Posts tagged union dues
Washington Union Racks Up Nearly $731,000 in Hotel and Entertainment-Venue Payments
November 10, 2026 // More than $264,000 to the InterContinental Los Angeles. Nearly $256,000 to the DoubleTree Seattle Airport. Almost $90,000 to the Hilton Seattle Airport. Those three hotel vendors alone received $609,429 from the Washington Federation of State Employees during fiscal year 2025, according to a new report from Americans for Fair Treatment. In total, AFFT identified $730,849 in payments to hotels and entertainment venues, raising questions about the cost of the union’s conventions, meetings and events—and what dues-paying workers received in return. “Six-figure bills deserve serious scrutiny,” said Chip Rogers, CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment. “Workers paying dues out of every paycheck deserve to know who attended these events, what the money purchased and how these expenses served their interests.”
Liberty Justice Center Secures Victory for Puerto Rico Worker Over Unauthorized Union Dues
November 2, 2026 // The Liberty Justice Center (LJC) has secured a victory for public employees’ First Amendment rights in Rigau v. Quintana, securing reimbursement of improperly deducted union dues and binding commitments to prevent future unauthorized deductions from the wages of Puerto Rico Industrial Commission (PRIC) employee Luis Rigau. The agreements resolve his claims against his employer, Commission President María T. Quintana, in her official capacity, and the union, Federación Central de Trabajadores, UFCW Local 481. Rigau’s lawsuit challenged the unauthorized reinstatement of his union membership and the resumption of union dues deductions from his wages, despite his repeated written objections. The Liberty Justice Center represented Rigau alongside the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
VIDEO: “I Was Working for Nothing”: Homecare Provider Speaks Out Against SEIU
October 31, 2026 // Roxanna Castro cares for patients living with schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis and other conditions through California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. She is one of more than three dozen IHSS workers on whose behalf the Freedom Foundation has filed unfair labor practice charges challenging how unions keep caregivers paying dues they don’t want to pay. For Castro, those dues hit hard. “I believe the union take(s) advantage of us as providers,” Castro said. “So, when I get to my check of $116, my dues were $45, and my gas bill was $62 for the month. The union was taking my monthly utility money. I was working for nothing.”
Commentary: Federal unions got caught standing still: Federal workers face the consequences
October 26, 2026 // The executive orders (EOs) were merely the catalyst. The vulnerabilities were decades in the making: reliance on political allies, fragmented organization, no preparation for a hostile administration. This isn’t about bad faith — it’s institutional complacency. That demands a reckoning, and this account draws on a decade representing federal employees and unions. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 established the modern federal labor-management framework
Some CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital Nurses Oppose Unionization
October 26, 2026 // "We have concerns about use of union dues, potential restrictions on scheduling flexibility, and the division that could develop between coworkers and hospital leadership. We want people to do their research and see that CNA donates millions of dollars to political organizations that don’t have any direct connection to our community. "We value the ability to work together, support one another, and resolve concerns through direct communication. We appreciate our local leadership team and prefer to keep a direct line of communication without a forced third-party mediation. "Opposing the union does not mean opposing better working conditions. It means believing there is another way forward.
VA Contract Fight: 320,000 Employees and Union Dues Payments at Stake
October 23, 2026 // VA had already stopped withholding union dues from the paychecks of most affected employees on April 25, 2025, following EO 14251. OPM subsequently instructed agencies to end dues allotments for employees excluded from federal collective bargaining. Consequently, the latest VA action may reinforce an existing financial burden rather than create a new one. For AFGE, the consequences can be substantial. See “It’s Going to Be Devastating”: Court OKs Trump Order Impacting Federal Union Dues. Automatic payroll deductions provide a reliable way to collect membership dues. Without that service, the union must persuade members to pay directly, which reduces collections and increases administrative costs. AFGE has established alternative electronic dues collection, but losing government payroll withholding remains a financial pressure point.
Electrician Prevails in Case Against IBEW Local 2100 Bosses Blocking Him From Cutting Off Union Dues
October 23, 2026 // Brandyn Marion, an electrician at Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), has prevailed in his dispute with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2100, after union bosses backed down and settled Marion’s case against them. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) began investigating when Marion filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Local 2100 officials for violating his rights by refusing to provide him with the information he needed to revoke his dues checkoff authorization. Marion’s charge was filed with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.
Minneapolis Worker Files Federal Charges Against Union for Unlawful Dues Demands, ‘Pay Up or Be Fired’ Threats
October 18, 2026 // William Kocke, an employee of CenterPoint Energy, has filed unfair labor practice charges against Office and Professional Employees International (OPEIU) Local 12. The charges state that OPEIU union officials ignored and obstructed Kocke when he attempted to exercise his right to refrain from union membership and his right to pay less than full union dues under the National Right to Work Foundation-won Communication Workers v. Beck U.S. Supreme Court decision. Kocke filed the charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
Commentary: Idaho teachers union budget mess is its own fault – will members demand accountability?
October 16, 2026 // During the debate, lawmakers and the public were told taxpayers weren’t subsidizing the union. Now the IEA is cutting staff and closing offices — and it says HB 516 is one of the reasons its operating environment has become more difficult. Six months ago, I wrote in these pages that Idaho hadn't banned unions. It had simply stopped doing their paperwork. Teachers remained free to join a union. Unions remained free to advocate for their members. Collective bargaining remained legal.
Grocery Worker, Age 86, Sues Union After He Was Fired for Refusing to Pay Dues
October 15, 2026 // California is one of 24 states where unions can get private-sector employees terminated under common “union-security” contract agreements with employers, which require all members of a bargaining unit to pay dues as a condition of employment. Objecting employees can opt out of full union membership, paying instead generally lower fees for direct representation that don’t cover other union activities, such as political lobbying. Nationwide, 26 states have different “right-to-work” laws making union dues payment voluntary