Charge: Teamsters threatened UPS employee, claimed it was a “federal crime” to inform others of protected legal right to resign from union membership

Pocatello, ID (September 21, 2026) – Andrew Davis, an employee of United Parcel Service (UPS), has prevailed in his dispute with Teamsters Local 983, after union bosses settled Davis’ National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) case against them. An NLRB investigation, initiated by an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed by Davis, found that union officials engaged in illegal threats and retaliation against him after he resigned his union membership and informed coworkers of their legal right to do the same.

Davis, who was president of Teamsters Local 983 from 2014 until 2024, filed his charges at the NLRB with free legal aid from the National Right to Work Foundation. The NLRB is the federal agency tasked with enforcing the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and with adjudicating disputes between employers, unions, and individual workers.

After the Regional Director for NLRB Region 27 issued a formal complaint against the union in July, determining that the charges against the Teamsters for violating Davis’ rights had merit, an NLRB trial had been scheduled for September 29. Teamsters union bosses settled the case to avoid facing federal prosecution for harassing Davis for exercising his rights under the NLRA. Now that Teamsters officials have backed down in the face of overwhelming evidence against them, the trial has been postponed indefinitely.

According to the complaint, four Teamsters Local 983 officials, contrary to federal law, told Davis in front of other workers that informing employees how to exercise their right to resign their union membership was “illegal” and a “federal crime.” These coercive statements led to Davis filing federal charges against Teamsters Local 983. The charges were later amended to include additional allegations against the union that included threats and fines.

In response to the charges being filed, the complaint noted, Teamsters union bosses retaliated against Davis by filing internal union “charges” and imposing a fine upon him.

Under longstanding law, only fully voluntary union members can be subjected to internal union discipline, which often involves fines levied against workers at odds with union boss demands. Workers cannot face discipline for actions that occur after a worker has resigned from union membership.

The NLRB complaint also stated that Teamsters Local 983 maintained unlawful rules barring members from seeking recourse from any outside court or agency, including the NLRB, without first exhausting internal union appeals.

The settlement requires Teamsters Local 983 to post and e-mail a notice informing UPS employees that Teamsters officials “will not” tell them it is “illegal or a federal crime to inform members on how to resign their union membership.” The settlement further requires the Teamsters Local to declare that they “will not” require members to “exhaust internal union remedies” before filing Unfair Labor Practice charges with the NLRB.

In addition to having all Teamsters’ records mentioning the unions charges and fines filed against Davis removed, the settlement also grants NLRB agents access (without notification) to Teamsters offices to confirm compliance.

“We are pleased to have aided Mr. Davis in defending his and other UPS workers’ rights from Teamsters union thugs’ threats and lies,” commented National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix. “Unfortunately, there is a long history of Teamsters bosses engaging in underhanded, often blatantly illegal, tactics targeting the very rank-and-file workers they purport to ‘represent.’

“Cases like this demonstrate why workers, even former union presidents, need more protections under federal law from union bosses’ abuses who all too frequently target workers who simply voice any dissent,” added Mix.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.