Labor Rights in Focus: Hally’s Challenge Against the UFCW Contract Bar

Hammond, LA (July 23, 2025) — Coty Hally, a worker at Wayne Sanderson Farms’ poultry facility, is petitioning the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to allow him and his colleagues the opportunity to vote out the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 455 union officials from their workplace. This initiative comes in response to an NLRB Regional Director’s ruling that halted a vote based on the contentious “contract bar.”

The Contract Bar Controversy

The “contract bar” is a non-statutory policy that prevents workers from decertifying a union for the first three years of a union contract. Hally’s appeal, supported by attorneys from the National Right to Work Foundation, argues for the complete elimination of this policy, claiming it undermines workers’ rights to choose their representatives.

“The contract-bar is a Board-created limitation on employee statutory rights to seek an election and determine their own representative,” Hally’s Request for Review states.

Union Representation Concerns

Hally has expressed his dissatisfaction with UFCW, claiming that the union has failed to negotiate favorable contracts. “This union doesn’t represent us… It’s ridiculous that the UFCW is manipulating this dated NLRB policy to keep us trapped in the union,” he stated. His petition reveals overwhelming support; over 50% of his 550-person unit has expressed a desire to vote the UFCW out.

Implications of the Contract Bar

Under typical NLRB regulations, a mere 30% is required to trigger a decertification vote. However, in this case, the NLRB Region 15 dismissed Hally’s petition, citing the contract-bar doctrine. Hally argues that the “contract bar” contradicts key principles of employee free choice and majority rule, as it grants union officials power even when they may no longer represent a majority of employees.

Unfavorable Precedents

Hally’s appeal highlights troubling examples of how the contract bar can block employee rights. Informal documents exchanged between union leaders and management, often without workers’ knowledge, can be enough to enforce this barrier. This situation has led to significant limitations on workers’ rights to challenge union control.

Historical Context

This is not the first time workers have challenged the contract bar. In a previous case involving Oscar Cruz Sosa from Mountaire Farms, workers similarly faced difficulties removing UFCW officials. Although the NLRB initially sided with UFCW on a technicality, employees ultimately succeeded in voting out the union.

“If union bosses are truly doing right by the workers they claim to ‘represent,’ they should have no problem letting workers exercise their right to vote on the union’s control,” remarked Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation.

Looking Ahead

As this case moves forward, it raises important questions about workers’ rights and the policies that govern labor relations in the United States. Advocates hope that changes in the NLRB leadership could lead to a reevaluation of the “contract bar” and similar policies that impede workers’ autonomy.