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Portland-area Fred Meyer grocery store employee Robert Wendelschafer has filed federal charges against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 555. According to the charges, union officials allegedly violated federal law by not honoring his request to resign from the union during a strike and retaliated against him by demanding nearly $1,000 for choosing to work.
Wendelschafer is among four employees, including Sandra Harbison, Coyesca Vasquez, and Reegin Schaffer, who have filed similar charges with National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 19. They received free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation in challenging what they claim is unlawful retaliation after refusing union strike orders last year.
The charge details that on August 30, 2024, Wendelschafer attempted to resign from the union and return to work. However, on December 18, he received a letter from union officials accusing him of violating internal UFCW rules by crossing the picket line and imposing a $992 fine.
