Zeigler v. AFSCME, Council 13 (State)

The Fairness Center represents LuAnn Zeigler, who works for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. She joined the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (“AFSCME”), Council 13 after being told by union officials that union membership would give her the right to vote, including on the contracts governing her employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Ultimately, however, as union officials have acknowledged, Ms. Zeigler was never given the opportunity to vote on the contract governing the terms and conditions of her employment when it was ratified, even though that right is guaranteed to the union’s members in the AFSCME Constitution.

After learning she was denied the opportunity to vote, Ms. Zeigler resigned her union membership in January 2020, but union officials continued to take union dues from her paycheck past the date she resigned. Ms. Zeigler is bringing a lawsuit to challenge the union’s representations of rights promised to her, and the ultimate failure to allow her to vote, all while taking her money in the form of union dues even after her resignation.