American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 1733, and Willie Joe Alexander

**Union Employee Wins Negligence Case Against His Own Union** Willie Joe Alexander, a worker, sued his own union (AFSCME Local 1733) claiming the union broke its contract with him and was negligent in handling his case. Alexander argued the union's poor representation caused him harm. The trial court initially ruled against Alexander on both claims. The judge said there was no contract breach and that while the union may have been negligent, Alexander couldn't prove their negligence actually caused his damages. However, the appeals court partially disagreed. They upheld the ruling that there was no contract breach, but they reversed the negligence decision. The appeals court found that Alexander had successfully proven the union's negligence did cause him actual damages. **What This Means for Workers:** This case shows that union members can hold their unions accountable for negligent representation. Even when you can't prove your union broke a specific contract term, you may still have a valid negligence claim if the union's careless actions caused you real harm. Workers should document any instances where they believe their union failed to properly represent them, as this evidence could be crucial in proving both negligence and the resulting damages.