On Jan. 28, attorneys with the Natl. Right to Work Legal Defense Fndtn. filed an employee’s legal challenge to the national contract signed by United Parcel Services (UPS) and the Teamsters union that illegally requires company officials to pressure tens of thousands of workers to join the union. Douglas Ragone, a non-union member, filed the unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against UPS and the Teamsters. The NLRB is responsible for investigating the charges and will decide whether to prosecute the union and UPS.
A contract provision requires UPS officials in Right to Work states to tell new employees that they should become full dues-paying union members. Ragone is challenging the agreement because the National Labor Relations Act prohibits employers from supporting unions and coercing employees into joining them. In running afoul of federal statutes, the agreement violates the spirit of North Carolina’s highly popular Right to Work law. A state Right to Work law frees workers from being forced to join or to pay union dues as a condition of employment.