Strike Abuses

Worker Advocate Offers Free Legal Aid to Employees Ordered Off the Job During Fry’s/Safeway Strike

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:34:08 -0500

Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona (November 12, 2009) – America’s preeminent workers’ rights advocacy organization which helps victims of union coercion is offering free legal aid to workers whose rights are abused during the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) union-ordered strike scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Union officials apparently intend to impose fines upon union members who wish to continue to go to their jobs in opposition to the union’s militant approach.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has received numerous calls from Arizona Safeway Stores, Inc. and Kroger-owned Fry’s Food Stores employees who want to continue providing for themselves and their families during the UFCW union-ordered strike. The Foundation encourages workers to learn about their rights from independent sources and posted a special legal notice for workers on its website at http://www.nrtw.org.

Workers Slap Communications Union Bosses With Federal Charges for Illegal Forced Dues Demands

Will Collins — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:49:43 -0400

St. Louis, MO (July 23, 2009) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys, two St. Louis-based AT&T employees have filed federal unfair labor practice charges against union officials for illegal coercion.

The charges outline a series of abuses involving Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 6300 union and its national affiliate, including an illegal attempt to force one worker to participate in a general strike. These allegations come on the heels of similar charges filed by AT&T employees in New Jersey, who also report that CWA militants attempted to force them to participate in an upcoming work stoppage.

Seven Employees Force Settlement with Teamster Local Union Brass

Anthony Riedel — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:13:23 -0400

Chicago, IL (May 29, 2009) – With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, seven employees who refused to abandon their jobs during a strike forced a settlement with a local union after union officials levied exorbitant and illegal retaliatory fines against them.

The employees, truck drivers for industrial laundry company Lechner and Sons, filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Teamsters Local Union 731, an affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, after Local 731 union officials hit the employees with fines ranging from $13,946 to $40,000 each for not abandoning their jobs during a strike. None of the employees were truly voluntary members of the union during the strike.

AT&T Employee Files Federal Charges Against Communications Union for Illegal Threats

Will Collins — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:43:32 -0400

St. Louis, Missouri (April 13, 2009) – A St. Louis-based AT&T worker has filed federal unfair labor practice charges against a national union for illegal threats in the run-up to an impending national strike.

With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation, David McBride of Granite City, Illinois filed charges alleging that Communication Workers of America (CWA) union officials threatened him with legal action if he refused to go on strike and failed to provide him with a federally-mandated audit of union expenditures.

CWA union officials appear to be on the verge of ordering 20,000 employees to abandon their jobs as part of a nationwide strike against AT&T Mobility. However, numerous employees across the United States have contacted the National Right to Work Foundation for legal advice after being falsely informed by CWA officials that they are obligated to participate in the union’s upcoming work stoppage or face severe penalties.

Truck Drivers and Dockworkers Fight Back Against Teamster Union Intimidation

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:52:01 -0500

Seattle, Washington (March 5, 2009) – Employees from nine collective bargaining units of Oak Harbor Freight Lines, Inc. have filed decertification petitions seeking elections to oust the Teamster union as the workers’ monopoly bargaining agent.

With help from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, the employees – drivers and dockworkers – filed the decertification petitions with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking secret ballot elections to determine whether the workforce wants to retain the Teamster union as their monopoly bargaining agent.

AT&T Mobility Employees File Federal Charges Against Union for Threats if They Should Refuse to Strike

Will Collins — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:14:08 -0500

Morristown, NJ (February 9, 2009) – Responding to employee reports across America of union intimidation, a national organization announced today that it will provide free legal assistance to AT&T Mobility employees who are threatened with fines for exercising their right to go to their jobs during an imminent national strike.

Communication Workers of America (CWA) union officials may order 20,000 AT&T employees to abandon their jobs at any moment. Numerous employees across America have contacted National Right to Work Foundation attorneys for advice after being falsely informed that they have no right to resign from formal union membership and will face hefty fines as union members if they choose to do their jobs during the strike.

Foundation attorneys have already helped two New Jersey AT&T employees file unfair labor practice charges against the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1101 union for this misconduct.

Federal Labor Board to Prosecute Union Officials for Imposing Illegal Fines on Nonunion Employees

Will Collins — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:54:59 -0500

Chicago, IL (January 5, 2009) –The National Labor Relations Board has announced that it will prosecute International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 731 union officials for illegally imposing exorbitant retaliatory fines on several hard-working employees at a local company.

In September of 2008, nine employees at Lechner and Sons filed unfair labor practice charges against Local 731 with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation. The charges requested the prosecution of the union for imposing fines ranging from $13,946 to $40,000 on employees for working during a strike, despite the fact that none of the employees were voluntary union members. Union officials never informed any of the employees of their rights to refrain from formal union membership and to pay a reduced amount of compulsory dues. Instead, union officials misled employees into believing that formal, full dues-paying membership was a condition of employment.

Agency Trial Judge Won’t Punish Union Officials for Threatening Non-Striking PVHMC Nurses with Fines, Jail

Nick Cote — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:53:44 -0500

Pomona, California (November 25, 2008) – Attorneys for a Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center nurse announced they will appeal an erroneous administrative law judge ruling dismissing a federal complaint against a local union. Union officials had threatened non-striking nurses with financial penalties and even arrest for refusing to abandon their patients.

Federal labor prosecutors agreed with unfair labor practice charges brought by National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys and found that Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 121RN officials had illegally coerced nurses in the exercise of their rights to refrain from union activity. The General Counsel of the NLRB formally brought the case before the federal labor law judge.

Employees Hit Union with Federal Charges for Its Illegal and Retaliatory Strike Fines

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:01:32 -0400

Chicago, IL (September 11, 2008) - With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, nine Lechner and Sons employees have filed federal charges against an International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union local for exorbitant and illegal retaliatory fines levied against them.

The employees filed the unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Teamsters Local Union 731. Union officials hit the employees with fines ranging from $13,946 to $40,000 each for working during the strike, despite the fact that none of the employees were truly voluntary members of the union during the strike. Union officials never informed any of the employees of their right to refrain from formal union membership and pay a reduced amount of forced dues. Instead, union officials deceived the employees into believing that formal, full-dues-paying union membership was a condition of employment.

SEIU Union Officials Face Federal Prosecution for Illegal Threats against Non-Striking Nurses

Nick Cote — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:11:57 -0400

Los Angeles, California (July 3, 2008) – Federal labor board officials in Los Angeles will prosecute the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 121RN for illegally threatening nurses at the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center with financial penalties and arrest for refusing to abandon their patients during a union-ordered strike.