Union bosses and company blocked Blue Cross Blue Shield employees’ attempt to assert their rights under Michigan’s recently-enacted Right to Work law
Grand Rapids (June 2, 2016) – With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, two Grand Rapids Blue Cross Blue Shield employees have filed federal unfair labor practice charges against their employer and UAW Local 2145. According to Rayvonne Brown and Jennifer Smith, union officials continued to collect money from their paychecks after they had formally notified the union of their decision to opt out of further dues payments.
In December 2015, the contract between Blue Cross Blue Shield and UAW Local 2145 expired. The contract included a provision that required all employees to pay union fees as a condition of employment. Once the contract expired, however, Brown and Smith notified the union and their employer that they were revoking their dues authorization and opting out of paying union dues.
Under Michigan’s recently-enacted Right to Work law, no employee can be required to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Forced-dues contracts between unions and employers that were agreed to before the law was passed continue in force, but once those contracts expire, nonunion employees in the bargaining unit can no longer be required to pay union dues to keep their jobs.
Despite these legal protections, Blue Cross Blue Shield deducted union dues from Brown and Smith’s January and March paychecks, which were then give to UAW officials. Brown and Smith’s charges, which ask for the return of all illegally-seized union dues with interest, will now be investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.
“Michigan’s Right to Work law was a tremendous victory for employee rights, but the law has to be enforced if employees are to benefit from these new legal protections,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. “It is an outrage that so many workers have to take legal action just to get union officials to honor their rights under the law.”
“Any Michigan employees seeking to assert their newly-enshrined rights should contact the National Right to Work Foundation immediately for free legal aid,” Mix added.
The charges are the latest of over 30 legal cases filed by Foundation staff attorneys to enforce Michigan’s Right to Work law, which ensures that union membership and the payment of union dues are strictly voluntary. Michigan became the 24th state to pass a Right to Work law in 2012. Wisconsin and West Virginia have subsequently passed Right to Work laws.
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.
