Ohio Workers Vote to Decertify Teamsters Union at Multiple Facilities

Union Decertification Votes Certified for Ohio Workers

Ohio (December 12, 2024) – Workers at two Northern Ohio workplaces, including a Frito-Lay warehouse in Wooster and Omnisource's scrap metal facility in Toledo, have voted to remove Teamsters union representation. These decisions, certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), affect Teamsters Local 452 and Teamsters Local 20.

Initiated by Frito-Lay's Dusty Hinkle in October 2023 and Omnisource's Daniel Caughhorn in August 2024, the petitions sought union decertification elections. Both employees benefited from free legal support provided by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation for their filings.

The NLRB, the agency responsible for implementing federal labor laws, oversees elections for union certification and decertification. Hinkle's and Caughhorn's petitions met the signature requirements to prompt a vote. Despite the successful votes against union control, Teamsters officials contested the outcomes, filing objections against the management of both companies.

Regional NLRB officials, however, dismissed these objections, thereby certifying the votes. Unless Teamsters Local 20 officials appeal for a review in Washington, DC, the 430-plus employees from Frito-Lay and Omnisource will officially sever ties with the Teamsters union.

Ohio's lack of Right to Work protections meant that employees like Hinkle and Caughhorn had been obligated to pay union dues or fees to maintain employment. In contrast, such requirements do not exist in Right to Work states, where union membership and financial support are voluntary. With the decertification, these workers are free from union dues and uniform contract impositions.

National Shift Away from Teamsters Representation

Recently, Foundation attorneys have supported workers from diverse sectors in pursuing votes against Teamsters union representation. In the past two months, truck drivers in Georgia, California, Virginia, and New Jersey have also removed Teamsters officials or initiated similar processes with Foundation assistance.

NLRB data highlights a substantial rise of over 50% in decertification petitions over the past four years. Despite this trend, recent policy changes under the Biden-Harris administration have rescinded reforms that facilitated the decertification process. These changes afford union officials more authority to obstruct decertification elections and challenge the union's establishment through "card check," bypassing secret ballots.

Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation, remarked, “Teamsters union officials continue to lose support from the very workers they claim to ‘represent.’ These cases demonstrate yet again why every worker, in Ohio and nationwide, deserves the protection of a Right to Work law so they can decide for themselves whether or not to financially support union officials’ activities.” He continued, “While we’re glad these workers have succeeded in freeing themselves from unwanted unionization, it should not require months of litigation and overcoming attempts by union lawyers to overturn the workers’ votes.”

Mix further added, “This case shows yet again that despite what local and national Teamsters union bosses claim, they don’t actually speak for the rank-and-file they claim to ‘represent’ and in fact have no qualms about attempting to disenfranchise those workers to trap them in union ranks they oppose.”

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering free legal aid to employees affected by compulsory unionism abuses. For assistance, contact them toll-free at 1-800-336-3600. The Foundation supports thousands of employees across approximately 200 cases nationwide each year.

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