Oregon forced union fees case reaches settlement

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A state employee in Oregon obliged to pay union fees despite her disagreement with the union’s stances, including financing an attack ad against her husband’s campaign for the Legislature, has reached a settlement of her lawsuit.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation that represented Debora Nearman says the settlement marks the first refund of forced fees since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that government workers can’t be forced to contribute to unions.

Nearman will be refunded $3,000 in dues she paid during two years.

Vice President Patrick Semmens of the Springfield, Virginia-based group says some 200 other cases are pending, including a class-action lawsuit in California by 30,000 state employees.

Semmens says if the court rules in its favor, over $100 million would be returned.