Trump administration opposes unions in key Supreme Court case

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico




By IAN KULLGREN 12/06/2017 11:59 PM EST

The Trump administration sided against public employee unions Wednesday evening in a Supreme Court case that could deal the labor movement a crippling financial blow.

In a brief submitted in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, the Office of Solicitor General sided with a child-support specialist for the state of Illinois who's challenging AFSCME's legal right to collect so-called "fair-share fees" from union nonmembers. Unions say such fees are necessary to cover collective bargaining costs for union nonmembers, whom they're required by law to represent. But plaintiff Mark Janus is arguing that the mandatory fee violates his protected speech under the First Amendment.

Janus's legal challenge is financed in large part by the conservative Bradley Foundation, which see the case as an opportunity to impose right-to-work rules on public employee unions in all 50 states. Twenty-eight states have passed right-to-work laws blocking private-sector unions from collecting fees from union nonmembers, most recently Missouri (though unions will seek to overturn that state's right-to-work law, passed in February, in a referendum next year).

Trump won the presidency with strong support from white working class voters, but as a candidate he expressed support for the right-to-work movement. "I like right to work," he told a North Carolina radio station during the campaign.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/trump-unions-supreme-court-285260

[mountain grammy]

1. final death blow.. gee, wonder what Gorsuck will decide?

[louis c]

2. Too Many Union Workers Supported Trump

and now it's time to see the repercussions of those actions.

Just as too many young people sat out the election or voted third party, just as too many white women voted for this serial harasser, just as far too many Latino men thought it was great to be on the side of this bigot, too many of my union brothers and sisters either couldn't tell the difference between a candidate that was less than perfect and one who sided with the elements of society that want to destroy us.

As I said, privately, just after the election. every demographic and economic group that helped elect Trump will be the ones who get fucked by him.

Next victims, seniors as he sides with the groups who want to dismantle Medicare and Social Security.

[Rene]

5. I blame it all on Bernie intruding

on the DEMOCRATS but unwilling to become one. dang ankle biter

[RobinA]

3. I Will Be Able

to retire in six years and I can not wait. I know there are younger people than I in the workforce who will still have to fight these battles and I wish them the best. But my work life has been 1980 - 2023 and I have had it. Between the death by 1,000 cuts that is actual employment, there's the layoffs (twice for me), the taking away of benefits, the decline of unions, the constant job insecurity, the difficulty in even getting a job, the increased ridiculousness of the job application process; it wears you down.

This union member did not support Trump, but yes, many did. Can't have women and blacks running the place, doncha know!

[KPN]

4. Mmm-hmmm!

State's rights my ass! The "right" is so fucking insidious ... and they've got legions of brainwashed fools and so-called Christians behind them.

I don't believe there will ever be a peaceful solution to this war on the the working and middle class.

[NickB79]

6. Public labor unions like the police? Oh my

When private labor unions were protesting Scott Walker in Wisconsin, the police unions were largely silent because they weren't affected at the time. I can see the cops being PISSED if they now find themselves down in the trenches with the rest of us.

Who's going to man the tear gas and shields when the cops are on the other side of the protest line now, you fuckers?