Electrical Worker Files Federal Charge Challenging Union Intimidation of Workers Exercising Their Right to Work

Croswell, MI (April 14, 2015) – An eastern-Michigan electrical worker has filed a federal charge against a local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union for using intimidation and coercion to stop workers from exercising their rights under Michigan's Right to Work law.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Paramount Industries employee Ryan Greene filed the charge last week with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Detroit.Under Michigan's Right to Work law, no worker can be forced to join or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment.

Massachusetts Childcare Providers File Appeal in Legal Challenge to Homecare Forced Unionization Scheme

Boston, MA (April 7, 2015) – Several Massachusetts caregivers have filed an appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals after their lawsuit, which challenges a state law that forces home-based childcare providers to accept union monopoly bargaining, was dismissed in Massachusetts District Court. Providers Kathleen D'Agostino, Denise Boian, Jean Demers, Judith Santos, Elizabeth Mongeon, Stephanie Kozlowski Heck, Leslie Marcyoniak, Laurie Smith, and Kelly Winship filed the appeal on Tuesday with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys. The other providers seek to halt implementation of a 2012 law that designates Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 as the monopoly bargaining agent for thousands of providers in the state, all of whom are either small business owners or family members who take care of relatives’ children.

Obama NLRB Creates New Barrier for Employees Seeking to Eject Unwanted Unions Installed through Card Check

Washington, DC (April 6, 2015) – The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency charged with administering private sector labor law, recently issued a decision blocking Karen Cox and her Americold Logisitics coworkers from ejecting an unwanted union. Cox received free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys after United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 578 union lawyers intervened to block their efforts to remove the union. In August 2013, the Board conducted an election at the Americold facility, but impounded the ballots pending the union’s appeal. It will now destroy those ballots.

State Troopers File Federal Lawsuit against Connecticut State Police Union

Hartford, CT (March 30, 2015) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, four Connecticut state troopers have filed a federal lawsuit against the Connecticut State Police Union (CSPU) and the state for violating their rights and refusing to follow federal disclosure requirements.State trooper Marc Lamberty resigned from formal union membership in the CSPU and invoked his right to refrain from paying full union dues in June 2011. Troopers Joseph Mercer, Carson Konow, and Collin Konow did so in November 2014.The U.S. Supreme Court has long held that workers have the unconditional right to refrain from union membership at any time. Even though the state troopers are not CSPU members, they must still accept union officials' monopoly bargaining "representation," and because Connecticut does not have a Right to Work law, union officials can compel the troopers into paying union fees as a condition of employment.

Family Child Care Providers’ Class-Action Lawsuit Spurs SEIU Officials to Back Down from Forced Dues Demands

Olympia, WA (March 27, 2015) – The day after a group of family child care providers filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging a 2006 law that authorizes the forcible unionization of Washington State's 12,000 home-based child care providers, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925 officials sent a letter to providers in the state dropping their forced dues demands.The development comes immediately in the wake of a federal lawsuit filed by Cindy Mentele and three other providers from around the state with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys in conjunction with the Freedom Foundation. The lawsuit, which names Governor Jay Inslee in addition to SEIU Local 925, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

State Employees Move to Defend Rauner’s Federal Challenge to Government Union Bosses’ Forced Dues Powers

Washington, DC (March 23, 2015) – Three Illinois state employees have moved to intervene in support of Governor Bruce Rauner's federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of union officials' power to force nonmember state employees to pay union fees as a condition of employment.The three state employees, Mark Janus, Marie Quigley, and Brian Trygg, filed the motion to intervene in the lawsuit today with legal assistance from staff attorneys with the National Right to Work Foundation and the Illinois Policy Institute's Liberty Justice Center.Governor Rauner issued an executive order in February that instructs all state agencies to put in escrow, pending the outcome of the federal lawsuit filed the same day, all forced union-fee deductions from nonmember state employees' wages required by Illinois' public-sector labor relations statute.

NJ Public Safety Deputy Attorney General Files Federal Suit against IBEW Union

Trenton, NJ (March 20, 2015) – A New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Deputy Attorney General has filed a federal lawsuit against a local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) affiliate for violating his rights and refusing to follow federal disclosure requirements.James Bennett filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.Even though Bennett is not a member of the IBEW Local 33 union, he must still accept union officials' monopoly bargaining "representation." Further, IBEW Local 33 union officials force him and other nonmembers at his workplace to pay the equivalent of 85 percent of full union dues, the maximum amount allowed under state law, as a condition of employment.

Washington Family Child Care Providers File Federal Class-Action Lawsuit Challenging Forced Unionization

Olympia, WA (March 5, 2015) – Today, a group of family child care providers filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging a 2006 law that authorizes the forcible unionization of Washington State's 12,000 home-based child care providers.With free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys in conjunction with the Freedom Foundation, Cindy Mentele and three other providers from around the state filed the suit against Governor Jay Inslee and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

More Oil Refinery Workers File Federal Charge in Response to Steelworker Union Strike Intimidation

Houston, TX (March 4, 2015) – In the wake of a recent federal charge filed against a local Steelworker union for intimidating Shell oil workers for refusing to abandon their jobs during the ongoing, highly-publicized United Steelworker (USW) union-instigated strike, three additional Houston-based oil refinery workers have filed a federal charge against the union.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, LyondellBasell Industries employees Yvonne Hendrix, Richard Jackson, and Kyle MacDonnell filed the unfair labor practice charge Monday with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).