Mandel v. SEIU Archives - Stand With Workers

Daily Herald: Illinois school employee sues for refund of union dues

February 12 — Citing a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision from last summer, a Palatine Township Elementary District 15 diesel mechanic is suing his former union and the district for a refund of dues he says he paid unwillingly.

Erich Mandel, a Palatine resident, contends in the federal lawsuit that he had no choice but to join Service Employees International Union Local 73 when he started his District 15 transportation department job on July 31, 2013. Mandel’s suit states he joined because he’d be required to pay union fees even as a nonmember.

Chicago Tribune: LJC represents IL worker forced to pay dues despite Supreme Court ruling that bars practice

A northwest suburban school employee is suing his labor union, saying he’s being blocked from opting out of membership despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year that barred public unions from requiring government employees to pay dues.

A September letter from the union said Mandel couldn’t cancel his membership until July, the next authorization date on his union card, according to court documents.

But Mandel’s attorney argues the union card is unenforceable in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

Taking the fight to Illinois

We have filed a lawsuit in Illinois on behalf of Erich Mandel against his government union, SEIU Local 73. Erich is a diesel mechanic in the transportation department of Community Consolidated School District 15 in Palatine, Illinois.

He first asked to leave SEIU in August 2018, after learning about his rights in the Janus decision. The union responded that Erich must wait until an arbitrary time period to resign his membership and stop dues collection. This is unjust and unconstitutional.