FoundationFoundation The bi-monthly newsletter of the National Right to Work ActionAction Legal Defense Foundation, Inc. Vol. XXI, No. 6 8001 Braddock Road • Springfield, Virginia 22160 www.nrtw.org November/December 2001 Oklahoma Becomes Nation’s 22nd Right to Work State National Right to Work Foundation vows vigilance against union attack SPRINGFIELD, Va. — Before the ink had even dried on Oklahoma’s new Right to Work law, Big Labor threat- Supporters of Right to Work have put Oklahoma on a course for greater freedom ened to file suit to thwart the will of and greater economic prosperity. the state’s voters who approved a con- stitutional amendment banning forced union dues in Oklahoma. Referring to the unions’ expensive The late September passage of ad campaign riddled with lies, Larson Oklahoma’s Right to Work law was the added, “Sooner State voters were able IN THIS ISSUE culmination of a heroic eight-year cam- to see through the $8 million smoke- paign by the Foundation’s sister organiza- screen laid by Big Labor and keep their Hotel Worker Takes On tion, the National to Work Committee, to eyes focused on the principle of workers’ 2 Forced Unionism Conspiracy mobilize Right to Work supporters while rights and individual freedom.” building strong support among Okla- Among numerous deceptive ads 3 Auto Workers Hit UAW homa’s citizens and elected officials. and scare tactics, union officials bought Union with Federal Charges Oklahoma’s Right to Work law will television ads claiming that the pro- NLRB Forces Workers to not only prevent union officials from posed measure was “costly and confus- 4 Wear Union Propaganda getting employees fired for refusing to ing” and that it would be overturned as support a union, it will also lead to the unconstitutional. 5 Single Mom Sues Union creation of thousands of new high-paying Though the threatened legal chal- After Mother’s Day Firing jobs and greater economic prosperity lenge to the Right to Work law stands for Oklahoma’s working families. little chance in court (since the U.S. Hotel Union Exposed as 6 Cesspool of Corruption In a statement distributed nationwide Supreme Court upheld the validity of to the media, Foundation and Committee Right to Work laws in 1949), a union Court Upholds Ohio Ban President Reed Larson called the pas- lawsuit could nevertheless delay and 7 on Union-Only Contracts sage of the new law a “tribute to the hamper the full impact of the law. vision and perceptiveness of Oklahoma The Foundation announced that its Spotlight On Bruce N. voters, as well as the stellar efforts of all expert Right to Work attorneys stand Cameron, Staff Attorney those who have worked for years to pass ready to defend the law against all a Right to Work law in Oklahoma.” union attacks. 2 Foundation Action November/December 2001 Hotel Worker Takes On Forced Unionism Conspiracy Sacramento politicians pushed for forced unionism at downtown luxury hotel SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a case requiring would-be San Francisco port that highlights a disturbing national developers and restaurateurs to sign trend, the Foundation is assisting a an agreement with unions that they Sacramento waiter in his battles against will use the highly abusive card a union’s conspiracy with politicians check process. and even business officials to forcibly Meanwhile, federal and state labor unionize 250 employees at Sacramento’s laws are so skewed in favor of union largest downtown luxury hotel. officials that employers often feel they Heath Langle has filed federal unfair have no choice but to buckle under labor practice charges against Local 49 and become complicit in the violation of the notoriously corrupt Hotel of employee rights. Larry Dalton/Sacramento News & Review Employees and Restaurant Employees Union bosses failed to intimidate hotel “It’s bad enough when union offi- (HERE) after the union’s officials waiter Heath Langle. cials work hand in glove with govern- gained monopoly bargaining power at ment officials to systematically violate the downtown Sheraton Grand Hotel the rights of workers,” said Larson. and demanded that employees sign out its competitors, such as Marriott, “Even worse, federal law helps bully union membership cards or pay a fine. in the bid to build the new hotel. (The employers to stand idly by.” The bully tactics were not entirely unex- card check method enables union orga- pected. After all, in the early 1990s, nizers to avoid a secret ballot election Sacramento’s city officials had selected and instead push union cards into Card check scheme Sheraton to build the new downtown workers’ hands and demand that they hotel because its management agreed sign on the spot — often using pres- coerces workers to make it easier for union officials to sure tactics, deception, and outright unionize the hotel’s employees. threats to obtain signatures.) In April, using the card check “In effect, the Sheraton Grand More and more, politicians are scheme, HERE Local 49 union officials Hotel debacle is a conspiracy to foist an using public resources to dole out con- obtained signatures from a majority of unwanted union on hundreds of hotel tracts based upon “union friendliness.” Sheraton Grand employees, and the workers,” said Foundation President For example, earlier this year, San Reed Larson. Francisco city officials passed an ordinance see SHERATON, page 6 City’s politicians help impose forced unionism Foundation Action Like more and more development Rev. Fred Fowler Chairman, Board of Trustees projects across America, Big Labor’s Reed Larson President efforts to take control of workers at the Stefan Gleason Vice President and Editor in Chief Sheraton Grand began long before the Ray LaJeunesse, Jr. Vice President, Legal Director Alicia Auerswald Vice President hotel was even built. According to local Mark Mix Treasurer news reports, Sacramento’s Democrat Virginia Smith Secretary city officials wanted the proposed downtown hotel to be unionized to attract union and Democrat Party busi- Distributed by the ness and conventions. National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Inc. 8001 Braddock Road, Springfield, Virginia 22160 In a Sacramento News and Review www.nrtw.org • 1-800-336-3600 article, a local developer noted that Sheraton’s willingness to allow the The Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees union officials to use a “card check” whose human or civil rights have been violated by abuses of compulsory unionism. All contributions union recognition scheme gave the to the Foundation are tax deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. hotel chain the edge it needed to beat November/December 2001 Foundation Action 3 Auto Workers Hit UAW Union with Federal Charges Employees told to join union or “join the unemployment line” percent of each member’s union dues union membership and dues deduction goes toward politics and similar activities. cards at Brighton to be null and void. “Union bosses shook down these They are also demanding that union employees for political money,” said officials provide retroactive refunds of Stefan Gleason, Vice President for the all dues improperly collected and that Foundation. they be prohibited from collecting any The union’s demands were blatant- additional dues until they inform ly unlawful under more than just employees of their rights and halt the Beck. Numerous precedents, including systematic violations of law. Marquez v. Screen Actors Guild, another U.S. Supreme Court case brought by Foundation attorneys, require unions UAW lawyers sue UAW union boss Stephen Yokich is to specifically inform employees of their named in federal charges. right to refrain from formal, full dues- to block Bush order paying union membership before seiz- ing any forced union dues. On top of its long and disgraceful FLINT, Mich. — Foundation attor- record of employee rights violations, the neys hammered United Auto Workers UAW union is now maneuvering in fed- (UAW) union officials with federal Union memberships eral court to prevent workers from even class-action charges for illegally order- learning about their rights. As reported ing workers at a large automotive fac- obtained through fraud in the last issue of Foundation Action, tory to join the union or “join the UAW lawyers are suing in federal court unemployment line.” Federal charges filed by Foundation to stop the enforcement of an Executive Erik Daly, an employee at the attorneys state that since the local and Order issued by President George W. Brighton Interior Systems plant, which international unions’ monopoly bar- Bush that simply requires federal con- produces car door interiors for General gaining contract at Brighton went into tractors to post a standard workplace Motors vehicles, filed unfair labor practice effect in July 2001, the unions have notice informing employees of their charges with the National Labor Rela- “engaged in a campaign of misrepre- Beck rights. tions Board (NLRB) against the UAW sentations, coercions, and omissions” But Foundation attorneys have filed a Local 599 union and the UAW Interna- such that “not a single employee in this “Friend of the Court” brief in the case to tional union on behalf of the hundreds of bargaining unit can be considered to defend the President’s Executive Order workers coerced into joining the union. be a voluntary member.” against the union attack. “Foundation Stephen Yokich, the UAW Inter- UAW union organizers had attorneys are working to ensure that national union’s president, was among launched an aggressive campaign last Brighton workers and workers through- the union officials served. year to impose compulsory unionism out the country are informed of their on Brighton’s nearly 500 workers and rights,” concluded Gleason. on many hundreds of workers at other Union bosses shake down plants operated by Brighton’s parent company, Magna International, Inc.