PETERSBURG — A West Virginia worker won a settlement from United Steelworkers Local 1017 after she claimed it committed unfair labor practices and filed a claim with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Tammy Hedrick is an employee of Adell Polymers in Petersburg and received legal assistance from staff attorneys with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
"Tammy Hedrick has halted these illegal threats by union bosses against her for seeking to exercise her rights as protected by federal law," National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix said in a statement provided to The West Virginia Record. "The outcome of this case should serve as a reminder to all Mountain State workers that under federal law they have the right to refrain from union membership and that union officials cannot legally retaliate against workers who choose to exercise these protected rights."
Mark Mix, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation president
| National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation website
Mix said any worker who needs assistance in exercising their rights, or who, like Hedrick, is threatened for doing so, should know they can always turn to the National Right to Work Foundation for free legal assistance.
Hedrick originally brought the charge against the union after she was threatened with the stripping of her seniority by union officials, which she claims violates federal law.
In 2016, West Virginia passed its Right to Work law and Hedrick then attempted to resign from her union membership and stop paying dues, according to NLRB documents obtained by The West Virginia Record.
Because her membership had been grandfathered in, the union retaliated against Hedrick and attempted to strip Hedrick of her seniority and overtime pay.
In the settlement agreement, the union agreed to stop its attempts to demote Hedrick and others and any other attempts to punish employees for resigning from the union.
The union is also required to post notices for all Adell Polymer employees informing them of their rights, as well as informing employees of their actions toward Hedrick.
U.S. National Labor Relations Board Case number: 06-CB-227233
