Supreme Court strikes down compelling disability caregivers to join public sector unions

June 30, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement reacting to the 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Harris v. Quinn:

“The Court decided that the state of Illinois unconstitutionally placed home caregivers for people who received disability Medicaid payments into public employee union, and that the state should not deduct union dues from the payments those caregivers received. The Court did not take the broader step of overturning a previous decision — Abood v. Detroit Board of Education — that allowed public employee union dues to be deducted from all employee paychecks whether they consented to join the union or not.

“While we are disappointed that the Court failed to end the practice of forced public employee union conscription, the decision today ends the abhorrent practice of union allied politicians dictating that those caring for ‘the least of these’ have union dues deducted from their support checks.

“The unions provided no services for these caregivers, yet their avarice in gaining state sanctioned theft of taxpayer dollars dedicated to helping offset the costs of caring for those most seriously disabled is unconscionable.

“If these unions and their legislative henchmen would go so far as to take money from the disabled, can there be any doubt about their greed when it comes to stopping commonsense reforms and cuts that help cities and states balance budgets? Public employee unions should be ashamed that this issue ever came before the Supreme Court, and people with disabilities and their caregivers everywhere will hopefully be on notice that these public employee unions are their enemies.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (202)744-4427 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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