From the Columbus Dispatch (Ohio):
Two lawsuits challenge automatic dues for public employee unions
An individual and a group of public employees filed separate class-action lawsuits in federal court in Columbus challenging “fair share″ union fees deducted from their paychecks.
In one suit, Nathaniel Ogle, who has worked for the Ohio Department of Taxation since 2011, said that he never agreed to be a member of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME Local 11, but fees have been deducted from his paycheck for union representation.
In the other, seven public employees from five counties said they’ve been subject to automatic fee deductions for AFSCME Council 8 representation even though they resigned from union memberships months ago.
“Unfortunately, rather than allow workers to decide freely whether or not to associate with and financially support a labor union, union bosses coast to coast have instead attempted to block workers from exercising their constitutional rights,” making these lawsuits necessary, said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which is providing legal counsel to the plaintiffs.