Pride at Work Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association

For Immediate Release

March 30, 2016

Contact: Jerame Davis
jdavis@prideatwork.org

Pride at Work Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association

Washington, DC – On March 29, 2016 the Supreme Court voted of 4-4 to uphold a decades-old ruling that threatened the continued viability of unions for workers in government, education, and other public sector jobs. Pride at Work celebrates this important victory that will protect the rights of working people and their families. This outcome is particularly important for LGBTQ working people, who are disproportionately affected by workplace discrimination and do not have legal protections in more than half the country. Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, elaborated on the ruling:

“This ruling by the Supreme Court upholds more than four decades of precedence in labor law and we are relieved the legal attacks on labor unions have been momentarily stalled by this ruling. Every working person in the public sector – schools, government offices, police, firefighters, etc. – can breathe a sigh of relief that this case has ended and their unions remain strong. For LGBTQ public sector working folks, this ensures that even in states without laws protecting LGBTQ people in the workplace, a strong union contract is still a viable option to gain those protections.

“We know this fight isn’t over, however. A split ruling in the Supreme Court means this question hasn’t been settled by the Court and the plaintiffs have already indicated they plan to refile. Corporate interests will not rest until they’ve completely dismantled our ability to come together and speak with one voice in the workplace.

“Pride at Work will continue to stand with our union family and push back against these attacks on our rights. The fight to protect our jobs and our families isn’t over, but together, we can – and will – win.”

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Pride At Work organizes mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBT Community for social and economic justice. We seek full equality for LGBT Workers in our workplaces and unions and we organize in the spirit of the union movement’s historic motto, “An Injury to One is An Injury to All.” Learn more at www.prideatwork.org