Workers in Northern Ohio vote against continued representation by Teamsters Union

Glenn M. Taubman | Staff Attorney (1982-Present) | NRTWLD&EF, Inc

By Sky Industry News

Dec 12, 2024

Hundreds of workers in Northern Ohio have voted to remove Teamsters union control from their workplaces. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) certified the elections this month, which took place at Frito-Lay warehouses in Wooster and Omnisource's facility in Toledo. These facilities were under the control of Teamsters Local 452 and Teamsters Local 20, respectively.

Frito-Lay employee Dusty Hinkle and Omnisource employee Daniel Caughhorn initiated petitions for union decertification elections at their respective workplaces. They received legal assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation to file these petitions. Both petitions had enough signatures to prompt a vote under NLRB regulations.

Despite objections from Teamsters union officials against Frito-Lay and Omnisource management, regional NLRB officials dismissed these objections and validated the workers' votes. Unless there is an appeal by Teamsters Local 20 to the NLRB in Washington, DC, over 430 employees will sever ties with the unions.

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Ohio does not have Right to Work protections for private sector workers, which allowed Teamsters officials to enforce contracts requiring employees like Hinkle and Caughhorn to pay union dues as a condition of employment. With the removal of the unions, these employees are no longer obligated to adhere to such demands or one-size-fits-all contracts.

National Right to Work Foundation attorneys have recently assisted other workers across various industries in removing Teamsters union officials. In recent months, truck drivers from Georgia, California, Virginia, and New Jersey have either removed or begun efforts to remove such representation with foundation support.

The NLRB has reported a significant increase in decertification petitions over the past four years. However, recent changes by Biden-Harris NLRB bureaucrats have repealed reforms that made it easier for workers to request decertification elections.

"Teamsters union officials continue to lose support from the very workers they claim to ‘represent’," stated National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. He emphasized that every worker deserves the protection of a Right to Work law "so they can decide for themselves whether or not to financially support union officials’ activities." Mix also noted that while he is pleased with these outcomes, it should not require extensive litigation for workers "to free themselves from unwanted unionization."

"This case shows yet again that despite what local and national Teamsters union bosses claim," added Mix, "they don’t actually speak for the rank-and-file they claim to ‘represent’."