Workers Stand Up for Voice Threatened in Supreme Court

WASHINGTON – Hundreds of workers assembled outside the U.S. Supreme Court today to protect their voice on the job and protest the ongoing attacks against working families from wealthy special interest groups. Inside, the Court was hearing oral arguments in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, an attack on public-sector unions from wealthy special interests that could harm workers' ability to have a voice on the job. The case has generated support for workers from various quarters, from states' attorneys to editorial writers. "We know that without a strong voice on the job, we'll lose the ability to advocate for the safety and training our communities rely on," said Dovard Howard, a certified control systems technician and AFSCME member from Riverside, California. "It is only through a strong union that we have been able to win improvements in training and safety systems at my worksite." Howard joined a dozen other public-sector workers who spoke publicly about the need for unions to remain strong. Dovard Howard speaks in front of the Supreme Court (Photo by Kevin Contee) "I'm a conservative myself, but I certainly don't agree with the plaintiffs in this case," he said. "No one is required to join a union and...

Source: AFSCME Blog Feed