LYNNWOOD – A city employee who claimed that paying mandatory union dues conflicted with his religious beliefs has won the right to instead give his monthly union fee to charity.
The settlement between the worker, the city and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees brings an end to a religious discrimination case that otherwise could have ended up in federal court.
Clearly uncomfortable with all the attention his complaint has brought him, Paul Coffelt said he was glad to have resolution.
“I do a good job for the city,” said Coffelt, 37, a civil engineer. “Let’s move ahead.”
Pat Thompson, deputy director with the union’s regional office in Everett, said Coffelt’s request wasn’t common, but it was legitimate.
“We’re happy to comply with the law, and felt that Mr. Coffelt did meet the requirements,” Thompson said.
When Coffelt began working for Lynnwood in 2003, the city’s technical and professional workers weren’t unionized. When Local 3035 finalized its first contract with the city in 2005, however, Coffelt had a problem.
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Coffelt felt the union’s right to strike against the city conflicted with the Mormon tenet to uphold the authority of the government and law.
The issue came to a head in February, Coffelt said, when he wrote a letter to the city explaining his problem. Also that month, the city held a disciplinary hearing and told him that under the union contract, he had to pay dues to remain in his position.
“In order to preserve my employment, I had to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and begin paying dues in protest,” Coffelt said.
The complaint with the commission, filed with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, named the city and Local 3035.
“Mr. Coffelt made it very clear to both the union and the city that he objected to union dues being collected,” said Patrick Ashy, spokesman for the Virginia-based National Right to Work Foundation.
He added that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes clear that an employee can’t be forced to financially support a union if doing so violates a sincerely held religious belief. The law requires union officials to choose a mutually acceptable alternative such as directing the employee’s dues to a charity.
With the settlement, which was reached with the commission’s help, Coffelt’s monthly dues will go to the United Way of Snohomish County, as will an estimated $700 in dues collected from Coffelt’s paycheck over the past year.
Coffelt said that, despite his objections to paying union dues, he’s generally been treated well at work.
“I’ve kept myself quiet on this,” he said. “My co-workers – I’m sure there’s some that would disagree with my convictions – they’ve been polite and nice.”
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
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