JHU Student Accuses Union Officials of Coercion Over Finances

A doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University has filed federal charges against union officials, alleging that they attempted to coerce her into leaving her academic program after she declined to provide personal financial information. Andrea Ori, a Ph.D. candidate specializing in molecular biophysics, submitted her complaint to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on October 13, 2023, accusing the leaders of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America of pressuring the university to remove her from the program.

According to Ori, the union’s demands breached the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which safeguards the confidentiality of student records. Ori maintains that her refusal to disclose financial documents, including pay stubs, stems from a religious exemption from paying union dues, which she secured in 2024. Her legal representation comes from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance to employees in conflicts with unions.

In her complaint, Ori stated that the union’s requests lacked any basis in the collective bargaining agreement, her accommodation, or federal labor law. “Nothing in the contract, the religious accommodation, or the National Labor Relations Act required her to disclose this private financial information, which was also protected by FERPA,” her legal documents indicated.

The situation escalated after Ori refused to comply with the union’s demands. Her attorneys describe the union’s request for her removal from the program as “industrial capital punishment.” This case highlights the complexities surrounding labor rights and student status, particularly for graduate students, who are not explicitly classified as employees under the law. Nevertheless, a 2016 NLRB ruling extended collective bargaining rights to graduate students at private universities.

Unfair labor practice charges, such as those filed by Ori, are addressed to the NLRB rather than federal prosecutors. Under the National Labor Relations Act, various parties, including employers, union officials, or individual workers, can submit these charges, triggering an investigation by the NLRB. While individuals can file complaints independently, many seek assistance from organizations like the National Right to Work Foundation, which specializes in representing those opposing union control.

Ori’s attorneys submitted the complaint via mail and fax, as the NLRB website was largely inactive due to the government shutdown. Mark Mix, the president of the National Right to Work Foundation, commented on the broader implications of Ori’s case, stating, “Union officials have threatened academic freedom from coast to coast. As Ms. Ori’s case shows, they are also threatening graduate students’ careers by acting as if they have a right to send them packing for not divulging their private information.”

As the investigation by the NLRB unfolds, both union representatives and officials from Johns Hopkins University have not yet commented on the allegations. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for labor relations and academic freedom within graduate programs across the country.