Public Employee Press

State AGs pushback on anti-union court case

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and at least 20 other attorneys general are supporting organized labor in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court that could undermine the ability of public-employee unions to protect working families.

A ruling against teachers in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association would upset long-standing labor practices that allow public-sector unions to negotiate fair wages and benefits for their members.

Schneiderman, accompanied by labor leaders and politicians in the New York City region, announced the group's plan to file a brief with the Supreme Court during a news conference outside City Hall on Nov. 15. A decision is expected next June.

"The Supreme Court should follow settled precedent and allow states like New York to manage our own labor relations and achieve labor peace and government efficiency and to continue our long tradition of support for workers," Schneiderman said.

In arguing that paying union dues amounts to a violation of their right to free speech, the plaintiffs want to overturn legal precedent requiring non-members to pay their "fair share" for union services, such as negotiating contracts and enforcing worker protections.

The elimination of "agency shop" fees would in effect make the United States a nation of 50 "right-to-work" states, which prohibit agreements between unions and employers that require workers to pay their fair share for union services as a condition of employment.

Speakers at the news conference said that the conservative interests behind Friedrichs want to cripple public employee unions and drag down the wages of all workers. The Center for Individual Rights, a conservative public-interest group, will represent plaintiff Rebecca Friedrichs, in the case before the
Supreme Court.

"We are here to tell the Supreme Court that working men and women need a voice, and that voice is often unions," DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said at the news conference.

Garrido said supporters of the Friedrichs lawsuit are engaged in a misinformation campaign against unions.

Conservative interests are voicing "fundamental lies" about unions, Garrido said.

"Unions have been the key in the fight against inequality, and their role remains vital today when workers' rights are increasingly under attack," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "New York City is proud to join a broad coalition of civic leaders urging the Supreme Court to respect historic union rights."

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC 37's parent union, is part of a coalition of labor, civil rights and community organizations working to educate the public about Friedrichs. To learn about the campaign, visit www.americaworkstogether.us.

"We are going to continue our fight not just in the courts but in the streets," Garrido said.

— Gregory N. Heires