Judge rejects US challenge to Arizona union law

WASHINGTON - A federal judge in Arizona has rejected the government's challenge of a state constitutional amendment that guarantees workers the right to secret ballots in union elections.

U.S. District Judge Frederick Martone says it is premature to rule on whether the amendment conflicts with federal law because it depends on how the provision is enforced.

The ruling issued late Wednesday says the measure could impermissibly clash with federal law, but there are also instances in which it would not. It left the door open for a future challenge once the amendment is applied.

The National Labor Relations Board filed a lawsuit last year, arguing that amendment unconstitutionally interferes with federal labor law by restricting the methods by which employees can choose a union.

In a statement, NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce said the board disagrees with the decision but is "very pleased that the court recognized that these choices are guaranteed to employees by federal law and cannot be taken away by the states."