Quantcast

MIT grad student files federal charges over forced dues for politics

Spirit Airlines to add Detroit nonstop flight out of Bradley International Airport
Major airline to launch new direct flights from Scotland to North America
Qantas’ free international Wi-Fi to switch on from next week
The real reason Southwest is charging for bags now
Air France-KLM in ongoing talks with Air Europa on potential stake, CEO says
Frontier Savagely Shades Southwest After They Eliminated Longstanding Free Bag Policy, Sparking Backlash
Frontier Wants You to 'Divorce Your Old Airline' After Southwest Changes
Delta named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for sustainability initiatives
Passengers escape fiery American Airlines jet in Denver
Delta, American Dive On Slashed Outlooks; But Two Airlines Rally
Competitors are circling Southwest after the airline announced it's going to start charging for checked bags
Exclusive: Dominican Low-Cost Carrier Arajet Wants to Disrupt NYC Market
Boeing deliveries rise 63% in February from a year earlier
Transportation Secretary Duffy Lays Out 10 Ways the FAA Is Working to Upgrade Air Traffic Control and Make Flying Safer
EasyJet pilot Paul Elsworth suspended after flying too close to mountain
Delta Air Lines bets on ‘blended-wing’ flight to reduce emissions
Europe's airlines pivot to bite size M&A deals to limit cost, regulatory burden
Dave Emerson named new CEO of Virgin Australia, replacing Jayne Hrdlicka
Ryanair DELAYS controversial new boarding pass rule to avoid summer chaos
FAA Orders Inspection, Replacement of 737NG Engine Parts
Spirit Adds New Airport, Three Routes
Delta crash passengers should take the $30,000 payment, their lawyers say. Here’s why.
Budget airline launches new cheap flights to one of the UK’s top winter sun destinations
Brazilian airline Azul to go 'back to basics' after challenging 2024
Airlines cancel flights as air travel to ‘grind to complete halt’ this week ahead of major strike action in Europe
Dramatic moment American Airlines plane diverted to Rome is escorted by fighter jets after mid-air bomb threat
Jetstar Faces Major Backlash as Nationwide System Outage Causes Travel Chaos, Stranding Passengers and Disrupting Flights Across the Australian Airline Industry
Sudden oil supply outages creating turbulence for airline industry
Southwest's layoffs dent its worker-first culture
Abu Dhabi's long-haul carrier Etihad Airways sees record $476 million profit in 2024
MIT grad student files federal charges over forced dues for politics
Webp hbatd0dahjqjriuorg3pavim1nay
Heidi E. Schneider | Staff Attorney (2018-Present) | NRTWLD&EF, Inc

A graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has filed federal charges against the MIT Graduate Student Union (GSU-UE), an affiliate of the United Electrical Workers union, and the university administration. The student, Katerina Boukin, alleges that they are illegally using student money for union political activities.

This follows previous charges by five Jewish students at MIT who accused the same union of religious discrimination. Boukin’s charges, filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, claim that union officials are unlawfully taking money from her research compensation to support political activities she opposes.

“GSU union officials are going above and beyond what is legal and are forcing me to pay for their political activities, including their opposition to Israel and promotion of Leninist-Marxist global revolution, that I find deeply offensive,” commented Boukin. “The GSU’s political agenda has nothing to do with my research as a graduate student at MIT, or the relationships I have with my professors and the university administration, yet outrageously they demand I fund their radical ideology.”

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

Boukin's charges seek enforcement of her rights under the 1988 CWA v. Beck Supreme Court decision. This ruling established that even in states without Right to Work protections like Massachusetts, unions cannot compel individuals to pay for expenses unrelated to bargaining activities.

According to Boukin’s charge, GSU officials claim she cannot exercise her Beck rights because she missed a union-created annual "window period," which she asserts is illegal. The GSU had previously settled a similar case agreeing to process students' attempts to exercise their Beck rights properly.

Additionally, MIT graduate students Will Sussman, Joshua Fried, Akiva Gordon, Tamar Kadosh Zhitomirsky, and Adina Bechhofer have filed religious discrimination charges against the GSU with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). They oppose the union's advocacy for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Despite requesting religious exemptions from dues payment as required by law, GSU officials denied these requests.

As of this article's publication date, these EEOC charges remain pending. A federal lawsuit may follow if the union does not cease its alleged illegal discrimination.

“Freedom of association is apparently a foreign concept to GSU union officials who are flouting layers upon layers of federal law to compel students to fund their radical political agenda,” commented National Right to Work Foundation Vice President and Legal Director William Messenger. “However both this case and Foundation attorneys’ cases for the five Jewish MIT graduate students show on a deeper level that the choice to provide support to a union should rest solely with workers who may have sincere religious political or other objections.”

More News

Ethiopian Airlines has announced the launch of a new daily passenger service to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Jul 16, 2025

Etihad Airways has announced the launch of services to seven new destinations—Almaty, Baku, Bucharest, Medina, Tashkent, Tbilisi, and Yerevan—beginning in November 2025.

Jul 16, 2025

Airlines for America has emphasized the need for increased funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to hire more air traffic controllers, update infrastructure, and build on the One Big Beautiful Bill down payment.

Jul 16, 2025

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has announced a complete closure of Aviation Boulevard between Arbor Vitae Street and Century Boulevard from July 14 at 9 a.m. to July 21 at 6 a.m. Shuttle access to the LAX/Metro Transit Center will remain...

Jul 16, 2025

Avianca has announced the launch of a social media thread on X, inviting travelers to explore Dallas as a new destination.

Jul 16, 2025

Finnair announced that Palta and the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (IAU) have reached a negotiation result, leading to the cancellation of all previously announced strikes and the resumption of normal flight operations.

Jul 16, 2025