Philadelphia workers win case against UAW for not striking

Seven Philadelphia-area workers won their case against United Auto Workers officials this week after the union threatened the members if they refused to strike last year. 

According to a statement from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a legal group that opposes forced union membership, seven employees at auto accessory manufacturer Dometic filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit against the UAW in September 2023. 

The lawsuit alleged that the UAW threatened the seven employees with retaliation if they didn’t participate in the strike against the Detroit automakers last year. The complaint contained text messages and social media posts from UAW leaders asserting that members could be disciplined or fired for working during the strike. 

According to the filing, after learning of the upcoming strike on Sept. 8, 2023, the seven Dometic workers resigned from the UAW. Union leadership then informed the workers they would face internal disciplinary action, which is illegal under federal law. 

Under the National Labor Relations Act, private-sector workers have the right to refrain from union activity and union membership. 

The ruling requires the UAW to post notices detailing employee rights, and it had to delete a Facebook post claiming that members who worked during the strike would be fired. The ruling also makes union leaders attend training on rules regarding internal discipline within a union. 

“The UAW hierarchy, which is still under federal monitoring following a massive embezzlement probe that already resulted in a dozen union bosses’ convictions, has given workers plenty of reasons to doubt whether union officials truly have their best interests in mind,” National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix said. “That was on display again at the Pennsylvania Dometic plant, where UAW officials resorted to patently illegal methods to force workers out on strike.”

The UAW couldn’t be reached for comment. 

The victory for Dometic workers comes after a successful strike for the UAW last year and a tumultuous 2024. While the union secured significant victories during its contract negotiations with Detroit automakers, UAW President Shawn Fain is under investigation for allegedly retaliating against other union officials, and the union’s efforts to organize nonunion shops have stalled.