Posted on 11/20/2006 5:35:55 PM PST by doug from upland
FReepers, I just had an enjoyable phone call with Glen Greenwood. He prevailed against the union thugs in Ohio after a 4-year battle.
Glen works for the Ohio EPA and was forced to pay union dues that went for causes with which he did not believe. To take a "religious exemption" and give the money to charity instead of to the union generally required a person to belong to a recognized religious group such as the Quakers or Jehovah Witnesses.
The union fought him with economic intimidation and even filed a counter claim against him. But Glen would not be intimidated.
Ultimately, the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Justice got involved. After the 4-year battle, the state employees union entered into a consent decree. Glen was refuned four years of union dues, and the local mission was the beneficiary of $3200.
Among the important elements resulting from Glen's efforts are that the union must clearly notify new employess of their rights to give to charity and that the union cannot limit the charity. Other state employees are taking advantage of the religious exemption, and this movement is going to spread. That scares the hell out of the unions.
Glen was represented by the Bruce Cameron of NRTW.org, the national right to work foundation that has fought many battles against union thugs.
I've invited Glen to join us here, and I hope he has the time to do so and leave some comments.
This is TOTALLY COOL! The money can go to charities instead of the union?
Now, if only this can expand to all states. What union member wouldn't know a charity more deserving than his union?
Government jobs should not be allowed to unionize. Whats next, the Union Army?
Please alert teachers and others to this thread. We have to substantially defund these unions before the 2008 election season.
Does the ruling cover all unions or only gov employees?
Did the SCOTUS' Beck decision play a role in this?
The money should go to wherever they want it, in their pocket, preferably.
I hate when my Real Estate PAC asks for money, they also let you use a donation to go towards credit for qualifying for Million Dollar Club, etc.
They give the money equally to D's & R's, no way in hell am I giving a penny to ANY D.
This decision was unique to Ohio, but there have been other important decisions, especially in the state of Washington. What was important here is that the Dept. of Justice got involved. I can see them getting involved in these cases across the country.
As I understand it, the charitable exemption should be allowed in any union. Teachers across the country have begun using it. The amount of money that can be kept from the Dems, funneled through union dues, is a staggering number.
I have helped a few teacher friends get a portion of their dues back that are used for political purposes. That may be almost 1/3 of the money. The religious exemption allows ALL OF THE DUES MONEY to go to charity. A teacher friend is preparing to take on his union and donate to the NRA Foundation. That should get them excited.
Beck was many years ago, but it is ultimately responsible for all of these cases.
I payed dues to the slimy UAW for 17 years. I wish they had this back then, I would have loved stiffing them out of the dues.
This has to be the unions' worst nightmare!
They have gotten away with their extortion for generations, spending lavishly on liberal/democrat politicians. It's what gives them their "juice."
Bravo, Mr. Greenwood !!!!!
HOW GOOD IS THIS? PASS THE WORD!!!
The settlement came in a case involving Ohio Environmental Protection Agency employee Glen Greenwood, who objected to paying union dues because he believed the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association supported abortion and same-sex marriage causes. Greenwood did not belong to a church to which he could direct those dues.
If you have friends there still objecting to the dues for political purposes, please direct them here.
This is how it starts. Some of Glen's associates had no idea that this could be done.
Praise God for such a victory.
Thx.
10,000 union members in a state giving $900 each to charity = $9 million for charity, and $9 mil less for the union thugs.
Yeah...my husband is an auditor for the State of NY. The union he has to belong to is pathetically socialist and exceedingly political.
Are you ready to fight?
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