Standing Strong for Public Worker Bargaining RIghts

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Association, and CWAers joined hundreds of activists in a rally outside the court.

Union activists rally for workers' rights outside the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Friedrichs case is an assault on public sector workers that is being financed by anti-worker organizations and corporate interests. These groups have been working for years to stifle the voices of teachers and other public workers and strip them of collective bargaining rights.

Labor law requires that a union must represent all workers in the bargaining unit, not just members. That's why the "fair share" system makes sense. Workers who choose not to be members of the union that was voted by a majority to represent the workers still benefit from union representation. Under fair share, they pay a fee that reflects the costs of that representation. Eliminating the fair share system would encourage "free riders" and enable those individuals to get all the benefits of representation without sharing in the cost.

A decision is expected by June 2016.

Read more analysis here.