Employee Sues for Illegal Union Dues Deductions

A Dearborn-area Ford Motor Company worker filed federal charges against the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and the company for violating his rights, according to a news release issued by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.

With free legal assistance from the Foundation’s staff attorneys, Todd Lemire, a 16-year Dearborn Tool & Die plant worker, filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in August.

In April 2014, Lemire sent a letter to Ford Motor and UAW union officials, exercising his statutory rights to resign his union membership and refrain from full union dues. Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, nonmember workers can refrain from paying for union boss politics and members-only events. The current contract was agreed to before Michigan’s Right to Work law came into effect, so Lemire cannot yet cut off all union dues and fees.

Although UAW officials acknowledged Lemire’s request, Ford continued to withhold full union dues from Lemire’s paychecks. Lemire sent a second letter, this time informing UAW officials that full dues were still being taken from his paychecks. UAW officials returned the illegally-taken union dues.

Despite Lamire’s repeated attempts to refrain from full dues-paying union membership, Ford Motor continues to confiscate, and UAW union officials continue to accept, full union dues from Lemire’s paychecks.

“No worker should be forced to jump over hurdles to exercise their right to refrain from union affiliation,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation. S