WHAT IS THE ASSOCIATION FOR UNION DEMOCRACY (AUD)?
It may be your best friend if your union is trying to punish you for exercising your rights under the federal Bill of Rights (29 CFR 458.2) most union members enjoy. Those include your “free speech” right to criticize union officials at union meetings or in literature and email distributions, which the federal courts have said can NEVER be waived. It may not surprise you, but most union leaders absolutely hate being criticized by members, much less formally challenged. Their power is everything to them and they have shown they are more than willing to use it swiftly and with crushing force when they suspect dissent. Often, that means an individual union member is alone to fight back against a multi-million dollar union or what no one would call a fair fight. That is where the AUD can help with legal assistance, media contacts, and legislative contacts. Check out their website here. (https://uniondemocracy.org/about-us/) They can be a lifesaver for the union member. This is a first in a series of posts about all the pro bono help available to union members being bullied.