Union Bosses Smear Teachers


Union bosses are demonizing one of their own who has dared to disagree with their policies.  Faced with losing billions of dollars at a critical time, union officials, from the AFL_CIO to teacher union officials themselves, all are desperate to keep their forced-dues windfall operating.  Friedrichs v. CTA, a case currently before the Supreme Court, may free all government employees from paying forced dues, giving them Right to Work privileges, even in the absence of a state Right to Work law. Their tactics, including blatant lies, are a reflection of their desperation.  As government employee unions are the fastest-growing sector unions nowadays, the prospect of Friedrichs v. CTA  has all union bosses on the warpath.  How much darker can money get if you take if you take it from workers’ pockets?  Jason Hart has the story in Watchdog.org.

America’s most powerful union bosses are running a national smear campaign against 10 workers who fund their paychecks.

California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs and nine of her fellow educators are being vilified by executives of the country’s largest labor unions — including the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers.

Using money taken from workers’ paychecks, union bosses are portraying Friedrichs and her peers as allies of evil corporations and white supremacists.

AFT president Randi Weingarten has called Friedrichs part of an “assault on working people.†NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia has accused Friedrichs of “attacking working people.â€

How did Friedrichs turn these self-styled champions of teachers against her? She is challenging their ability to take mandatory fees from non-members, in a case that has made its way before the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The case was brought by billionaires and wealthy CEOs like the Koch brothers who want to rewrite the rules to only benefit them,†said AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka.

A black and white image of an eagle with its wings spread.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

America Works Together, a coalition run by NEA, AFT, AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is trying to convince union members that Friedrichs will ruin their lives.

“Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association is being pushed by special interests and corporate CEOs in an attempt to damage protections for hard working families and our communities,†the coalition warns.

Last week, the unions flooded their social media channels with a public relations blitz, calling the Friedrichs case an attempt by libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch to destroy unions.

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