Daniel J. Ciambriello v. County of Nassau, Civil Service Employees Association, Inc., Russell Rinchiuso, Richard Cotugno and Ron Roeill

**County Employee Wins Partial Victory in Wrongful Termination Case** Daniel Ciambriello, a Nassau County employee, sued after being fired from his job. He claimed the county wrongfully terminated him, his union failed to properly represent him, and that he faced retaliation. Ciambriello argued that both his employer and union violated their legal duties to him during the termination process. The federal appeals court delivered a mixed ruling. The court upheld the dismissal of Ciambriello's claim that the county violated his constitutional right to due process before firing him. However, the court ruled that his other claims against the union deserved another look. Specifically, the court found that Ciambriello had presented enough evidence to suggest his union may have failed in its duty to fairly represent him and that there may have been a breach of his employment contract. The case was sent back to a lower court for further review of these claims. This ruling matters for workers because it reinforces that unions have a legal obligation to fairly represent all members. If your union fails to adequately defend you during disciplinary proceedings or contract disputes, you may have grounds to sue both your employer and the union for damages.