Lawsuit Alleges Union Failed to Accommodate Nurse's Religious Beliefs
by Allie Martin
January 10, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), a Sacramento-based legal defense organization, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a California nurse who claims union officials failed to accommodate her religious beliefs. Jennifer Le, a Roman Catholic, works as a nurse in the Sacramento area. Recently she objected to membership in the California Nurse's Association because of the union's position on a number of moral issues. The union told Le she could divert her dues to charity, but the union insisted she give her dues to one of five charities, including such options as Planned Parenthood and the AIDS Foundation.
After researching the five union-endorsed charities, Le determined that all of them held positions that were clearly inconsistent with her faith. Through her attorneys at PJI, she sought for two years to resolve the matter without going to court.
However, after the Christian nurse had exhausted her options through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's administrative process without reaching any resolution, PJI filed her suit in federal court, complaining of the union's failure to accommodate her religious beliefs. Le noted that the attorneys at the Institute "are great champions of freedom of conscience, and I appreciate their legal support, which helped me to stay the course."
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Brad Dacus |
Brad Dacus, president of PJI, believes workers should never be forced to violate their religious faith through mandatory dues paid to -- or according to the dictates of -- their unions. "There's not a single union in this country that should get away with this kind of tyranny," he insists. It is tough for nurses in California to find suitable work, Dacus explains, because the majority of medical facilities in the state have entered into collective bargaining agreements with the 58,000-member union, which locks out non-members. The PJI spokesman contends it is a grave injustice for individuals whose work involves "serving those who are the most in need" to be put in the position of having to compromise their religious beliefs and consciences just to make a living.
"Every worker in America should be able to have a job without having to violate their religious faith in order to put bread and butter on the table," Dacus asserts. He says the California Nurse's Association is acting unconstitutionally when it forces members to violate their faith by supporting causes they do not believe in or wish to support.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
