For years now, public employees and their organizations have been under attack across the country. Wisconsin’s assault on collective bargaining is only one of the recent more high-profile attacks. The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up a case by anti-union forces called
The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up a case by anti-union forces called Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Oral Arguments were in held in January and all public reports are that they did not go well. It was anticipated that the Court’s decision would make the public sector “right to work” across the United States, meaning public employees would no longer be permitted to negotiate union security provisions to ensure that everyone pays their fair share.
However, the unexpected passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, expected to vote in favor of “right to work” interests, means the court is evenly divided on the issue. On March 29, the court announced that it was split 4-4 and so the case returns to the earlier appellate court which upholds our right to organize and the legality of fair share fees.
Though we may have dodged a legal bullet, attacks on working peoples’ right to organize continue across the country and other cases that target unions are winding their way through the courts.That’s why we have launched a campaign to go on offense. We’re reaching out to fee payers and urging them to sign up for full membership and stand with us as we fight for better pay and working conditions.
That’s why we have launched a campaign to go on offense. We’re reaching out to fee payers and urging them to sign up for full membership and stand with us as we fight for better pay and working conditions. Since August 2015, we have signed up 181 new members and the number of fee payers is down to 225.
Since August 2015, we have signed up 181 new members and the number of fee payers is down to 225.
We are also innovating with membership sign up technology, using voice recordings by telephone and electronic signatures on our new iPhone app to sign people up.
Our goal is to talk to every member in advance of bargaining a new contract to ensure members are active and understand the important benefits of being a member of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.