City Workers and City Council Stand in Solidarity Against Supreme Court’s Janus Decision

Posted in Labor

By Post Staff

Representatives of the City of Oakland’s labor unions attended this week’s City Council meeting to support Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan’s resolution opposing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision that will undermine the bargaining strength of public sector unions.

“The Supreme Court ruled against the needs of workers to have effective representation,” said Kaplan in a prepared statement.

“This action, by the Supreme Court … will weaken unions’ power to effectively negotiate on behalf of all public-sector workers, including to promote policies that protect workers’ rights, fair wages, and safer working conditions.”

The resolution, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Dan Kalb and Abel Guillén, calls on the city to continue working with public-sector unions to respond to the problems raised by the Janus decision.

“Your support of this resolution sends a strong resolution to everyone…that you stand with workers,” said Liz Ortega-Toro, representing the Alameda Labor Council.

“We appreciate your support and hope that all of your workers will continue to have the freedom to organize a union and for dignity on the job,” she said. “We’ve been working to blunt the impact of this decision, which includes working with elected leaders like yourselves.

“Trump’s Supreme Court majority has reversed 40 years of labor, with their decision in Janus vs. AFSCME. This decision comes as no surprise given Trump’s disdain for workers in general and public workers in particular.”