Dartine Solis: Supreme Court could make it harder on working people
I have worked as a Child Support Specialist for Merced County for 21 years, and am a proud member of AFSCME Local 2703, comprised of people who serve our residents and keep the county in good working order. I am concerned about a corporate-backed case before the U.S. Supreme Court that threatens labor unions and working families.
This decision could overturn a case dating to 1977 which determined that it is constitutional for public sector unions to assess a fair share for the costs of negotiating employee contracts. No one is forced to join a union or pay to support candidates or policies they don’t support. This legal principle has already been tested and upheld. The case before the Supreme Court is yet another attempt to make it harder for working people to band together.
Americans are working harder than ever. Our work has created record wealth for an economic recovery that’s seen everywhere but ordinary peoples’ wallets. Almost no one stands up for average Americans, and now this Supreme Court case threatens to make it worse.
The Supreme Court should reject this attempt by wealthy special interests to make it even harder for working people to speak up for one another.
Dartine Solis, Merced
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Dartine Solis: Supreme Court could make it harder on working people."