We All Lose if Friedrichs Prevails

Strong unions empower working people to fight for justice, fairness, dignity and respect. The Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case, which the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing on Monday, January 11, 2016, threatens to silence our voice as working people.In the New Jersey State AFL-CIO’s new video, union leaders talk about the power ofunions and how important it is to remain united to overcome the challenges facing middle-class families. Please watch as Donna Chiera, president of AFT NJ, Sherryl Gordon, executive director of AFSCME Council 1, and Tim Rudolph, president of IFPTE Local 195, discuss why they and their members are union proud and union strong. Please share the video with people in your network and keep up with the case by visiting us at www.njaflcio.org, on Facebook at New Jersey State AFL-CIO or Twitter @NJAFLCIO.

Our adversaries are the Koch Brothers and their network of wealthy donors. The obscenely rich Kochs and others like them are behind the Friedrichs case, whose ultimate goal is to eliminate unions. An adverse decision will hurt every sector of the labor movement and weaken the middle class.

That is why we must stand united to counter the threat of the Koch Brothers and their moneyed interests. While we cannot underestimate the power of the rich, we must never forget that our collective voice will prevail. More than ever, as this case plays out in the Supreme Court, we need working Americans to come together to protect our country’s middle class. We need our union members to remain active, and stay strong.