Following passage of Michigan’s Right to Work law last December, many unions rushed to secure contract extensions prior to the law’s March 2013 effective date to delay the law’s effect for their bargaining units. In some cases, 10 year extensions were approved. 

Supporters of the law have decried these efforts to circumvent the law and at least one lawsuit has been filed. Now, the NLRB has gotten involved. A case pending before the NLRB in Detroit alleges that employees of AlliedBarton Security Service were forced to join a Union, the United Protection Workers of America (UPWA), representing guards at a Ford Motor Company plant in Dearborn, Michigan, just prior to the effective date of Right to Work, ensuring they had no way to avoid dues payments.  The case was to be heard by the NLRB this week but the hearing has been postponed until September. It remains to be seen if the NLRB will step in to protect workers’ rights. 

Stay tuned as we follow the progress of this case.