Following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia last year, unions were spared from harmful rulings as justices split 4-4 on cases affecting them.
In the months since, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch has taken his seat on the Court. His presence is almost certain to break the deadlock in a way unions will find hard to accept.
The labor movement is braced for the Court to decide that mandatory payments may not be exacted from employees in the public sector who do not opt to be members.
The case is Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.
What may happen
The fear is that the Court will strip away bargaining rights of thousands of public sector workers. In New York, it would have the effect of turning public sector unions into “right-to-work” unions.
Our state has the most union members by percentage — 23.6 percent – of any state. But that percentage increases to 67 percent union membership of all public sector employees.
This decision, which most observers expect to happen, will have an especially hard impact on teachers’ unions.
Our commitment to union members
Our mission at Pitta LLP is about providing the legal firepower to fight back against adverse situations. We do not believe this case will spell the end of collective bargaining – but it will clearly present a challenge to us all.
Our lawyers represent unions in both the public and private sectors through the negotiation process. We are versed in state laws governing employment and in the rules and procedures arising in disputes with associated management.
Count on our skills and knowledge to protect your interests in the years and months ahead.