Danielle Cookson made the news in San Diego last year when then 16-year-old girl (she's now 17) took on UFCW union officials who were illegally demanding that she join the union or lose her part-time job. Danielle told a local news reporter:
"I don't want to join because I don't want to have to pay the fees since I'm saving up money for college... [The union is] not going to do anything for me. I'm sixteen with a part-time job and they just want my money."
Refusing to be bullied, Foundation attorneys helped Cookson file unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board against the UFCW Local 135 union officials. Many of the issues of the case have already been settled, with UFCW bosses having backed off some of their illegal demands.
But UFCW officials persist in demanding that Cookson pay more than can be legally required under the Foundation-won Beck U.S. Supreme Court case.
Cookson's case recently had a positive development when the Office of the General Counsel of the NLRB ordered its regional officials to further investigate union bosses' improper attempts to force Cookson to pay for overhead expenses for activities not related to collective bargaining. (The letter asking for more information can be downloaded here [pdf].)
Here's video of Cookson talking about her case:
Comments
To damn bad, when you go to
To damn bad, when you go to work at a union shop pay the dues or take your ass to walmart and work. Its retarded people like here who would f**k up a good thing pay or go to wallyworld that damn simple.
Arrogance
Organized labor has for years tried to corral the employees of Wal-Mart into its grasp. If it succeeds, and this young lady was working there, she would be faced with the same situation. It seems that your attitude is that everyone must pay tribute to big labor or starve - so much for individual liberty.
Stalin would be proud!
Bismarck
Organized Labor wouldn't
Organized Labor wouldn't have to exist if we could trust the employees to be fair and equitable. Wal-marts track record on that is abysmal. I've no problem with this high school girl not wanting to pay union dues, although it was the union that manage to negotiate the salary, and whatever benefits may come with the part time job. She just needs to understand that she is reaping benefits for other peoples hard work. Let her be a freeloader if she wants. I don't agree with Union Officials bullying her into joining. It's the wrong tactic. She is obeying the law and doing what she thinks is right. The Union Officials would be better served to work to change the laws. If you work in a union shop, you need to pay your fair share. But, until that is a law, let her save her money. It's bullies like that that gives Unions a bad reputation. People need to understand a Union is about the employees rights not some sort of secret communist agenda.
UFCW is clearly wrong.
Under the Beck decision, Ms. Cookson is required to remit to the union the cost of collective bargaining. She has offered to pay that amount, but the UFCW insists that she pay the full dues, including the amount that is used for non-bargaining activities or be fired. The UFCW is in clear violation of the law.
While it is true that there are corrupt and exploitive employers, I do not believe that the proper remedy is corrupt and exploitive unions.