Statement from AFSCME President Lee Saunders

BY AFSCME PRES. LEE SAUNDERS  |  JUNE 30, 2014

Today’s 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.

The ruling places at risk a system of consumer-directed home care that has proved successful in raising wages, providing affordable care and increasing training. The number of elderly Americans will increase dramatically in the coming years.

Child care workers make it possible for working parents to support their families without the agony of trying to juggle their jobs and their kids. States need to build a stable, qualified workforce to meet the growing need for home care and child care – and having a strong union for care providers is the approach that has proven most effective.

Today’s ruling did not hand anti-worker extremists the victory they’d been hoping for because the Court did not revoke collective bargaining rights for public service workers or care providers. It did not eliminate existing contracts.

That would have been a fundamental gutting of the American Dream, but make no mistake – Justice Alito’s opinion made clear that the relentless assault on workers’ rights will not abate.

As always, AFSCME members nationwide will remain steadfast and fight for the simple rights and dignity that every working American deserves. A court ruling doesn’t change our obligation as proud union workers and it doesn’t negate our obligation to keep fighting to restore the American middle class.

Harris v. Quinn: PSI stands with all unions in the USA in the fight for social justic

 

Read on-line : http://www.world-psi.org/en/harris-v-quinn-psi-stands-all-unions-usa-fight-social-justice

 

Public Services International (PSI) condemns the continuing attacks on trade union rights for public sector workers in the USA. The conservative majority of the US Supreme Court this week, in Harris v. Quinn, attacked the rights of home care workers and invites further legal challenges.  This decision is the result of years of plotting, manipulating and massive financing from neo-conservative pressure groups.  It demonstrates the growing corporate power in the USA, and confirms their strategy of undermining all trade unions. 

 

Home care can be a much more affordable and humane alternative to institutionalisation of the sick and elderly.  It is a fast-growing field, but marked by low wages and benefits, poor training, and little respect for workers.  Home care workers, by the very nature of their work, are isolated.  Providing care for people in their homes is difficult, stressful and demanding.  It is perhaps no coincidence that the majority of home care workers are women.  US trade unions are protecting these isolated workers with innovative organising strategies.  It is exactly these innovative organising strategies that the Supreme Court is seeking to undermine.

 

PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli said “We are saddened, but not really shocked by this decision, as the attack on public sector workers is part of the overall attempt to destroy trade unions in the United States.  The Supreme Court justices appear not to understand the rights and responsibilities enshrined in UN and ILO conventions, guaranteeing freedom of association for workers.  However, workers and trade unions are mobilising in their communities to increase minimum wages and improve working conditions.

 

 We especially encourage the union fight to give homecare workers a voice.  It is only with the union that we can stop the systematic abuse of workers and protect the vulnerable who depend on qualified staff.

 

Conservative groups will use this decision to further undermine trade union rights, to isolate workers and to increase attacks on public sector unions in all US States.  This will force PSI affiliates, especially SEIU, AFSCME and AFT, to spend a lot of resources in the courts.  Thankfully, these are strong unions which have weathered many such attacks in the past.  PSI stands with our affiliates, and with all unions in the USA in the fight to bring social justice to all.”