Federal Court Upholds Wisconsin Governor’s Public-Sector Unionism Reforms, Right to Work Protections

Madison, WI (September 11, 2013) – Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin upheld Governor Scott Walker's 2011 public-sector unionism reform measures, also known as "Act 10," which included giving most Wisconsin public workers the Right to Work.With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, two Wisconsin public employees moved to intervene in the lawsuit in favor of the law after Laborers Local 236 union officials challenged the law in the federal court. The court permitted the two civil servants to file an amicus brief.

Local Union Faces Prosecution after Union Official Threatens School Bus Driver with Physical Violence

Gresham, OR (September 5, 2013) – A local union is facing a federal prosecution after a union official from the union threatened a First Student, Inc. bus driver with physical violence.The prosecution comes after the bus driver filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.The driver filed the charge after an Oregon School Employees Association, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 6732 union official tore down informational notices posted by the driver and threatened to "stomp" him if he ever found him alone. The notices included information on how the workers can, with a majority vote, remove the union hierarchy's ability to collect forced union dues and fees from nonmember drivers.

Grocery Union Faces Federal Charges for Violating Teenage Ralphs Grocery Clerk’s Workplace Rights

Oceanside, CA (September 5, 2013) – A local grocery union is facing federal charges for violating a teenage part-time Ralphs Grocery clerk's workplace rights.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the Ralphs clerk filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 135 union late last month.UFCW Local 135 union officials provided the clerk in July with a membership packet that illegally stated that the clerk and other new hires must join the union and pay full union dues as a condition of their employment while burying notice of his actual legal rights. Information about workers' right to refrain from full dues paying union membership was located at the back of the packet in fine print.

Government Union Bosses Face Federal Suit for Illegal Forced Dues Scheme

Santa Barbara, CA (August 21, 2013) – A retired Santa Barbara County employee has filed a federal lawsuit against the county and a local Service Employees International Union (SEIU) affiliate for violating her constitutional rights and refusing to follow federal disclosure requirements.Rosemary Banko filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California located in Los Angles with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.Before Banko retired in July, the county collected full union dues from her paychecks even though she was not a member of the SEIU Local 620.

Michigan Appeals Court Upholds Right to Work Law: «A Win for Worker Freedom»

Michigan Appeals Court Upholds Right to Work Law: "A Win for Worker Freedom" Roughly 33,000 Michigan state employees will soon have free choice regarding union membership and dues payment Lansing, MI (August 16, 2013) – Yesterday, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the state's recently-enacted Right to Work law as constitutional and ruled that it will apply to the state’s roughly 33,000 state civil service workers.

Michigan Appeals Court Upholds Right to Work Law: «A Win for Worker Freedom»

Lansing, MI (August 16, 2013) – Yesterday, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the state's recently-enacted Right to Work law as constitutional and ruled that it will apply to the state’s roughly 33,000 state civil service workers.

Minnesota Childcare Providers Appeal Federal Lawsuit Challenging Forced Unionization Scheme

Minneapolis, MN (August 7, 2013) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a group of Minnesota home-based childcare providers have appealed their federal challenge to 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 appeal yesterday after a U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota judge dismissed their lawsuit last month on the grounds that it was filed too soon. Foundation staff attorneys counter that childcare providers shouldn't have to wait until their rights are violated to challenge the scheme, and that the threat of unionization in violation of their rights provides grounds for moving their legal challenge forward.

Local FAA Worker Files Federal Charge Challenging Illegal Union Dues Scheme

Myrtle Beach, SC (August 1, 2013) – A local Air Transportation Systems Specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has filed a federal charge against the Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) union for forcing him to pay union dues even though he is not a union member.With the help of National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Daryl Reinsch of Conway filed the charge with the Federal Labor Relations Authority earlier this week.On October 22, 2012, Reinsch resigned membership in the PASS union and timely revoked his union dues deduction authorization effective March 1, 2013, under the contract then in effect. Union officials use union dues deduction authorizations to have dues automatically withheld from employee paychecks.

Worker Advocate Launches TV Ad Campaign Reaching Out to Area Healthcare Professionals

Pittsburgh, PA (July 30, 2013) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has launched an information campaign focusing on Pittsburgh-area hospital workers.The Foundation launched the television ad campaign after receiving reports that a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is stepping up pressure on the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to hand over its workers and allow them to be shoved into union ranks.The ad campaign currently consists of a series of messages featuring healthcare professionals the Foundation has assisted in the past. The Foundation is the nation's premier organization exclusively dedicated to providing free legal assistance to employee victims of forced unionism abuse.