Union Discriminates Against Local AT&T Worker for Exercising His Right to Work
Union officials make an example of nonmember to discourage other workers from exercising their rights under Indiana’s Right to Work law
Indianapolis, IN (February 12, 2013) – A local AT&T worker has filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against a local union for discriminating against him for exercising his rights under Indiana's new Right to Work law.
With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Indianapolis AT&T worker James Dawson filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Indianapolis.
In August 2012, Dawson resigned from membership in and exercised his right to refrain from paying dues to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 4900 union. Under Indiana's Right to Work law, which was enacted in early 2012, Dawson and other private sector workers have the right to refrain from union membership and dues payments. However, a worker who exercises their rights under the state's Right to Work law may still be forced to accept an unwanted union's representation.
CWA Local 4900 union bosses enjoy monopoly bargaining powers over all the workers in Dawson's workplace, including Dawson. In late January, CWA Local 4900 union officials distributed copies of the union hierarchy's monopoly bargaining agreement free of charge to union members in Dawson's workplace. However, as detailed in his charge, when Dawson requested a copy of the monopoly bargaining agreement, union officials denied his request and in front of his coworkers demanded he pay $416 for a copy.
Dawson's charge alleges that union officials are discriminating against him because he exercised his right to refrain from union membership. Dawson's charge also alleges that union officials made an example of him to send a message to his coworkers that union members would be given preferred treatment over nonmembers even though nonmembers must accept the union's "representation."
"CWA Local 4900 union bosses are illegally discriminating against a worker who had the temerity to exercise his rights under Indiana's popular Right to Work law," said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. "Union officials are making an example of James Dawson to discourage other workers from exercising their Right to Work."
Comments
UNION
Unions are well known over the last century for bullying people when they don't think or do what the union's want. Bullying is a polite word for what they have done. The entire state of Michigan is a perfect example of how and why American companies have gone overseas to build. Cheap labor and no union BS!!!
Unions are demonic
Tens of thousands of American patriots died fighting communism. Unions are communist organizations. Should I be happy the communist did not have to nuke me to take my money and freedom?
The union is being too nice to him.
If the union weren't required by law to negotiate in his name for better wages and benefits while he paid them nothing for the privilege, I'd be in favor of the union telling him "you're on your own, see if you can get a better pay and benefits package from the company without us." My bet is that he'd get a much worse one.
As it is, the union should only be giving the freeloader the things that they are legally obligated to give him and not one bit more, until he pays his fair share for the representation he's received. Union members should make the freeloader a pariah, treating him with scorn and speaking to him only insofar as it is necessary for the job.
I fully support that union rep's actions. If the worker isn't going to pay for union representation, he shouldn't receive any extra benefits from the union.
Those right-wingers defending the freeloader should be prepared to explain why he should be allowed to enjoy the benefits of union membership without taking the personal responsibility to pay for them, and how that is any different from their common complaints about welfare recipients.
It's a union shop, you pay
It's a union shop, you pay the union dues. End of story.
I don't care if it is a "right-to-work" state.
I have never been in a union
I have never been in a union and never had the need to be. I am not so helpless and ignorant that I need someone to charge me to keep a job. If I have to pay money to work then I will work for myself. You union idiots, or should I say onion because you are always crying about something, really make me laugh. Tell me something that the union has actually done for you, don't say keep me employed. You can be employed if you get off your dead ass and work on your own to make yourself employable. I went to a technical school, I payed for it myself. I proposed a program to utilize my new skills and they accepted it. I got a raise and better hours. Now I am a manager making more than I used to with overtime. Bottom line is that you have to take care of you first or your not able to help anyone not even you.
It's a right to work state
It's Indiana state law. So if it was a "whites only" shop,would that too,be the end of story? You throwback people are choking out freedom with your crab pot theory. Sorry, but that time is over. You no longer have the law on your side "Bull" Connor, we will:"Rise like Lions after slumber/in unvanquishable number-shake your chains to earth like dew which in sleep had fallen on you Ye are many-they are few" Shelley
Rise like lions
If you don't stand for somethings then you will fall for any thing!!!!!