SCOTUS Takes Up Case Seeking to Take Away the Freedom of Working People to Come Together in Strong Unions 

Contacts: Claudia Briggs at 916-325-1551 or Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324.

BURLINGAME – California Teachers Association President Eric Heins issued this statement today about the United States Supreme Court announcement granting certiorari and taking up the case Janus v. AFSCME this term:  

“Janus v. AFSCME is a case with far sweeping implications for working families, our students and the communities we serve. Janus is simply the culmination of decades of attacks on working people by corporate CEOs, the wealthiest one percent and the politicians that do their bidding to rig the economy in their favor, and its outcome could further send our country in the wrong direction. The forces behind this case are the same forces that have pushed for privatizing public education and limiting voting rights, as well as attacked immigrants and undermined civil rights protections.

“Their goal here, as it was in Friedrichs v. CTA, is no secret: they want to use the Supreme Court to take away the freedom of working people to join together in strong unions, because unions give workers a powerful voice in speaking up for themselves, our students, families and communities. Unions have played a critical role in building and protecting the middle class in America. They provide hard-working people economic stability for their families and give them the tools to build a good life, home and education for themselves and their children. For 154 years, CTA has been standing up for working people, our students and the communities we serve. No court case will stop our determination and advocacy for our students and our profession.”   

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The 325,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.