NATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK 12/06/2015 NLRB LOSES BIG TIME

Dear Conservatives,

A federal judge denied a petition by the Obama National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and United Steelworkers (USW) union lawyers to force the union back on workers who have repeatedly made it crystal clear that they want nothing to do with it.

For almost two years, independent-minded workers at Arlington Metals Corporation in Franklin Park, Illinois, have sought to free themselves from the USW union-boss chokehold.

Rather than respect these workers' choice to remove the unwanted union, Barack Obama's Labor Board tried to tighten the grip.


Adding insult to injury, the NLRB's General Counsel even sought to silence these workers and deny them their day in court.

National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys provided free legal aid to 20 workers -- nearly every worker in the workplace -- in the recent federal court injunction hearing to defend their right to free themselves from unwanted union-boss "representation."

You see, 16 months ago, a majority of the employees petitioned to remove USW union bosses from the workplace, and, as federal law permits, management withdrew recognition of the union as the workers' bargaining representative.

But then USW union bosses asked the NLRB to nullify the workers' petition and force the union hierarchy back into the workplace.

The NLRB's General Counsel, in direct violation of U.S. Supreme Court precedent, issued a complaint to force the company to once again recognize the union as the workers' monopoly bargaining representative.

With free legal aid from Foundation staff attorneys, Brandon De La Cruz, one of the workers, moved to intervene to stop the rogue NLRB from foisting unwanted union representation back on his workplace.

Predictably, the NLRB General Counsel opposed the motion. The NLRB then took the case to federal court seeking an injunction that will force De La Cruz and his co-workers back under unwanted monopoly USW control.

Fortunately, the judge assigned to the case allowed De La Cruz -- over the NLRB General Counsel's objections -- to submit an amicus curiae stating his and other workers' opposition to the NLRB's demand that the USW be brought back into the workplace.

And now United States District Court Judge Amy J. St. Eve has denied the Obama NLRB's attempt to force the union back into the workplace.

While the Obama NLRB could still find another excuse to re-impose the unwanted union, these workers are free for now from the burden of unwanted union representation and the specter of being forced to pay dues to an organization they do not support.

It shouldn't take years of legal procedures to get rid of one stubborn union, but Foundation attorneys will continue to fight for Brandon and his co-workers as long as the NLRB pursues this case and seeks to impose unwanted union-boss representation on the employees.

Thank you for your continued support making this work possible.

Sincerely,

Mark Mix

P.S. The Foundation relies completely on voluntary contributions from our supporters to provide free legal aid. Please chip in with a tax-deductible contribution of $10 or more today to support the Foundation's programs.