Washington DC – The Supreme Court has issued a 5-4 decision that makes it harder for home care workers to deliver quality care for their clients. The case, Harris v. Quinn, involves home health care workers in Illinois who are paid through Medicaid but primarily supervised by home care recipients.
In a majority ruling authored by Justice Samuel Alito, the court held that although these workers are paid by the state, they fall into a category of workers termed “partial government employees” and are not subject to the same labor rules as other public workers including firefighters, school teachers, and police officers. The court ruled that these home health care workers cannot be required pay fair share fees to unions bargaining on their behalf. The Court did uphold the right of other public employees to have a voice at work by declining to overturn a 37-year old precedent that permits fair-share agreements for public employees. Under such agreements, workers may opt out of union fees designated for political ends but are required to cover a share of costs associated with other union activities such as collective bargaining.
The anti-union organization, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation – funded by the Koch and Walton families and others – brought the Harris v. Quinn suit. Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance, said, “Corporations, the Koch brothers and their extremist allies continue to pursue anti-retiree, anti-worker legislation in the states and in the courts. Instead of using the courts to take away the rights of working Americans like caregivers, we must reduce income and wealth inequality and enhance Americans’ economic security in both working years and in retirement.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders said that the Supreme Court decision “does not dampen the resolve of home care workers and child care providers to come together to have a strong voice for good jobs and to give care to millions of seniors, people with disabilities and children.” Read more here http://bit.ly/1m5LK4k.
