Penn Pike workers beat Teamsters and Pike in US Court

Seven Pennsylvania Turnpike non-union workers today won a court case against the Teamsters Union and the Turnpike Commission in Pittsburgh. US District Court judge Nora Fischer reaffirmed an earlier injunction against the Turnpike Commission ordering them not to seize money from the workers' paychecks on behalf of Teamsters Local 250, saying the union was not entitled to the money.

Judge Fischer found the union was not complying with earlier orders to confine spending of any non-members monies to collective bargaining. The non-members were illegally denied the right to challenge the union's claim to the money, she found. Also the judge found union spending was not being properly audited as required by previous injunctions.

The Judge upheld the plaintiffs' claim that union bosses were trying to charge non-members the cost of defending in court the union's illegal actions. This violated their rights under the US Constitution.

The Turnpike workers were supported in the court case by the National Right to Work Foundation, a group that litigates and proselytizes on behalf of the rights of non-union workers.

Stefan Gleason, vice-president of the Foundation commented: "Pennsylvania should adopt a Right to Work law so independent-minded employees do not have to jump through legal hoop after legal hoop just to find out what they are being charged for. In the absence of such a protection, union bosses will continue to try to abuse employees’ rights in their lust for more money and power."

http://www.nrtw.org

TOLLROADSnews 2009-12-08