Several Connecticut police officers filed a lawsuit against their union Monday for allegedly failing to disclose its financial records.
Four state troopers filed the federal lawsuit against the Connecticut State Police Union and the state for refusing to follow federal disclosure requirements. Under federal law, unions are required to disclose what they are spending money on.
“State trooper Marc Lamberty resigned from formal union membership in the CSPU and invoked his right to refrain from paying full union dues in June 2011,” National Right to Work Foundation noted in a press release. “Troopers Joseph Mercer, Carson Konow, and Collin Konow did so in November 2014.”
NRTW, which advocates for worker rights, is helping to represent the troopers. Though the troopers were allowed to leave their union, they were still required to pay for the cost of representation. To make sure their dues are all going to represent them, a union must provide information on where any dues are going when requested. The lawsuit alleges the union failed to do so.
“We’re trying to get the union to obey the law,” Lamberty told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “When I resigned I followed the rules.”
Lamberty notes that after he resigned from the union in 2011, he requested its financial records. He claims at first the union delayed but eventually stopped replying at all. He does note though, despite its failure to follow his request, his relationship has been civil. That is except for some harassment from an individual he has not been able to identify.
“I don’t have any personal issues with the union” he noted. “I have been harassed by one particular officer.”
He notes the harassment includes being called a scab and letters to his home and to his wife.
A spokesman for the union told TheDCNF that it does not comment on pending litigation.
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