Employees at Reed & Perrine Lawn Products in Manalapan Township succeeded on April 22 in removing United Food and Commercial Workers Local 152 from their workplace, following a year-and-a-half delay caused by union legal tactics. The effort began in November 2024 when Christine Bradach, with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys, filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to decertify the union.
The case highlights ongoing debates over how unions can use legal procedures to delay or block employee votes on union representation. According to the official website, the National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation works to protect employees from compulsory unionism by offering free legal aid, engaging in litigation, and providing public education.
Bradach’s petition included signatures well above the threshold required for an NLRB decertification election among production and shipping department employees. Shortly after filing, UFCW officials submitted “blocking charges,” which are allegations of employer misconduct that can halt such elections for extended periods without hearings into their validity. After nearly eighteen months, these charges were withdrawn by UFCW officials when it appeared they would be dismissed for lack of merit. The same day NLRB Region 22 moved forward with Bradach’s petition, UFCW Local 152 announced it was disclaiming interest in representing workers at the facility.
During this period, New Jersey law allowed contracts requiring employees to pay dues as a condition of employment since it does not have Right to Work protections for private sector workers. In contrast, states with Right to Work laws make all union support voluntary.
“My colleagues and I had had it with the UFCW, but they stuck around in the workplace after we made it clear we no longer wanted the union,” said Bradach. “It’s a farce for them to claim they ‘represented’ us, especially when they were actively trying to block us from just having a vote on whether we wanted to continue with the union. My colleagues and I are glad we’re finally free.”
Mark Mix, president of National Right to Work Foundation—which advances workers’ freedom through strategic litigation on compulsory unionism issues according to its official website—said: “As Ms. Bradach’s case shows all too well, the ‘blocking charge’ policy just incentivizes union officials to act cynically and opportunistically while the rights of the workers they claim to ‘represent’ suffer.” He added: “The Trump NLRB should work quickly to protect workers’ freedom of choice from restrictive and unreasonable doctrines like the ‘blocking charge’ policy.”
The Foundation also delivers free legal assistance and educational resources aimed at safeguarding worker rights against mandatory fees as noted online, focusing its efforts on labor rights advocacy according to its website.
