Free Legal Aid: West Virginia Right to Work Task Force

National Right to Work Foundation offering free legal aid to protect employees’ newly acquired Right to Work protections.  From the Foundation’s release:

Foundation Issues Special Legal Notice to All WV Workers Regarding New Right to Work Protections

Foundation’s West Virginia Right to Work Task Force offers free legal aid to West Virginia employees seeking to exercise Right to Work protections

Springfield, VA (March 10, 2016) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has created a special legal task force to defend and enforce West Virginia’s newly-passed Right to Work law. Today, staff attorneys issued a special notice to all West Virginia workers detailing the new workplace rights workers will enjoy once the Right to Work law takes effect. The notice explains how workers may request free legal advice and aid from Foundation staff attorneys.

In February, West Virginia legislators overrode Gov. Earl R. Tomblin’s veto of Right to Work legislation, thereby making West Virginia the nation’s newest Right to Work state. Under the law – which applies to monopoly bargaining contracts entered into, modified, renewed or extended after July 1, 2016 – workers will no longer be required to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment once any union monopoly bargaining agreement in effect on or before June 30, 2016, is modified, renewed or extended.

Unfortunately, union officials often try to stymie independent-minded workers who seek to exercise their rights under Right to Work laws. Workers seeking to exercise their Right to Work protections frequently encounter intimidation and harassment. Any West Virginia worker who has questions about his or her rights or encounters any resistance or abuse while trying to exercise his or her workplace rights, is encouraged to contact Foundation staff attorneys for free legal aid.

Workers may view the special legal notice here to learn how to contact the Foundation for assistance. Affected employees may also call the Foundation’s legal hotline toll-free at 1-800-336-3600 or contact the Foundation online at www.nrtw.org to request free legal assistance or to learn more about their new rights.

“Right to Work laws prevent the injustice workers suffer from compulsory unionism,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “But Right to Work laws are only effective if they are vigorously enforced, and we know that union bosses will devise schemes to keep workers in their forced-dues grasp. The National Right to Work Foundation will fight to make sure that every West Virginian’s Right to Work is protected, because no worker should ever be forced to pay union dues or fees just to get or keep a job.”