Monday, June 30, 2014

SEIU slapped Down

Dear Larry,
Today's U.S. Supreme Court decision in Harris v. Quinn may cost our states most powerful union—the SEIU—$40 million per year.
In the case of Harris v. Quinn, the U.S. Supreme Court today issued a 5-4 ruling stating that home healthcare workers in Illinois should not be considered full-fledged state employees and thus cannot be compelled to either join a union or pay representation fees to one.
Like Illinois, home healthcare workers in Washington are currently represented by unions, including:
  • Service Employees International (SEIU) 925, which has represented 12,000 early learning family childcare providers since 2005; and,
  • SEIU 775, which has represented 26,000 home healthcare workers since 2002.
Presumably the court's action on Monday means those employees could now be permitted to opt out of union participation altogether - a scenario that could devastate the SEIU if employees here react as they have in other states by opting out in droves.
The Freedom Foundation's legal team, which now includes former state Supreme Court Justice Jim Johnson, is analyzing how to force SEIU and the Governor in our state to comply with today's ruling.
It will likely take litigation. If you know of anyone who falls into the following categories, please encourage them to get in touch with Max Nelsen at the Freedom Foundation (360) 956-3482.
  • Individual home health care providers (SEIU Local 775)
  • Child care providers receiving state subsidies (SEIU Local 925)
  • Language access providers (Washington Federation of State Employees)
  • Adult family home care providers (Washington Residential Care Council)
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the forced unionization of home healthcare workers for what it is -- a 'scheme' designed to fill union coffers at the expense of workers' First Amendment rights. SEIU 775, which represents individual home healthcare providers in Washington, and other unions representing what the court called 'partial public employees,' should immediately do the right thing and allow workers to choose for themselves whether to support union activity.
If SEIU does not comply with the law of the land, you have my word that the Freedom Foundation will do whatever it takes to protect workers from forced unionization.
For Freedom,
Tom McCabe, CEO
Freedom Foundation

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