Nurses Closely Watching ‘Fair Share’ Supreme Court Case That Could Potentially ‘Cripple’ Calif. Unions
The court is hearing a case on a rule that requires non-union employees at union-affiliated workplaces to pay “fair share” fees. Public sector employees who are not union members are required to pay these fees because the union’s collective bargaining is meant to benefit all employees equally.
KQED:
California Nurses Warn That Losing Supreme Court Case Could Gut Unions
Nurses protested outside San Mateo Medical Center in front of a sign that read “Patient safety comes from union strength” last week. They wore the characteristic bright red shirts of their own union: the California Nurses Association (CNA). They were calling attention to the U.S. Supreme Court case Janus vs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The outcome of the case could dramatically weaken public sector unions if the court overturns a rule that requires non-union employees at union-affiliated workplaces to pay “fair share” fees. (Klivans, 2/23)
Sacramento Bee:
Court Case Could ‘Financially Cripple’ California Unions
The Supreme Court on Monday is scheduled to hear a lawsuit that could weaken the state’s public employee unions by forbidding them from collecting fees from workers who don’t want to join them. Those charges are known as agency fees, and California is one of the states that allow unions to collect them so workers who benefit from union representation don’t get a “free ride.” Critics say they undermine the First Amendment rights of workers who don’t want their money to support causes they oppose. (Ashton, 2/26)
KPBS:
Nurses Throughout California Rally Against Supreme Court Case
Sue Phillips, a registered nurse at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, said if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff, a lot of workers will get a free ride. “This would be on a daily basis, that a person will be able to benefit from all of the contract language that we have, and pay for none of it, and it’s just not fair," she said. If the Supreme Court upholds the legal challenge, public-sector workers will no longer be required to pay anything to unions that represent them. (Goldberg, 2/23)