Author Topic: Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions By Thomas Lifson  (Read 762 times)

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Offline mystery-ak

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http://www.americanthinker.com/assets/3rd_party/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/06/sleeper_scotus_decision_could_devastate_unions.html

June 29, 2014
Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions

By Thomas Lifson

Almost everyone paying attention to politics knows about the Hobby Lobby case, due for a Supreme Court decision as soon as Monday. But a more obscure case due for a decision, Harris v Quinn, has the potential to rock the union movement to its foundations. Tim Devaney of The Hill explains:

Quote
The Supreme Court will make its most important ruling in labor law in decades next week when it weighs in on a right-to-work case that could determine whether non-union workers can be compelled to pay public sector union dues.

Courts for years have recognized the rights of unions to ask non-members to pay dues for union negotiating costs, but a group of home healthcare workers in Harris vs. Quinn are challenging dues they pay to a branch of the Service Employees International Union as a violation of free speech. (snip)

…labor giants like the SEIU…worry the court could rule broadly to prevent all non-members of public sector unions from being compelled to pay dues.

Such a decision from the court, which is expected to rule on Monday, could deliver a “kill shot” to organized labor at a time when it is already struggling with a declining membership.

Still, some labor supporters say they’re anticipating a loss.

“I expect the worst,” said Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the progressive Economic Policy Institute.

The case was brought by Pamela Harris, who receives money from the state of Illinois to take care of her son.

Workers like Harris were once seen as independent contractors, but Illinois’s legislature in 2003 passed a law deeming them public employees. This forced people like Harris to have fees from their Medicare checks withheld as payment to the SEIU, which had the responsibility of representing all workers who were subject to the 2003 law.

I have my fingers crossed on this one. I have never forgotten being forced to pay substantial “initiation fees” and dues to two corrupt labor unions (The Teamsters and the now-defunct American Bakery and Confectionary Workers), both of which were eventually taken over by the federal government on corruption charges, in order to take summer jobs while in college. In both instances, the union stewards were goons, and the amount of money extorted from me was painful. It felt like, and was, an extortion racket.

It is outrageous that people caring for family members in their own homes should be extorted in this way. Even worse, a large portion of their dues goes to the Democrats.

In a bizarre twist, Justice Scalia could turn out to be the unions’ savior:

Quote
Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia could prove to be the swing vote, experts say.

In a 1991 Supreme Court case, Scalia argued it is reasonable for unions to collect fees from non-union members to cover their negotiating costs. Then, during oral arguments for Harris vs. Quinn in January, Scalia's questions led some believe he is leaning in this direction once again.

Eisenbrey [VP of the Progressive Policy Institute] called Scalia “the hope.

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rangerrebew

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Re: Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions By Thomas Lifson
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2014, 04:25:17 pm »
Once Hitler gained enough control, he got rid of the unions that had carried him to power and the very same can be expected of Obama.  A dictator cannot be beholden to anyone. :2gunz:

Offline Chieftain

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Re: Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions By Thomas Lifson
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2014, 05:18:59 pm »
Once Hitler gained enough control, he got rid of the unions that had carried him to power and the very same can be expected of Obama.  A dictator cannot be beholden to anyone. :2gunz:

But do not forget that Hitler was duly and legally elected by the German people, and many of his early actions were under-written and endorsed by the German Legislature.


rangerrebew

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Re: Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions By Thomas Lifson
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2014, 07:49:33 pm »
But do not forget that Hitler was duly and legally elected by the German people, and many of his early actions were under-written and endorsed by the German Legislature.

I don't want to get in a debate over this but remember he wasn't a German, he was Austrian, and by German law at the time, ineligible to hold public office.  He used some political chicanery to get himself into a position of being in the government, almost like Obama, and the rest is history.

Oceander

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Re: Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions By Thomas Lifson
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2014, 08:52:57 pm »
I don't want to get in a debate over this but remember he wasn't a German, he was Austrian, and by German law at the time, ineligible to hold public office.  He used some political chicanery to get himself into a position of being in the government, almost like Obama, and the rest is history.

what "chicanery" did Obama use?  Other than the gullibility and stupidity of the average American voter?

Offline massadvj

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Re: Sleeper SCOTUS decision could devastate unions By Thomas Lifson
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2014, 08:55:04 pm »
Once Hitler gained enough control, he got rid of the unions that had carried him to power and the very same can be expected of Obama.  A dictator cannot be beholden to anyone. :2gunz:

Unions seem to be doing a pretty good job of destroying themselves.  They supported Obamacare and now are suffering from its provisions.  They also support amnesty in spite of the cfact that most of these illegals are undermining union objectives.  But they are so wedded to Democrat politics they fail to understand the implications of the policies.