New Haven Public Schools weighed in on a landmark case heard Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court that could limit teachers unions’ ability to collect fees to negotiate contracts.
New Haven’s schools joined 14 other districts in signing an amicus brief to ask the Supreme Court to uphold its ruling in the 1977 case Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, which allows unions to collect fees from non-members to cover the costs of collective bargaining for benefits. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday.
California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs is suing the California Teachers Association, arguing that being required to pay the non-member “agency” fees violates her First Amendment Rights. Her lawsuit argues that unions are inherently political and that the government cannot require people to subsidize political organizations.
The opposing brief signed by New Haven argues that nixing agency fees would weaken teachers’ unions financially and politically — harming school communities.
“Without agency fee arrangements, unions have an incentive to take hardline positions and pick battles to constantly prove their mettle to their members,” the brief argues.
Agency fees “help unions represent a broad base of employees, both by encouraging union membership and by facilitating robust communication with those members. Collaborative partnerships with unions provide a framework for getting the best feedback from principals, teachers, and support staff in a systematic, respectful and honest way.”
Click here to read the brief.
David Cicarella, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, said Friedrichs represents a “very niche group” of public employees who do not see the benefit of paying agency fees.
About 90 percent of teachers and staff in New Haven are members of the union, and about 10 percent are not, he said. Union members pay about $4 per month more than non-members.
