Tennian v. United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 328

**Union Member Loses Fight Over Life Membership Privileges** A union member sued United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 328, claiming discrimination and breach of contract after being denied certain privileges despite having "life membership" status in the union. The court ruled completely in favor of the union. The judge found that having life membership doesn't automatically guarantee any specific rights or privileges under the union's rules. The court determined that the union president has the discretion to decide whether to grant or deny privileges to members, even life members. Additionally, the member failed to follow proper procedures by not using the union's internal complaint process before going to court. This case matters for workers because it shows that special membership status in a union doesn't necessarily provide extra protections or guaranteed benefits. Union leaders generally have broad authority to make decisions about member privileges. Most importantly, workers must follow their union's internal grievance procedures before taking legal action against their union. Courts typically require members to "exhaust" these internal remedies first, meaning you must try to resolve disputes within the union before filing a lawsuit.