Jeffersonville, Ind. (March 8, 2004)- Local Teamsters union officials at the Jeffboat company plant outside Louisville, Kentucky, have been forced to cease violating workers’ rights by demanding that employees sign union membership forms and agree to payroll deduction of union dues to keep their jobs.

In a settlement after prosecution for unfair labor practices, union officials also agreed to adopt new policies that cease restrictions on employees’ right to resign their formal union memberships.

With free legal aid from attorneys from the National Right to Work Foundation, Jeffboat worker Michael Bell originally filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Teamsters Union Local 89 in the fall of 2003 after union officials retaliated against him for resigning his formal union membership by permanently banning him from the union, but still charging him dues.

“Teamsters union officials have tried to make an example of Michael Bell so that other workers will think twice before defying their edicts,” said Stefan Gleason, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “This kind of abuse is inevitable until Kentucky passes a Right to Work law which would prohibit union officials from forcing employees to pay union dues in order to keep a job.”

In July 2002, Bell asserted his right to pay only a reduced fee to the union for its proven collective bargaining costs by resigning from formal full dues-paying union membership. Teamsters union officials retaliated by enforcing a policy that banned Bell from ever rejoining the union, while continuing to demand that he pay dues and fees. Union officials have now agreed to terminate that policy because it violates the law.

Teamsters Local 89 union officials must now post a notice at the Jeffboat factory notifying employees that no worker must sign a union membership application or dues check-off authorization to keep their job.

The actions of Teamsters Local 89 union officials violated worker protections recognized by the Foundation-won Communications Workers v. Beck U.S. Supreme Court decision. Under Beck, workers are allowed to resign from formal union membership and halt and reclaim the portion of forced union dues spent on activities unrelated to collective bargaining, such as politics, lobbying, and public relations.

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.