For almost 14 years, I’ve worked for San Bernardino County, relying on a supposedly secure government job with benefits. As a single mother, I’ve struggled to cover rent, food, car repairs and medical expenses for my child by working overtime.

I try to focus on the positives — job security, cost-of-living adjustments, longevity pay and a pension.

But there’s been a continuous toll from what feels like gaslighting techniques used by both my employer and the Teamsters union. Case in point, being presented with a contract touting a 3% raise while simultaneously implementing a mandatory payroll deduction that effectively negates it — a sleight of hand maneuver that exhausts those of us living paycheck to paycheck.

I didn’t start my job with strong opinions about unions. I was automatically enrolled in the Teamsters but opted out six years ago after learning from Freedom Foundation flyers that I had a choice — a choice that came after three years of negative experiences regarding representation matters.

In my interaction with the Teamsters, it seems the union can veer off course: Instead of protecting workers’ rights, it can violate and take them away.

Now I’m standing up for my rights. With the Freedom Foundation’s help, I’ve filed a federal lawsuit challenging how the Teamsters and San Bernardino County have trampled on my constitutional freedoms.

The case currently before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California addresses whether it is permissible for money to be deducted from a paycheck to fund union benefits when the individual did not join the union. As alleged in the lawsuit, this mandatory deduction may also be used to support the union’s political candidates and causes.

Every pay period, a portion of my hard-earned wages disappears into the Teamsters’ “Health and Welfare Trust Retiree Plan.”

It is likely this deduction isn’t just about healthcare for retirees. A portion of the funds may be channeled into the union’s shareholder activism — buying shares in companies and then pressuring corporate boards to adopt political positions I never agreed to support.

The lawsuit challenges California’s Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, which essentially traps public employees like me in a financial relationship with unions we’ve explicitly rejected.

Simply by accepting a job serving my community, I’ve been forced into funding political speech that often contradicts my own beliefs — a clear violation of my First and 14th Amendment rights.

What’s particularly alarming is how these mandatory deductions often exceed the legal 1.5% cap established by California law.

When I’ve sought recourse, San Bernardino County and its board of supervisors have offered no meaningful solution. They continue enabling this system that funnels money from unwilling employees to fund union political agendas.

The Teamsters’ history of pension fund mismanagement and corruption only intensifies my concerns about where my money is actually going.

This isn’t just about dollars and cents — it’s about transparency, accountability and the right to choose what causes I support with my own money.

I never expected anybody to listen to me or help me after both my employer and union refused. But I didn’t give up. I’ve been fighting for my rights for nearly a year now.

This fight is about more than just my paycheck. It’s about standing up for the principles that make America what it is — freedom of association and the right to decide for yourself what causes deserve your support.

These aren’t abstract concepts for me; they’re the difference between buying groceries or paying for my child’s school supplies.

When government and unions collude to take your money against your will, they’re not just violating the law — they’re undermining the very foundation of individual liberty.

Each dollar taken from my paycheck without consent is a reminder that some believe their political agenda matters more than my family’s well-being.

I may be just one person, but this lawsuit represents countless others trapped in the same situation — hardworking public servants who simply want the freedom to make their own choices.

Karima Tarbah is a San Bernardino County employee and plaintiff in the Freedom Foundation’s lawsuit against the Teamsters.