For NY Unions, Supreme Court Ruling is Merely a Temporary Reprieve from State Attacks

Apr 28, 2016 | nyspffa_news

Late last month, public-sector unions across the country breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in the absence of recently deceased Justice Antonin Scalia, deadlocked 4-4 on a case that had posed a significant threat to organized labor. In the case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, the plaintiff had argued that mandatory payments to the union for teachers, regardless of whether or not they are union members, was a violation of her First Amendment rights.

The court’s split decision stops (for now) what would have likely been a mass exodus from unions across the country – in collective bargaining, unions represent members and nonmembers alike. Had the plaintiff won, individuals would decide whether to pay dues and fees on their own instead of having those fees deducted from their paychecks.

But while New York union leaders applauded the decision, they know it is not permanent. Indeed, the legal attack was only one of many salvos fired by right-to-work groups fighting to reduce the power of unions, which are still a powerful force in New York.

Read the full article at City & State.

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