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MIT grad students win right to redirect union dues amid discrimination claims

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MIT grad students win right to redirect union dues amid discrimination claims
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Byron S. Andrus | Staff Attorney (2014-Present) | NRTWLD&EF, Inc

Foundation staff attorney Glenn Taubman reports an increase in calls from university students and faculty across the nation seeking guidance on how to defund campus unions. This comes after MIT graduate students successfully challenged the Graduate Student Union (GSU) over dues demands.

MIT Ph.D. student Will Sussman voiced concerns about the GSU's stance, stating, "Jewish graduate students are a minority at MIT. We can’t remove the [Graduate Student Union (GSU)] or disabuse it of its antisemitism. But we also can’t support an organization that actively works toward the eradication of the Jewish homeland, where I have family living now." Sussman and other students opposed mandatory union dues enforced by rulings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) during President Biden and President Obama's administrations.

Sussman, along with fellow Jewish graduate students Joshua Fried, Akiva Gordon, Adina Bechhofer, and Tamar Kadosh Zhitomirsky, sought legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys. They filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claiming denial of religious accommodations as per Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The students achieved full accommodations to stop funding the union.

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In a related case, Katerina Boukin filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB against GSU for political reasons. She referenced her rights under the Communications Workers of America v. Beck Supreme Court decision to opt-out of funding union political activities.

Following attacks on Israel in October 2023, Sussman reported increased anti-Israel sentiment on campus and within GSU leadership. He testified at a congressional hearing on anti-Semitism in unions about his experiences.

The GSU initially refused religious accommodation requests but relented after EEOC charges were filed by Foundation attorneys. The settlement allows students to donate their dues to charities like American Friends of Magen David Adom instead.

Boukin's case resulted in a settlement that refunded her seized dues and required GSU leaders to inform MIT graduate students about their rights under Beck via email communication.

National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix stated, “The Foundation-backed MIT graduate students who fought these legal battles have earned well-deserved victories." He emphasized that defending free association rights should not necessitate complex litigation.

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