YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (March 30, 2004) — Despite a previous vow to appeal, Teamsters Local 377 officials at the Youngstown St. Elizabeth Health Center will not contest an order by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to end pervasive unfair labor practices against local workers. With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys, the workers originally filed federal charges in 2001 against union officials for refusing to accept their resignations and for failing to properly notify them of their right to refrain from paying dues to subsidize union political activities.

In February, the ALJ of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) effectively granted the case “class-action” status, determining that Teamsters officials had failed to inform all 900 workers in the bargaining unit of their rights. In a surprising reversal, the union hierarchy has officially decided not to appeal, and all such workers are entitled immediately to receive a refund of dues collected for political and other non-collective bargaining activities, with interest. In addition, all workers who paid dues for periods when no contract was in effect are entitled to full reimbursement.

Although the NLRB Office of Compliance will determine the exact amount each individual worker may reclaim, estimates of the total amount of refunded dues and interest range up to $360,000.

“While Teamsters union officials were willing to raid workers’ paychecks unlawfully in private, they have chosen publicly not to defend their actions,” said Stefan Gleason, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Their blatant disregard for workers’ rights shows the inevitable greed and corruption that flow from a system of forced unionism.”

Officials of the Youngstown-based union illegally refused to accept employees’ written resignations from union membership and told employees that they must pay all “back dues” before the union would even consider their resignations. Union officials also demanded the firing of workers for refusal to pay dues, without first informing them of their right to become objecting nonmembers, and pay a reduced amount of forced dues. Local Teamsters union officials also used payroll deductions unlawfully to collect dues for periods in which there was no valid forced unionism clause.

Under the Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court Communications Workers v. Beck decision, workers may resign from formal union membership at any time and not pay forced dues beyond the union’s proven collective bargaining costs. Under the ALJ’s decision, Teamsters Local 377 officials must inform Health Center workers of these rights, rescind a threatening letter, and allow all employees to collect retroactive refunds.

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 about 200 cases nationwide per year.