A simple request was met with silence. In July of 2024, John Cashman, a senior press operator with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, followed his employer’s instructions and contacted AFSCME Local 221 directly to resign his union membership and revoke his dues authorization.  

He emailed a field representative affirmatively stating his intent to opt out and asking what steps he needed to take to finalize the process.  

AFSCME did not respond, and its silence mattered. 

Because Cashman’s request was simply ignored, he missed AFSCME’s arbitrary, annual 15-day opt-out window, meaning a second request wouldn’t be processed for another year — during which the union would continue deducting dues from his paychecks.

When Cashman followed up in 2025, AFSCME representatives claimed he would have to send in another notice in February 2026, even though the delay was caused by the union.

Despite repeated objections and clear notice that he no longer consented to such deductions, AFSCME continued to siphon dues.

 In fact, during a later conversation with a Council 5 operative Cashman was informed the union would work to resolve the issue and stop the dues deductions. It didn’t.

All that changed when the Freedom Foundation stepped in.

Working with the Upper Midwest Law Center out of Minnesota, the group’s attorneys sent a formal demand letter to AFSCME Council 5, making it clear AFSCME had violated Cashman’s First Amendment rights by forcing him to subsidize the union against his will.  

The letter demanded an immediate cessation of dues deductions and a full refund of unlawful deductions.

Faced with this action, AFSCME backed down. The union finally terminated his membership and immediately stopped deducting dues.

This case shows an all too familiar pattern: Unions ignore workers until lawyers get involved.  

When that happens, the Freedom Foundation is ready to act — and ready to win.