Minnesota utility worker challenges union over dues for political activities

Her charges detail how, after resigning her union membership in October 2024, IBEW Local 160 acknowledged her resignation but informed her that, due to IBEW’s national policy, she would need to send a letter to the international headquarters to opt-out of political contributions. Furthermore, she was told that such objections are only valid during specific "window periods," which span only 8-16% of the year.

Again in February 2025, Klassen made another objection through a letter to the IBEW international headquarters. This request was also rejected for allegedly being outside the union-set time restrictions. As a result, Klassen is charging both the local and international union branches with enforcing these limits against her Beck rights.

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which governs private sector labor law, does not sanction these "window period" restrictions. Other similar legal battles are taking place in Florida, where AT&T workers are challenging similar strategies by CWA officials.

Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation, remarked, "That IBEW union bosses are enforcing a nationwide policy making it needlessly difficult to stop supporting the union’s political activities should tell workers exactly what the union’s priorities are. While Beck rights are an important protection for workers in non-Right to Work states, no American worker should be forced to subsidize any union activities that they disagree with, whether political or not."