Volkswagen Workers Withdraw Lawsuit After Fending Off Imminent Unionization Threat

Chattanooga, TN (May 23, 2014) – Today, Volkswagen workers voluntarily withdrew their federal lawsuit challenging the United Autoworker (UAW) union officials' backroom organizing deal with company management during the union’s highly-publicized push to unionize the workers at VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee facility. The withdrawal was prompted by VW and UAW's attorneys' concessions in legal papers filed with the court that, having lost the election at the Chattanooga plant and dropped its objections to the result, the UAW cannot seek another election until sometime next year.The case was initiated in March by the workers with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

Southern Bakeries Worker Moves to Intervene in Federal Court to Stop NLRB from Foisting Unwanted Union on Workers

Texarkana, AR (May 16, 2014) – A Southern Bakeries, LLC worker has moved to intervene to block a federal agency from foisting unwanted union representation back on his workplace after he and his coworkers overwhelmingly expressed their desire to remove the union.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Southern Bakeries worker John Hankins filed the motion in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Texarkana Division.After the workers at the Southern Bakeries facility in Hope voted in a secret-ballot election to determine whether they wanted to remove the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Local 111 union officials from their workplace, the union hierarchy filed federal charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to impound the workers' ballots.

University Hospital Nurse Files Federal Charge Against Major Healthcare Union for Rights Violations

Saint Louis, MO (May 14, 2014) – A Saint Louis University Hospital nurse has filed a federal charge against a major California-based healthcare union for violating workers' rights.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Saint Louis University Hospital nurse Brian Hendricks filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) union officials enjoy monopoly bargaining powers over the workplace. Because Missouri does not have Right to Work protections making union affiliation completely voluntary, nonmember workers are still forced to pay part of forced union dues to keep their jobs.In the charge, Hendricks alleges that NNOC union officials are using illegal dues deduction authorization forms that force members to authorize union dues deductions from their paychecks and deny them the right to pay for union dues via check.

Paris Casino Union Bosses Lose High Stakes Game Playing with Worker’s Legal Rights

Las Vegas, NV (May 9, 2014) – A Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino snack bar attendant has won a federal judgment from a local union for violating her right to refrain from union affiliation.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Nani Sugianto won her case against the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 before a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative law judge late last week.In 2007, Sugianto resigned her union membership and refrained from dues payments. After nearly five years the union started to collect dues again without giving her notice. Sugianto stopped the union dues deductions.

UPS Worker Wins Federal Settlement against Teamster Union for Ignoring Her Rights Under Michigan’s Right to Work Law

Traverse City, MI (April 28, 2014) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a Traverse City UPS (NYSE: UPS) worker has won a federal settlement against a local Teamster union for violating her rights.Lisa Plamondon, a 30-year UPS employee, won the settlement from the Teamster Local 406 union after she filed charges against the union and her employer with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).Because Michigan did not have a Right to Work law making union dues payments completely voluntary, Plamondon was a member of the union from 1983 until 1997. In 1997, Plamondon resigned her union membership, but still had to pay union dues and fees to keep her job.

Grand Rapids Teacher Files State Charges Against Union and School District for Right to Work Violations

Grand Rapids, MI (April 21, 2014) – A Grand Rapids-area special education teacher has filed state charges against a local union and the school district for violating school employees' rights under Michigan's Right to Work law.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Becky Lapham of Portland, Michigan, filed the state charges last week with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) in Detroit.The 11-year Lincoln Developmental Center school teacher notified the Michigan Education Association (MEA) union that she was exercising her rights under the Foundation-won Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson case to refrain from full union dues payments and requesting a financial disclosure of how her forced union dues and fees are being spent.

Chattanooga Volkswagen Workers Stave off UAW Union Boss Challenge

Chattanooga Volkswagen Workers Stave off UAW Union Boss Challenge Foundation staff attorneys help employees preserve their decision to reject unionization

Massachusetts Childcare Providers File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Forced Unionization Scheme

Boston, MA (April 16, 2014) – A group of Massachusetts home-based childcare providers have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a 2012 law that seeks to forcibly unionize the state's home-based childcare providers.Providers Kathleen D'Agostino, Denise Boian, Jean Demers, Judith Santos, Laurie Smith, and Kelly Winship filed the suit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.D'Agostino and the other providers seek to halt implementation of a recently-passed law intended to designate Service Employees International Union (SEIU) officials as the monopoly political representative of thousands of providers in the state, who are either business owners or family members who take care of children within their families.

NLRB Rejects UAW’s Attempts to Silence Chattanooga VW Workers’ in Unionization Vote Hearing

Washington, DC (April 16, 2014) –The United Auto Workers (UAW) union officials' request to exclude Chattanooga, Tennessee Volkswagen workers seeking to defend the recent unionization vote in their workplace has been rejected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).The VW employees filed the motion to intervene with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys after the UAW union filed objections to the recent highly-publicized election in their workplace.UAW union officials filed the objections with the NLRB after Chattanooga VW workers voted against giving the UAW monopoly bargaining control over the plant via a rapid-fire unionization election.

Worker Advocate Challenges Obama Labor Board’s Ambush Elections Rules

Washington, DC (April 7, 2014) – National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys filed formal comments today with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) opposing the Board's proposed guidelines, which will help give union organizers the upper hand over independent-minded workers.The NLRB again proposed these rules dictating how union organizing elections are conducted after a federal court struck them down in 2012. The court ruled that the Board did not have a quorum necessary to enact the new rules when it tried to do so.The proposed rules dramatically shorten the time frame individual workers have to gather, evaluate, and share information with their coworkers about the effects of unionization. Moreover, the rules require job providers to disclose workers' personal information (including their phone numbers, email addresses, and shift information), thus opening up dissenting or undecided workers to intimidation and harassment.