Employees at Herbal Wellness Center in Athens, Ohio, have succeeded in removing Teamsters Local 413 as their union representative after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Regional Director of Region 9 revoked the union’s certification, according to a May 1 statement. The effort was led by employee Todd Cooper, who filed a petition with the NLRB in November seeking a decertification election with support from most of his coworkers.
The issue is significant because it highlights how workers can challenge and remove union representation they no longer wish to have. Cooper’s petition sought an NLRB-administered secret-ballot election for the unit of 18 employees at the dispensary. However, before an election could be scheduled, Teamsters officials filed several “blocking charges” in late 2025 that delayed proceedings. These charges are allegations made by unions to postpone or prevent decertification votes.
Eventually, with an NLRB investigation expected to find no merit in the blocking charges, Teamsters officials withdrew them rather than face formal dismissal. Afterward, they did not contest the election process further, leading to official certification of their removal on April 22.
Ohio does not have Right to Work protections; this means unions like Teamsters Local 413 can require employees to pay dues or fees as a condition of employment. In contrast, neighboring states such as West Virginia and Indiana make both membership and financial support voluntary for workers.
National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix said: “Herbal Wellness Center employees have the protected right, as do all workers in unionized workplaces, to eject union boss ‘representation’ they oppose.” Mix also said: “It is reprehensible that Teamsters officials continue to be allowed to use ‘blocking charges’ to disenfranchise the very workers they claim to ‘represent’ for months or sometimes even years.”
The National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation works on protecting employees from compulsory unionism through free legal aid and public education according to its official website. The foundation advances worker freedom via strategic litigation on issues related to mandatory unionism according to its official website. It also provides free legal assistance and educational resources for safeguarding against mandatory fees as noted on its official website, while focusing broadly on labor rights advocacy according to its official website.
