based childcare providers have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new law that seeks to forcibly unionize the state’s home-based childcare providers.

Jennifer Parrish from Rochester and 11 other providers from around the state filed the suit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

Parrish and other providers seek to halt implementation of a recently-passed law intended to designate Service Employees International Union (SEIU) or American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) officials as the monopoly political representative of thousands of providers in the state, who are either business owners or family members who take care of children within their families.

Click here to read the full release.

Minneapolis, MN (June 5, 2013) – A group of Minnesota home-based childcare providers have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new law that seeks to forcibly unionize the state’s home-based childcare providers.

Jennifer Parrish from Rochester and 11 other providers from around the state filed the suit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

Parrish and other providers seek to halt implementation of a recently-passed law intended to designate Service Employees International Union (SEIU) or American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) officials as the monopoly political representative of thousands of providers in the state, who are either business owners or family members who take care of children within their families.

Home-based childcare and personal care providers have challenged similar forced-unionization-by-government-fiat schemes in several states across the country, including Michigan and Illinois. The Illinois case is pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. Michigan ended its scheme after Foundation attorneys filed suit for providers there.

Foundation attorneys argue that such schemes violate the providers’ First Amendment right to choose with whom they associate to petition the government. The government does not have the power to force citizens to accept its handpicked political representation to lobby itself. Under the Minnesota scheme, after the union is installed it will then be empowered to confiscate dues from childcare providers for this forced «exclusive representation.

«Citizens have the power to select their political representation in government, not the other way around,» said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. «This scheme, which forces small business owners, and even grandma taking care of her grandchildren, into union political association is a slap in the face of fundamental American principles we hold dear.»

«This union boss power grab scheme is nothing more than pure political payback and was popularized by disgraced Governors Gray Davis of California and Rod Blagojevich of Illinois.»

Many of the 12 providers previously challenged in federal court Governor Mark Dayton’s executive order that also sought to force the state’s homecare providers into union ranks. That suit was rendered moot after a state court struck down Dayton’s executive order as outside his authority under state law.