Videos
Former Union Vice President Fights for Right to Resign
New York community service officer Amber Welch wanted to make change in her union—so she became its vice president. That wasn’t enough, she concluded, to force the union to live by its values. When she attempted to resign from the union in protest, the union ignored her and kept taking her money. That’s when she contacted the Fairness Center.
Liquor Store Clerk Battles Union Officials’ Deception
On John Kabler‘s first day as a Pennsylvania liquor store clerk, a union official told him that he had to join the union or find another job. That simply wasn’t true. But the president of the union, UFCW Local 1776, reiterated the ultimatum in writing. John needed legal help to defend his rights–and he found it at the Fairness Center.
Educator Seeks Legal Help to Leave Union
Curtis Thompson tried to resign from his union because he felt it no longer best represented him. But the union refused to honor his resignation, enforcing their stringent resignation procedures during a 15-day window. Curtis defended his constitutional rights with the Fairness Center’s help.
Public Employee Sues to Recover Improperly Taken Dues
Spano Lonis v. SEIU, District 1199NE
After a three-year battle to keep her money from supporting union-backed causes that violated her religious beliefs, Cheryl Spano Lonis asked the Fairness Center for help. Within three months, her union relented and her problems were solved.
Commentaries
“As a single mother, I’ve built my life around my daughter and her evolving needs […] I’ve become accustomed to overcoming obstacles at work and at home. My latest challenge involves both—defending myself from a union that made me choose between my daughter’s medical needs and my job.”
“[U]nion officials—who speak for me under state law—issued a resolution I, and many of my colleagues, view as anti-Semitic. Now I have a choice: Disrupt my life and damage my career again or rely on the constitutional protections that set America apart from most other countries on earth. I’m done running.”
“I’ve represented union members fighting to defend their rights against some of the largest public-sector unions in the country. Now, I’m seeing a new trend: union officials in historically private unions across the Northeast outright denying that Janus applies to the public employees they represent.”
“[T]he same people who referred to Israel as an ‘apartheid’ state are negotiating the salary and working conditions of Jewish professors at CUNY. Absurd? I thought so, too, and several professors joined me in suing the union, CUNY, and the state of New York to escape the union for good.”
“Backing down from a bully is not in my nature, nor would it have set a good example for my students. […] Teachers, firefighters, police officers and other Pennsylvania public employees now have a definitive judgment that says Pennsylvania’s ‘fair share’ fee law is illegal if unions ever try to enforce these unconstitutional fees.”
“After seeing the image for myself, I was shocked and disheartened—it looked to me like hate speech. […] Robbins’ abusive behavior is no secret, but he remains in his leadership position with the union. That’s why I’ve taken legal action. No one is holding him or the union accountable.”
“For 20 years, I always paid my dues on time. I’d given the union so much money over the years, but the minute I questioned the value they provided, they tried to intimidate me. […] Standing on principle is never easy, especially when doing so could jeopardize something you love.”
“As a grandchild of four Holocaust survivors and a great-grandchild of eight victims of Nazi torture and murder, I can’t describe how appalling it is to be labeled a white supremacist. […] I believe no one should be forced to associate with a group that hates them.”
Pennsylvania’s ‘Right to Organize’ Amendment
Violates U.S. Constitution
Commentary by Danielle Acker Susanj
“Using the estimated dues of the largest federal employee union as an example, the new union members for which the Biden administration is taking credit could represent between $37 million and $46 million in annual dues revenue. And as these employees are ushered through the union door, union officials and government agencies appear determined to slam it behind them.”
“Just two sentences long, HB 950 could have far-reaching consequences on Pennsylvania law. Beyond establishing a constitutional right to organize, it would provide constitutional protections to agreements between government employers and unions that ‘requir[e] membership in an organization as a condition of employment.'”
“Over 30 years of teaching service. Thousands of dollars in dues payments. A union appreciation plaque for being part of a team that negotiated Hartford teachers’ last good contract. None of this swayed union officials whose representation I, by law, must accept. I guess not all Hartford teachers matter to the union.”
“As a single mother, I’ve built my life around my daughter and her evolving needs … Working a demanding job while caring for her hasn’t been easy, but I’ve become accustomed to overcoming obstacles at work and at home. My latest challenge involves both – defending myself from a union that made me choose between my daughter’s medical needs and my job.”
“[U]nion officials—who speak for me under state law—issued a resolution I, and many of my colleagues, view as anti-Semitic. Now I have a choice: Disrupt my life and damage my career again or rely on the constitutional protections that set America apart from most other countries on earth. I’m done running.”
“I’ve represented union members fighting to defend their rights against some of the largest public-sector unions in the country. Now, I’m seeing a new trend: union officials in historically private unions across the Northeast outright denying that Janus applies to the public employees they represent.”
“[T]he same people who referred to Israel as an ‘apartheid’ state are negotiating the salary and working conditions of Jewish professors at CUNY. Absurd? I thought so, too, and several professors joined me in suing the union, CUNY, and the state of New York to escape the union for good.”
“Backing down from a bully is not in my nature, nor would it have set a good example for my students. […] Teachers, firefighters, police officers and other Pennsylvania public employees now have a definitive judgment that says Pennsylvania’s ‘fair share’ fee law is illegal if unions ever try to enforce these unconstitutional fees.”
“After seeing the image for myself, I was shocked and disheartened—it looked to me like hate speech. […] Robbins’ abusive behavior is no secret, but he remains in his leadership position with the union. That’s why I’ve taken legal action. No one is holding him or the union accountable.”
“For 20 years, I always paid my dues on time. I’d given the union so much money over the years, but the minute I questioned the value they provided, they tried to intimidate me. […] Standing on principle is never easy, especially when doing so could jeopardize something you love.”
“As a grandchild of four Holocaust survivors and a great-grandchild of eight victims of Nazi torture and murder, I can’t describe how appalling it is to be labeled a white supremacist. […] I believe no one should be forced to associate with a group that hates them.”
“Using the estimated dues of the largest federal employee union as an example, the new union members for which the Biden administration is taking credit could represent between $37 million and $46 million in annual dues revenue. And as these employees are ushered through the union door, union officials and government agencies appear determined to slam it behind them.”
Pennsylvania’s ‘Right to Organize’ Amendment Violates U.S. Constitution
Commentary by Danielle Acker Susanj
“Just two sentences long, HB 950 could have far-reaching consequences on Pennsylvania law. Beyond establishing a constitutional right to organize, it would provide constitutional protections to agreements between government employers and unions that ‘requir[e] membership in an organization as a condition of employment.'”
“Over 30 years of teaching service. Thousands of dollars in dues payments. A union appreciation plaque for being part of a team that negotiated Hartford teachers’ last good contract. None of this swayed union officials whose representation I, by law, must accept. I guess not all Hartford teachers matter to the union.”