Say it ain’t so: Union busting, retaliation at the ACLU of Kansas? Here’s the truth

Just in time for Labor Day comes a tale of alleged union busting and retaliation — surprisingly enough from the ACLU of Kansas. What gives?

Here’s what: blunders and bluster.

Eight workers at the Overland Park headquarters of the civil liberties nonprofit formed a union this summer. And now their union representative says the organization has retaliated against a main union organizer, investigating her and putting her on paid leave.

A hysteric United Media Guild calls it a “ruthless union busting campaign” by ACLU of Kansas management. That’s a bit of a hyperbolic stretch, since the organization recognized the union only weeks after it began forming. And no one knows what personnel matters may result from the investigation.

Yet the organization is being disingenuous at best when it says that “at no time” did it oppose the union. In fact, management’s first move — that is, after rejecting voluntary recognition of the union out of hand — was to hire a high-powered law firm with an anti-union reputation. That firm went on to argue that ACLU of Kansas workers had no right to unionize under the National Labor Relations Act.

Only after significant backlash was that claim withdrawn, and the firm fired.

In addition, the union maintains that any disciplinary steps — another worker also has been reprimanded since the union formed — are now supposed to be negotiated, and haven’t been. The union has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on the matter.

So while the union’s rhetoric has been over the top, it’s at least right in saying it hasn’t exactly received the warm hug the ACLU of Kansas is claiming.

Worse still is the public relations hit for the ACLU.

“People are calling me from around the country, saying, ‘Did you honest to God file an (unfair labor practice complaint) against the ACLU? I mean, it’s crazy, right?’” United Media Guild representative Shannon Duffy told The Star. “The hypocrisy is staggering.”

Certainly the optics are. But workers are more worried about the operations. Former ACLU of Kansas field operative Alex Martinez worries that, with senior field organizer Melissa Stiehler on suspension, the agency’s voting rights efforts are being curtailed ahead of “one of the most important elections of our lives.”

Meanwhile, the extraordinary contretemps between what are considered to be two like-minded organizations — the ACLU and a union — have been noticed in labor and law circles nationwide.

“It is surprising to us as workers, as well,” Stiehler says — while not uttering a discouraging word about the organization.

“All I can say is that I haven’t done anything wrong. I care far too much about the mission of the ACLU and the work that we do to ever put the organization in danger. All of my co-workers, they’re some of the most dedicated and talented people that I’ve ever worked with.”

This fight can’t be allowed to go on much longer. There’s too much common purpose involved, too much damage to the ACLU’s image — and too much at stake in November.