Mechanic Challenges Obama Recess Appointments in Federal Court

Columbus, OH (August 17, 2012) – A Columbus-area Center City International Trucks mechanic is challenging in federal court President Barack Obama's recent purported recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Kyle Chilton filed his legal challenge with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Friday.Chilton's case stems from a battle over a petition he and his coworkers signed asking for a vote to remove the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union from his workplace. A three-member panel of the NLRB dismissed Chilton's petition. The decision means that Chilton and his coworkers cannot submit another petition for at least three years. Two of Obama's three purported recess appointments to the Board participated on the panel.

Ford Technician Appeals Case in Which Teamster Bosses Illegally Funnel Worker’s Dues into PAC

Minneapolis, MN (August 16, 2012) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a New Brighton Ford journeyman technician has filed a federal appeal with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, D.C.Dylan McHenry of Hammond, Wisconsin, filed the appeal after the NLRB Regional Office in Minneapolis partially dismissed his federal charge that the Teamsters Local 974 union illegally confiscated union dues payments from his paychecks for political activism and refused to follow federal disclosure requirements.

Wisconsin Civil Servants Defend Governor’s Public-Sector Unionism Reforms in Federal Court

Chicago, IL (August 14, 2012) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, three Wisconsin public employees asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to uphold all of Governor Scott Walker's public-sector unionism reform measures, known as "Act 10."Pleasant Prairie teacher Kristi Lacroix, Waukesha high school teacher Nathan Berish, and trust fund specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds Ricardo Cruz filed their reply brief Monday.The workers, who are forced to accept the "representation" of union officials, want instead the freedom to represent themselves with their employers. The workers are challenging a lower court judge's ruling striking down Wisconsin's new union recertification requirements and the ban on the use of taxpayer funded-payroll systems to collect union dues for general employees, as well as excluding them from the case.

Worker Advocate Challenges Obama Recess Appointments in Federal Court

Washington, DC (August 13, 2012) – National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys filed a brief in the high-profile legal battle over President Barack Obama's recent purported recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).Foundation attorneys filed the amicus curiae brief on Monday in the case Center for Social Change, Inc. v. NLRB, pending now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.Another direct legal challenge to the Obama recess appointments is a Foundation case pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. That case is among the first in the nation to reach the appellate courts challenging the Obama recess appointments and will help set the standard for all further challenges.

Federal Settlement Will Force SEIU to Leave Local Hospital Workers Alone

Orange, CA (August 3, 2012) – With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, Chapman Medical Center workers have won federal settlements that will remove unwanted Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers West officials' representation from their workplace.Chapman management and SEIU officials have signed National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) settlements after Marlene Felter of Costa Mesa filed charges with the agency in response to SEIU organizers colluding with Chapman management to illegally rig a union organizing "vote" to pave the way for the union to claim to "represent" the workers. Under the settlements, SEIU must give up its "exclusive representation" and Chapman will publicly withdraw recognition of the union.

State Trooper Files Charge Against Connecticut State Police Union

Hartford, CT (August 2, 2012) – A Connecticut state trooper has filed a state charge against a local union for violating his rights.With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, state police trooper Marc Lamberty of Hartford County filed the charge with the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations.In June 2011, Lamberty resigned from formal union membership in the Connecticut State Police Union and invoked his right to refrain from paying full union dues.

Union Bosses Illegally Demand Macy’s Restaurant Employee Pay Nearly $1,000 in Dues or Be Fired

Chicago, IL (August 1, 2012) – A State Street Macy's Walnut Room restaurant worker has filed a federal charge against a local union for intimidating her and violating her rights.With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Kathi Szkolny filed the federal charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United Local 2745 union on Monday.Workers United Local 2745 union officials illegally misinformed workers that they must pay full union dues to keep their jobs. Union officials refused to inform workers of their right under Foundation-won Supreme Court precedent in Communication Workers v. Beck to refrain from full dues paying union membership.

Workers Challenge Obama NLRB «Recess Appointments» in Federal Appeals Court

Chicago, Illinois (July 30, 2012) – Four workers filed a brief today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago challenging President Barack Obama's recent purported recess appointees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). David Yost and Ronald Echegaray of Morgantown, West Virginia, Doug Richards of Ligonier, Indiana, and John Lugo of Chicago, Illinois filed the brief with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys. The workers' two cases, Richards, Yost, & Echegaray v. Steelworkers and Lugo v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, were consolidated for hearing before the appeals court. The NLRB found in both cases that union bosses illegally forced workers who exercise their right to refrain from formal union membership to "annually renew" their objections to paying full union dues.

Local Scofflaw Teamster Union Bosses Violate Federal Settlement, Worker’s Rights

Seattle, WA (July 26, 2012) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a Sandy, Oregon, bus driver's case before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has taken yet another dramatic turn.On Monday, a NLRB Regional Director revoked a federal settlement reached between the agency and Teamsters Local 206 union officials after union officials made a mockery of federal labor law and repeatedly violated the settlement.The legal challenge is part of an ongoing legal controversy involving the union and First Student bus driver Richard Harmon, who resigned from formal union membership in Teamsters Local 206 in January 2011.Because Oregon does not have Right to Work protections making union affiliation completely voluntary, Harmon is still forced to pay part of forced union dues to keep his job.

Worker Advocate Testifies Before Congress Regarding Obama Big Labor Paybacks

Washington, DC (July 25, 2012) – This morning, National Right to Work Foundation staff attorney William Messenger is testifying before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.The subcommittee, which is chaired by Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), is holding the hearing entitled "Examining Proposals to Strengthen the National Labor Relations Act." The hearing is located in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building and is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. EDT.The hearing is focused on the recent actions of President Barack Obama’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which has issued many decisions undermining worker protections.