- Sep 27, 2012
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U.S. Supreme Court set to hear challenge to public sector unions
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Monday a conservative legal challenge targeting public sector unions when the justices take up a case brought by non-union teachers in California who object to being compelled to pay for collective bargaining.
The dispute pits 10 public school teachers and the Christian Educators Association International against the California Teachers Association, an influential union with 325,000 members and a history of backing liberal political causes.
The case could erode organized labor's influence by allowing public sector workers who are not union members but are forced under state law to pay "agency fees" equivalent to union dues to stop providing this money. This would reduce the income and political clout of public sector unions.
San Bernardino County teacher Karen Cuen, one of the plaintiffs, quit the union in 1994. That means she already opted out of paying for political activities. But she said other union spending is problematic, too.
"I think pretty much everything the union does is political. I feel like being a public employee we shouldn't be bargaining with taxpayer money. There's an inherent conflict of interest," Cuen said.
Eric Heins, the union's president, noted that state law requires the union to represent all workers during collective bargaining, the process in which unions negotiate contracts with employers on behalf of employees, regardless of whether they are members.
Thank goodness! This is completely against America and her principles.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Monday a conservative legal challenge targeting public sector unions when the justices take up a case brought by non-union teachers in California who object to being compelled to pay for collective bargaining.
The dispute pits 10 public school teachers and the Christian Educators Association International against the California Teachers Association, an influential union with 325,000 members and a history of backing liberal political causes.
The case could erode organized labor's influence by allowing public sector workers who are not union members but are forced under state law to pay "agency fees" equivalent to union dues to stop providing this money. This would reduce the income and political clout of public sector unions.
San Bernardino County teacher Karen Cuen, one of the plaintiffs, quit the union in 1994. That means she already opted out of paying for political activities. But she said other union spending is problematic, too.
"I think pretty much everything the union does is political. I feel like being a public employee we shouldn't be bargaining with taxpayer money. There's an inherent conflict of interest," Cuen said.
Eric Heins, the union's president, noted that state law requires the union to represent all workers during collective bargaining, the process in which unions negotiate contracts with employers on behalf of employees, regardless of whether they are members.
Thank goodness! This is completely against America and her principles.
