Two graduate students from Cornell University have filed federal antidiscrimination charges against the Cornell Graduate Student Union (GSU) and its parent, the United Electrical (UE) union. The students, David Rubinstein and Louie Gold, allege that union officials are unlawfully harassing graduate students who submit religious objections to paying union dues.
Rubinstein and Gold, both Jewish, assert that supporting the UE unions conflicts with their religious beliefs. They have filed their charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), receiving legal support from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys.
The charges claim that UE union officials engage in illegal practices by harassing religious objectors instead of adhering to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. Rubinstein and Gold report receiving questionnaires from union officials demanding intrusive information about their religious practices.