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[Perfect Blue]

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a case that could deal a crushing blow to organized labor.

It was one of 11 cases the justices added to the court’s docket from the roughly 2,000 petitions seeking review that had piled up during the court’s summer break.

In the labor case, the court will consider whether public-sector unions may require workers who are not members to help pay for collective bargaining. If the court’s answer is no, unions would probably lose a substantial source of revenue.

The question was before the justices last year in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, and they seemed poised to rule against the unions when the case was argued in January 2016. But the death of Justice Antonin Scalia the next month resulted in a 4-to-4 deadlock.

That may have given the unions only a brief reprieve. Justice Scalia’s replacement, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, has voted consistently with the court’s more conservative members and is likely to supply a fifth vote against the unions.

More here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/...case-on-mandatory-fees-to-unions.html?mcubz=1

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Fuck.

 

[WedgeX]

Free riders wanting to get all the union benefits but not wanting to contribute. Alas that the last days of solidarity may be upon us.

 

[whytemyke]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

 

[MikeRahl]

This is a sticking point for Canada in NAFTA isn't it?

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

Its very difficult to overturn supreme court precendent. This is going to wreck mostly democratic voters (public sector unions)

 

[entremet]

I remember the California case. This will probably kill public sector unions for good.

 

[Wereroku]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

Could this hit Police unions as well?

 

[BlackDoomShadow]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

They'll just blame lazy black people and Mexicans for stealing their jobs. The intellectual rot at the core of America goes deep.

 

[entremet]

Could this hit Police unions as well?

Yes.

 

[StoOgE]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

We've been saying that since forever and they keep eroding our rights. Once this is gone, Unions are done and they are never coming back.

We'll be national right to work by 2030. Book it.

This is what all those Union members who voted for Trump because their racism and sexism were more important than their rights as workers have sewed. The irony of a bunch of Union households in the Midwest putting the last nail in their own coffin will probably be lost on them.

 

[Ryzaki009]

Yes.

The one silver lining in this BS.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

welp this country is even more fucked.

needs to be torn down and rebuilt.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Ah crap.

They are just eroding worker rights bit by bit while trying to constantly humanize corporations as "people" in the process.

 

[Necrovex]

Yup. This is going to wreck me in the long run. Granted our union already has its freeloaders not paying dues but reaping the benefits.

 

[WedgeX]

Yes.

I can easily see the justices that will vote for this writing in an exception for "emergency service" unions.

 

[StoOgE]

I can easily see the justices that will vote for this writing in an exception for "emergency service" unions.

The Scott Walker rule.

 

[CheesecakeRecipe]

This is what all those Union members who voted for Trump because their racism and sexism were more important than their rights as workers have sewed. The irony of a bunch of Union households in the Midwest putting the last nail in their own coffin will probably be lost on them.

Yup. Almost can't wait to see my father's face when this hits. He's a hardcore conservative republican trumpeter, and once again his hatred and ignorance will lead to even more difficulties for himself and my immediate family. How many times can one shoot themselves in the foot before they lose too much blood?

 

[turmoil]

Next they will give corporations the right to unionize, so that they can legally collude to pay less to their workers.

 

[NeOak]

We've been saying that since forever and they keep eroding our rights. Once this is gone, Unions are done and they are never coming back.

We'll be national right to work by 2030. Book it.

This is what all those Union members who voted for Trump because their racism and sexism were more important than their rights as workers have sewed. The irony of a bunch of Union households in the Midwest putting the last nail in their own coffin will probably be lost on them.

This. They voted against their own interests. Let them reap what they sow.

 

[Sobriquet]

I'm sure Neil "Frozen Trucker" Gorsuch will side with unions.

Hey, did you guys know he gave a speech at Trump Tower today? To a group that's affiliated with the group funding the battle against unions?

 

[Battle Litany]

I remember the California case. This will probably kill public sector unions for good.

The effect of RTW laws on the unionization rate is a decrease of about 2.1%. which yes, is a loss of strength and bargaining power (and loss in worker wages as a result) but not some crippling death blow.

There are public sector unions everywhere there are public sector workers, which includes states that have had RTW legislation on the books for years.

 

[kiunchbb]

Could this hit Police unions as well?

In California, police unions are very strong and united. For state workers, you can opt out of paying the full Union fee (~40% reduction). The union rep told us that over 90% of state police paid the full amount, in my office, less than half are paying the full amount.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Fucking criminal what corporate America did to unions. They can burn in fucking hell.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

As if that isn't already the situation here and has been since the 80s?

 

[Trouble]

We've been saying that since forever and they keep eroding our rights. Once this is gone, Unions are done and they are never coming back.

We'll be national right to work by 2030. Book it.

This is what all those Union members who voted for Trump because their racism and sexism were more important than their rights as workers have sewed. The irony of a bunch of Union households in the Midwest putting the last nail in their own coffin will probably be lost on them.

They are now unstitching the fabric of middle class that they themselves helped weave.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

The one silver lining in this BS.

Nothing is worth the loss of unions but man oh man, is it going to be great when all the cops who touted Blue Lives Matter and voted Trump get hit with this realization.

 

[kirblar]

Fucking criminal what corporate America did to unions. They can burn in fucking hell.

The same thing has happened in Canada- their unionization rate is driven almost entirely by public sector unionization. This isn't just about regulations, it's about local communities losing leverage in an era of globalization, something that no legislator could prevent.

 

[Moral Panic]

Can't unions provide other benefits like legal help etc to encourage people to pay dues?

 

[slit]

Ironically it was union workers switching over that put Trump over the top in the rust belt which caused a new conservative justice on the bench. They are getting what they deserve. I just feel bad for the ones that knew better.

 

[Aselith]

You can't really lose something that you never had so this is more the unions trying to GAIN a source of revenue. As such, this could only be a boon to organized labor. The status quo would be to be not required to pay.

Edit: Ah whoops didn't realize that public sector was exempted

 

[maximum360]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

Well USA, it's been fun. We may as well welcome our new corporate overlords I guess.

 

[Dude Abides]

The effect of RTW laws on the unionization rate is a decrease of about 2.1%. which yes, is a loss of strength and bargaining power (and loss in worker wages as a result) but not some crippling death blow.

There are public sector unions everywhere there are public sector workers, which includes states that have had RTW legislation on the books for years.

Right to free-ride laws in states generally don't apply to public sector unions.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Well USA, it's been fun. We may as well welcome our new corporate overlords I guess.

As if this hasn't been the case for most of our lifetimes anyway.

 

[Machine]

This only pertains to public-sector unions right? I'm not sure I have a huge problem with it. One of the reasons so many municipalities have crushing financial problems is that the unions help people get elected who turn around and negotiate contracts with those same unions that got them into office. Favorable for union members not so much for taxpayers.

 

[Wereroku]

In California, police unions are very strong and united. For state workers, you can opt out of paying the full Union fee (~40% reduction). The union rep told us that over 90% of state police paid the full amount, in my office, less than half are paying the full amount.

Man so the only way to kill Police unions would be to outlaw them entirely. Makes since to pay the entity that is protecting you especially since they probably have ways to find who isn't paying.

 

[Iksenpets]

In California, police unions are very strong and united. For state workers, you can opt out of paying the full Union fee (~40% reduction). The union rep told us that over 90% of state police paid the full amount, in my office, less than half are paying the full amount.

This is the real problem. The Court won't create a carve out for police unions, but the police is the only organization that maintains a cultish enough culture that they could successfully remain unionized even in a right-to-work environment. Most people don't like paying their union dues because they don't directly feel the benefits, but for cops you can just think of it as "killed a black dude" insurance and happily pay up.

But yeah, public service unions are effectively dead now. But least we successfully punished Hillary Clinton for her emails??

 

[blackflag]

Yeah there is no way this survives the Supreme Court.

 

[Blader]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

Their way of waking up is to elect people like Trump who ride the tide of their anger and then make things worse.

 

[Dude Abides]

This only pertains to public-sector unions right? I'm not sure I have a huge problem with it. One of the reasons so many municipalities have crushing financial problems is that the unions help people get elected who turn around and negotiate contracts with those same unions that got them into office. Favorable for union members not so much for taxpayers.

This is a common right-wing talking point but it isn't actually true. The municipal workforce in municipalities is not large enough to have a meaningful electoral impact.

 

[Ogodei]

They are now unstitching the fabric of middle class that they themselves helped weave.

How much of the middle class relies on unions anymore? I agree America needs more unions, not less, but unions are already a relic to much of middle class and the working poor in America.

 

[djplaeskool]

How much of the middle class relies on unions anymore? I agree America needs more unions, not less, but unions are already a relic to much of middle class and the working poor in America.

Yeah. In states where unions have already lost the lions share of their power, this might not be much of a deal.

 

[haimon]

Here in Israel I loathe unions.

We have one huge union that is in control of almost all of the smaller unions and they only care about supporting big organizations and not helping the people that really need help.

They also are very willing to use massive strikes and fuck up life here for almost any small issue, including if a bad employee should be fired.

I wish unions here could not be connected to one another....

 

[ClosingADoor]

Any way to just strip the people not in the union from the benefits? Don't join, you get a lower wage and less vacation days, lower pension matching, etc, etc. Seems like that is how it should be, since without the union your bargaining power goes down.

 

[Sulik2]

I can honestly see both sides on this one. If you aren't in the union it sure seems unfair you have to pain union dues, but if you are reaping the benefits of the union's collective bargaining at the same time then those fees make sense. The real issue is the unions allowing the business to hire non-union employees in positions that would benefit from their gains of collective bargaining.

 

[IrishNinja]

really feeling that stolen seat now - better still to see dude out there literally carrying water for the party, not sure if it's unprecedented but it's crazy shitty to see

Free riders wanting to get all the union benefits but not wanting to contribute. Alas that the last days of solidarity may be upon us.

these people are the worst

We've been saying that since forever and they keep eroding our rights. Once this is gone, Unions are done and they are never coming back.

We'll be national right to work by 2030. Book it.

This is what all those Union members who voted for Trump because their racism and sexism were more important than their rights as workers have sewed. The irony of a bunch of Union households in the Midwest putting the last nail in their own coffin will probably be lost on them.

ughhh
really is hard to imagine a union comeback after this, unless unemployment/market falls apart bad enough where something drastic takes place in worker culture

The one silver lining in this BS.

it's not. public service unions (fire/police/EMS) are literally their lifeblood, you're not going to serve in most major cities without being a member. ive seen assholes firsthand trying to duck fees & it doesn't go well or hold for very long, thankfully.

 

[Instro]

I can't say I really care as much about public sector unions. It's very sketchy relationships between who is elected and unions. Unfortunately this seems like something that will be used to challenge private sector unions as well so...

 

[Chmpocalypse]

I'm sure Neil "Frozen Trucker" Gorsuch will side with unions.

Hey, did you guys know he gave a speech at Trump Tower today? To a group that's affiliated with the group funding the battle against unions?

Was it a paid speech? If so, motherfucker needs to recuse himself.

 

[kess]

The same thing has happened in Canada- their unionization rate is driven almost entirely by public sector unionization. This isn't just about regulations, it's about local communities losing leverage in an era of globalization, something that no legislator could prevent.

All the same, many unions like the SEIU are predominately urban and this will represent a further weakening of their political outreach, which is overwhelmingly Democratic. Something else fills the vacuum, and it's not going to be pro-globalization, unless this results in removing people from the process.

 

[Lonewulfeus]

Maybe this needs to happen.

Maybe the people of the US need to see their wages diminish and working hours grow ridiculously before they wake up and realize how bad they're being screwed.

Uhhhhh it's already happening