SEIU forges signature on legally binding contract

Caleb Jon Vandenbos
June 25, 2018

It’s no secret SEIU 775 is desperate to maintain its membership, but stooping to forgery marks a new low.

Cindy Ochoa is a home healthcare provider in Spokane who, in 2014, opted out of union membership and the payment of fees in the wake of the landmark Harris v. Quinn. She enjoyed her constitutional rights for a time, but in 2016 SEIU 775 sent a canvasser to Cindy’s door to “update her information” on an iPad.

When Cindy refused, the canvasser got angry. Cindy noticed the canvasser was writing something on the iPad as she walked away from Cindy’s door.

Cindy very clearly told the canvasser not to change her information, but shortly after the canvasser left, SEIU 775 began deducting dues from Cindy’s paycheck again.

Foundation attorneys helped Cindy contact the union and successfully stopped its illegal dues withdrawal after SEIU 775 produced a membership card with a signature that was clearly not in Cindy’s handwriting.

When confronted, SEIU 775 admitted that the signature on the card was not Cindy’s.

Now, Freedom Foundation attorneys are helping Cindy in her civil claims against the union. SEIU 775 is prohibited under the First Amendment from forcing providers to pay for dues. Yet this’s exactly what it did when one of SEIU 775’s own operatives forged Cindy’s signature and SEIU 775 began to illegally take “dues” money from Cindy’s paycheck.

SEIU 775 violated Cindy’s constitutional rights for months and Freedom Foundation attorneys are proud to help hold the union accountable.

- Litigation, Washington

Caleb Jon Vandenbos

Of Counsel

Caleb Jon comes to the Freedom Foundation with a background doing Criminal legal work and a strong interest in curbing State overreaching and expansion. He particularly enjoys legal research, writing, and argument, and is pleased to apply himself to the Constitutional issues that frequently present themselves in his work at the Freedom Foundation. Caleb Jon graduated with his BA from the University of Washington, Tacoma Campus, and his JD from the University of Washington as well. When not working, he enjoys walking, hiking with his three children, reading, and learning how to bear hunt.