Employees at Windham Community Memorial Hospital are no longer represented by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 5099 union, following a certified vote confirmed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on April 7. The decision came after a February secret ballot in which an overwhelming majority of workers voted to decertify the union.
The result is significant for hospital staff who sought more control over their workplace representation. The decertification effort was led by employee Sara Doner, who received free legal assistance from attorneys with the National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation during the process.
NLRB Region 1 certified the election results, officially ending AFT’s exclusive representation of hospital employees. After a landslide vote of 168-70 in favor of removing the union, AFT officials initially filed objections but later withdrew them. This ended efforts to challenge what was described as an overwhelming statement from workers seeking change.
Connecticut does not have Right to Work protections, meaning that before this vote, employees could be required to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment under monopoly bargaining contracts imposed by unions. In contrast, Right to Work states allow voluntary membership and financial support for unions.
Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation, said: “Headed by longtime top boss Randi Weingarten, the AFT is best known for the divisive role union officials have played undermining student and taxpayer interests in the classrooms of public schools nationwide. While lesser known, the targets of AFT union boss coercion also includes thousands of healthcare providers.” Mix continued: “We are pleased to have been able to assist this group of hundreds of Windham Community Memorial employees as they exercise their legal right to send AFT union bosses packing, and we encourage anyone else – whether educator or healthcare worker – trapped under AFT control they oppose to reach out for legal aid.”
The National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation works on protecting employees from compulsory unionism through free legal aid and litigation according to its official website. The foundation also advances workers’ freedom through strategic litigation on compulsory unionism issues according to its official website. It provides educational resources and free legal assistance against mandatory union fees as noted on its official website, focusing broadly on labor rights advocacy according to its official website.
