Caroline Fredrickson, President American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and Joe Burns, Labor Lawyer and Author, Strike Back: Using the Militant Tactics of Labor's Past to Reignite Public Sector Unionism Today
U.S. Supreme Court Heard Challenge to Bread and Butter Survival of Public Sector Unions with Caroline Fredrickson, President American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and Joe Burns, Labor Lawyer and Author, Strike Back: Using the Militant Tactics of Labor's Past to Reignite Public Sector Unionism Today
On Jan.11th, the U.S. Supreme Court considered a conservative legal challenge targeting public sector unions when the justices take up a case brought by non-union teachers who object to having to pay for collective bargaining rights. The dispute pits 10 public school teachers and the Christian Educators Assn International against the California Teachers Assn., a union with 325,000 members and a history of backing liberal political causes. Unions that are certified to represent a group of employees are legally compelled to represent all employees in that unit, which means bargaining on behalf of all the workers for health care and other benefits, higher wages and representing them in grievances to adjudicate their rights against their employers. The dues pay for unions to be able to advocate for services to its members and to administratively function as an organization. This court challenge seeks a decision that would economically starve the public workers organizations affecting their ability to advocate for their members individual economic benefits and their political rights as workers.
produced by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg
please notify us if plan to broadcast this program - knash@igc.org