Fifth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Steelworkers’ Firing Case

A U.S. appellate panel affirmed the dismissal of a complaint from the United Steelworkers union that a Texas probation officer was allegedly fired for engaging in union activity.

In a unanimous opinion issued Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a San Antonio federal judge’s ruling that the officer was fired for poor performance that was unrelated to his involvement in the union.

The officer, Sergio Castilleja, had served as president of Bexar County Probation Officers Association, a local affiliate of the United Steelworkers international union, before he was dismissed in 2017. Castilleja died while the ...