Columbus, OH – The Buckeye Institute has successfully won settlements for Ohioans across the state against unions that refused to recognize the First Amendment rights of hardworking public employees, which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in its 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision. Buckeye’s Legal Center secured victories with the unions agreeing to refund dues taken after the employees had officially ended their union membership.

“The Buckeye Institute is pleased that it has been successful in securing victories for Ohio public employees who want nothing more than to have their First Amendment rights honored,” said Jay R. Carson, senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute. “While these victories are worth celebrating, it is troubling that many government unions, using obscure and arbitrary opt-out windows, have continued to take money from public employees who have officially ended their union membership. This is plainly inconsistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus ruling.”

Over the past six months, The Buckeye Institute secured victories for:

• Shuaib Abdurraqib of Columbus against the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA);
• Brittany Burt of Columbus against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME);
• Brantley Hinders of Swanton against AFSCME;
• Cassandra Hohman of Swanton against AFSMCE; 
• Monique Holokai-Kane of Pickerington against the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); and
• Devon Mann of Westerville against AFSCME.

The Buckeye Institute’s Legal Center successfully challenged the unions’ arrangements in which the unions continued to take money from the paychecks of employees who had officially ended their membership in the union.

# # #