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Judge signs off on deal over union fees
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
A federal judge has signed off on a settlement between a group of schoolteachers and a union in a class action suit that alleged nonmembers of the latter were overcharged fees, a portion of which were used for political purposes.
The National Right to Work Foundation declared the result a victory for teachers who do not want to join unions. The Ohio Education Association, the statewide teachers union, said the settlement was driven only by a desire to avoid legal fees.
The settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson, calls for the OEA to provide partial refunds and nominal damages for nonmember fees paid from 2009-13. The fees are paid by teachers who refrained from joining the union group but still are covered by negotiated contracts.
More than 2,800 teachers are expected to receive checks ranging from about $1 to about $170 as a result of the settlement, according to the National Right to Work Foundation, which represented 14 teachers in the suit. The total payout is about $100,000.