Educators speak out on Supreme Court lawsuit designed to silence their voice
by Félix Pérez/image above of Jennifer Bado-Aleman by Patrick Ryan
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Maya Walker, a high school library technician from Hayward, Calif., stood on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday morning to deliver the response of teachers, education support professionals and public service workers to a legal challenge of the rights of public service employees: Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association is a lawsuit promoted and supported by big corporations and the wealthy to limit the ability of educators, firefighters, police officers, nurses and other people who serve the public to stand together at work.
Walker was joined by educators and other workers as the Supreme Court heard arguments in the Friedrichs lawsuit, which seeks to dismantle long-standing rules whereby workers who don’t want to join a union don’t have to but instead pay a reduced Fair Share fee to cover the cost of bargaining and representation that the union is legally required to provide. If the court bans fair share, it will be will harder for teachers and educators to come together at work and stand up for their students. It will also be more difficult for teachers, firefighters, nurses and social workers to negotiate for decent wages and benefits and make sure their communities have jobs that support their families.
The court is expected to issue its decision in June.
“This lawsuit threatens our ability to advocate collectively for the needs of our students and our schools,” said Walker, a second-generation educator. “I’m here today to say fair share works and has for long time. Friedrichs is nothing more than corporate interests out to tilt the economy further in favor of the wealthy and corporations. This lawsuit is all about doing away with the most effective voice for teachers and other workers — unions.”Jennifer Bado-Aleman said she attended the Supreme Court event out of concern for the economically disadvantaged students who drew her to teaching. A high school English teacher in Gaithersburg, Md., Bado-Aleman, National Board Certified, said, “It’s important to keep in mind that the working conditions educators bargain for together are students’ learning conditions. I’m concerned Friedrichs would weaken our ability to speak with one voice.” Bado-Aleman said she worries about the consequences that eliminating the fair share rules would have on students with the greatest need. “I’m here today because I believe that having a strong union for educators Educators speak out on Supreme Court lawsuit designed to silence their voice « Education Votes: