Published 31 Mar, 2016
This week, the Supreme Court officially deadlocked in the Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Association case, effectively allowing the lower court’s decision in the case to stand. It was a victory for organized labor, but only a temporary reprieve from other harmful anti-worker cases making their way through the judicial system.
The ruling essentially allows public employee unions to continue to abide by the precedent set in Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education, which allows them to collect “fair share” or “agency” fees from non-members to help cover the cost of collective bargaining.
But the Friedrich’s case was never about the rights of workers. It was bankrolled by the “1 percent” in an attempt to make it harder for workers to find fairness on the job. Even the New York Times, in reporting on the decision said, “Limiting the power of public unions has long been a goal of conservative groups, and they seemed very close to victory when the case was argued in January.” Conservative and so-called right-to-work groups are bankrolling more cases that will only seek to weaken labor unions and harm working men and women across the country.
TWU’s legal counsel and the Government Affairs Department will continue to monitor these anti-union cases and provide updates regularly.