BALTIMORE (WBFF) - A Federal lawsuit is seeking a refund of nearly $7 million on behalf of State workers in Maryland who claim they were forced to pay Union fees as a condition of employment.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday morning in Federal Court, represents 19 Maryland State Employees including Correctional Dietary Officer, Gary Mattos. “I found out I was paying over $400 a year just to have a state job,” Mattos says, “And I think that's wrong.”
Filed against AFSCME Council 3, one of the largest unions in the state of Maryland, the class action lawsuit is seeking a refund of roughly $7 million dollars. Senior Attorney for Liberty Justice Center, Brian Kelsey says, “We estimate that half of state workers, 10,000 people did not want to join the Union, and yet AFSCME took these union fees from them.”
For years the Union was collecting fees from all employees, in addition to dues from the Union's members. Last year the Supreme Court ruled that it is illegal to require public employees to pay union fees now those workers want that money back. Kelsey says, “The Unions might say the fees were legal at the time they were taken, but unions like AFSCME knew that what they were doing was wrong and they knew that the court would rule against them.”
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What's the difference ? We were forced to have health insurance AKA O'bobo care and everyone else payed for it via higher premiums...
ReplyDeleteThe contracts were negotiated by the union all those years. I'm not big on public unions. I think they try to stiff the gov't like contractors and others that do business with the gov't. But you have to understand the relationship between the union and the gov't for those years you worked there, and how you benefited. That ship has sailed. You can't go buy something from the store, receive the goods, and go back without the product and say I don't like this, give me a refund. If you want your dues back, give back your pension and the health benefits the union got you through negotiations all those years. See which amount is greater. Or here's an idea, you could shut the £u€k up ingrate.
ReplyDelete9:52 I like the way you're thinking
DeleteThis was true government oppression. So glad the Supreme Court ruling allowed for lawsuits going forward.
ReplyDeleteFor those who didn't know this was a Martin O'Malley play. One of his corrupt and horrible power plays. Worst governor ever.
Deldot is the same. ANOTHER ASININE government Union who only protect the POS. AFSCUM.
ReplyDeleteHow far back will it be retroactive?
ReplyDeleteI worked for the state when the unions came in. In small printing on the envelope from the unions it said failure to return the ballot would be considered a vote for unions. People who did not want to join were forced to pay service fees that we almost equal to union dues. So many people saw an envelope from unions and threw them in the trash not realizing that by not voting they were voting for unions.when doesn't voting equal a vote only when unions and democrats are involved.
ReplyDeleteThat's very hard to believe, does anybody still have one of those envelopes
DeleteAll you have to do is to find out and see who the union reps at ECI are and you will understand. The election to join the union was a farce. The simple generic paper ballots were counted behind closed doors without an independent observer permitted to attend.
ReplyDeleteAlso, members are not permitted to see any documents on how the money is spent or who the money goes to. Kind of like the mafia or a cartel...
Try to get the benefits without a union gary mattos, and see where that gets you. Everybody knows there's strength in numbers.
ReplyDeleteUnions are just organized crime with their hands in workers pockets.
ReplyDeleteThieves liars and cheats!