Union fines are a secret that most unions try to hide. Under a union’s constitution, the majority of unions maintain the ability to fine their own members if the member is found guilty at a union trial. In addition, if the member refuses to pay the union fine the union can take the member to court in most states.
Below are examples of actual union fines. These were found in published Court cases, National Labor Relations Board cases and news articles and they prove the fact that union do punish their members for violating their union's rules.
Keep in mind that most union fines do not result in published decisions. So, there’s no telling how many more union fines remain a union secret. Here are just a few examples of some union fines:
One union fined 32 members $250 each for working during a one-day strike (20-CB-12253).
During one union strike, three members of another union were fined $1,000 each for crossing the striking union’s picket line (14-CB-9771).
A union member was fined $10,000 for appearing on CNN criticizing the fact that striking union members were not allowed to vote on a contract offer. (Source: National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation)
Seven union members were each fined from $1,000 to $4,500 for undermining the union by publicly expressing a “desire to review and vote on” their company’s final contract offer before being forced to strike (Source: Reason Magazine, February 1999)
Twelve union members in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania were fined as much as $3,000 for exercising their legal right work during a strike (Source: National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation)
A union member was fined $1,000 for resigning from membership in the Union (12-CB-4948)
A union member was fined $2,000 for resigning from membership in the Union (12-CB-4948-2)
A trade union member was fined $5,000 for publishing a newspaper that exposed what he believed to be unfair election practices and hiring hall referral abuses. (123 LRRM 2021 (CA 7 1986)
A trade union member was fined was $3,000 for working in another local’s jurisdiction without that jurisdiction’s consent. Though the fine was reduced to $500, the union refused to accept his dues until he paid the fine. Because he refused to pay the fine, and the Union refused to accept his dues, he lost his job. (138 LRRM 2692 (DC N Ala 1990)
Three trade union members were fined (amount unknown) for working for a struck employer, even though all three had submitted their resignations from the Union. Approximately 6 years later, the courts determined that the fines were illegal. (124 LRRM 1272)
A union member was placed on union trial for doing the work of other union members during a strike and for training replacement workers. He was fined $1,000 PLUS $100/day for every day he crossed the picket line. (127 LRRM 1201)
Eight union members were fined for refusing to join a sympathy strike. (134 LRRM 1031)
A union member was tried and fined (amount unknown) for working behind the Union’s picket line. (138 LRRM 1345)
A trade union member was fined (amount unknown) for “working at the craft” following his receipt of a withdrawal card from the Union. (134 LRRM 1068)
A trade union member was fined $1,000 for refusing to perform his duties, on behalf of the company, in the way that the Union wanted those duties performed. (125 LRRM 1068)
Four trade union members were fined (amount unknown) for working in another Union’s jurisdiction without first receiving clearance from that other union
Two members were fined $2000 each by their union for “dual unionism” (supporting another union to replace the member’s existing union) [Source: Union newsletter]
Two members were fined for working mandatory overtime (as ordered by their employer), prior to a strike. [Source: Union letter to membership]
Thirty-eight (38) people were fined amounts ranging from $3,000 to $39,000 for working during a five month strike at the Summit County Children Services Board [Source: Akron Beacon Journal]
Trade union member fined $150,000 for starting his own business. [Source: Union letter to fined member.]
One union member was fined $250,000 and expelled from his union for starting a website critical of the union. To view the former union member's website, go here.
As stated above, these are just a few examples of actual union fines.
Most union fines are never made known to the public.
In addition, many union members do not even know that a union has the right to place them on trial until it is too late.
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