Michigan security guards vote against mandatory union dues

National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix | National Right to Work Foundation

By Sky Industry News

Sep 23, 2024

A group of Michigan security guards employed by Triple Canopy, Inc. has voted to remove the power of United Government Security Officers of America (UGSOA) union officials to mandate union dues as a condition of employment. The vote, known as a "deauthorization" election, took place by mail in April and May, but the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) only recently released the full vote count.

James Reamsma, one of the guards, submitted the deauthorization petition in February on behalf of his coworkers. He is receiving legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. This action was prompted by Michigan's repeal of its decade-old Right to Work law in February. Under this law, union financial support was voluntary. With its repeal, workers must either deauthorize a union or decertify it completely to end forced-dues requirements.

The NLRB scheduled the mail vote with ballots due in mid-May. However, the results were delayed for months before being fully released recently. Once certified, UGSOA officials will no longer have the legal authority to require Reamsma and his colleagues to pay dues or fees as an employment condition.

Reamsma also filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against UGSOA in May for allegedly seizing dues money from his paycheck without required disclosures on how these funds are spent. This charge is under investigation by Region 7 of the NLRB based in Detroit.

According to Reamsma’s charge, he requested that UGSOA reduce his dues payments according to a U.S. Supreme Court decision and provide necessary financial information. Union officials claimed that nonmembers' dues equaled 100% of full union dues and failed to provide financial disclosures or allow objections.

Despite Reamsma's request in April to pay union dues by check, UGSOA continued direct payroll deductions without consent, which federal labor law prohibits without worker approval.

Following Michigan's repeal of Right to Work laws, many employees across the state are challenging forced dues demands with assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys.

“This election was scheduled in May, but NLRB delayed the counting of the votes until now while UGSOA continued illegally collecting union dues,” said National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. “It’s tactics like this that would have been prevented if Michigan had kept its Right to Work law."

Mix added: “These workers’ vote to end forced dues happened months ago, and we call on the NLRB to promptly make the result official and order the union to return all monies taken from employees during the delay.”

“We are proud to help Michigan workers reclaim their freedom,” Mix concluded. “But no worker should have to navigate the NLRB’s bureaucratic deauthorization process simply to ensure their hard-earned money isn’t going towards activities they may disagree with.”

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