Springfield, Va. - Through high-profile Supreme Court victories in Beck, Lehnert, Hudson, Ellis, Abood, and recently Prescott, Foundation attorneys have changed the law to help stop the theft of millions of dollars from thousands of Americans. But for every victory won in the courtroom, Foundation attorneys win many victories without even filing a lawsuit.

Sometimes all it takes to help an employee is a threatening letter to union bosses or employers letting them know that their illegal attempts to seize dues will result in costly and embarrassing litigation. And sometimes merely arming employees with knowledge about their legal rights, done efficiently through the Foundation's carefully developed legal information web site, is enough to score a victory.

"Union bosses have perfected the shameful art of intimidating employees to force them to bankroll Big Labor's big government agenda," said Foundation Legal Director and Executive Vice President Rex Reed. "Union bosses frequently turn tail and run when they know the Foundation's legal experts are preparing to drag them into court."

Union backs down in face of Foundation fire

One of the Foundation's most recent victories without litigation involves 22 employees victimized by officials of the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico, who began illegally seizing forced dues from the employees' paychecks at the demand of the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) union. Quickly responding to the workers' plea for help, Foundation attorneys sent a letter to the City and to union officials demanding that the illegal deductions cease. Realizing they had been caught red-handed, USWA union officials scurried for cover by halting the dues seizure and returning $4,000 in back dues to all nonmember city workers.

Through the use of the Foundation's legal information web site, www.nrtw.org, employees are often able effectively to counter union mis-information and propaganda. And a number of highly motivated employees have gone the extra mile to help others to win freedom.

Truth sets workers free from union oppression

Take Jennie Stephenson, a social worker in Tacoma, Washington. Fed up with union boss attempts illegally to seize forced dues from her paycheck to pay for union politics, Stephenson has not only won freedom for herself. She also labors to spread the Right to Work message to the people of Washington by appearing on TV and radio shows, writing letters to the editor, and circulating Foundation-provided information to her fellow state workers. Her bold efforts have freed countless employees from the shackles of forced unionism abuses.

As with the Foundation's high-profile courtroom battles, these Foundation victories outside the courtroom are only possible with the continuing generous support of the Foundation's loyal contributors. "As long as union bosses continue to shake down, beat up, and destroy the lives and careers of America's working men and women, we must stand ready to provide them with the ammunition to protect their precious Right to Work," said Randy Wanke, Director of Legal Information for the Foundation.