Horan v. MBTA Employees Credit Union

Horan v. MBTA Employees Credit Union: Worker Wins Right to Run for Board Position

This case involved a dispute over workplace democracy at the MBTA Employees Credit Union. Employee Horan wanted to run for a Director position on the credit union's board, but the election committee refused to put his name on the ballot. The committee excluded him from running despite Horan apparently meeting all the requirements spelled out in the organization's bylaws.

The Massachusetts court sided with Horan and ordered the credit union to include his name on the ballot. The judge found that Horan had satisfied all the criteria needed to be a candidate for Director according to the credit union's own rules, so the election committee had no valid reason to keep him off the ballot.

This ruling matters for workers because it protects their right to participate in workplace governance when they meet the stated requirements. If your employer or union has elections for leadership positions, committees cannot arbitrarily exclude qualified candidates. Organizations must follow their own written rules fairly and consistently. This decision reinforces that workers who play by the rules have a right to seek leadership roles and cannot be shut out without proper justification.