Subject: Re: Union Leaders, Members on SCOTUS Grant of Cert in Friedrichs v. CTA
From: "Ann O'Leary" <[email-masked]>
To: Maya Harris <[email-masked]>
Cc: Christina Reynolds <[email-masked]>, Amanda Renteria <[email-masked]>, Nikki Budzinski <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Brynne Craig <[email-masked]>, Marlon Marshall <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:44:43 -0700

I took a stab at a first draft.  COMMS - Can you play with this and send it
back around?

Today, the United State Supreme Court announced that next term it will hear
the case of *Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association*, which calls
into question the right of public sector to collect a “fair share” fee when
it bargains for non-union members.  These fees ensure that our public
sector unions can continue their fight for fair wages and benefits that
teachers, nurses, child care workers, EMTs, and so many others deserve who
serve our children and our communities day in and day out.  These workers
deserve to be part of the strong middle class in America and their unions
help to make it so.  I will be watching this case closely and will be
standing firmly united behind our unions in their fight for their right to
bargain collectively for the higher wages that reflect the value of their
work.

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 9:59 AM, Maya Harris <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> We support crafting a statement. Key is to stay at high level reaffirming
> her support for protecting workers' right to organize and perhaps stating
> hope Court will do the same (think she expressed hope SCOTUS would rule in
> favor of marriage equality while the case was still pending). But we don't
> want it to look like she's getting ahead of them (e.g., predicting a bad
> outcome) since they've just taken the case and we don't know the result.
>
> On Jun 30, 2015, at 11:07 AM, Christina Reynolds <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Defer to policy on this—Ann/Maya?
>
>
>
> *From:* Amanda Renteria [mailto:[email-masked]]
> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 30, 2015 11:06 AM
> *To:* Nikki Budzinski
> *Cc:* Maya Harris; Ann O'Leary; Christina Reynolds; John Podesta; Robby
> Mook; Brynne Craig; Marlon Marshall
> *Subject:* Re: FW: Union Leaders, Members on SCOTUS Grant of Cert in
> Friedrichs v. CTA
>
>
>
> comms/policy - thoughts?
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 11:04 AM, Nikki Budzinski <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Would it be possible to get a statement today?  We can use it to bring
> with us to policy and political meetings with the labor movement we have in
> DC tomorrow and Thursday.  This would be very helpful.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 10:29 AM, Amanda Renteria <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Agree. This would go along way if she said something about this.  She
> knows this issue well from her briefings, etc.  +Policy +Reynolds
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 10:10 AM, Nikki Budzinski <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Below is the statement that public sector unions jointly put out in
> response to Friedrichs.  I'm talking to them about their next steps later
> today.  Nikki
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Maiers, Staci [NEA] [mailto:[email-masked] <[email-masked]>]
> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 30, 2015 9:40 AM
> *Subject:* Union Leaders, Members on SCOTUS Grant of Cert in Friedrichs
> v. CTA
> *Importance:* High
>
>
>
>
>
>
> For Immediate Release
> Contact:   NEA:         Staci Maiers, 202-270-5333
>
> June 30,
> 2015
> AFT:          Kate Childs Graham, 202-393-6354
>
>
> CTA:         Frank Wells, 562-708-5425
>
>    AFSCME:  Marianne von Nordeck, 202-429-4309
>
>
> SEIU:        Beau Boughamer, 202-730-7158
>
>
>
> *PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS ON SUPREME COURT GRANT*
>
> *OF CERT IN FRIEDRICHS V. CTA*
>
>
>
> *Lawsuit Seeks to Curtail Freedom of Firefighters, Teachers, Nurses,
> First-Responders to Stick Together and Advocate for Better Public Services,
> Better Communities*
>
>
>
> *Jeopardizes American Promise that Hard Work Leads Families to a Decent
> Life*
>
>
>
> WASHINGTON—NEA President Lily Eskelsen García, AFT President Randi
> Weingarten, CTA President Eric C. Heins, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, and
> SEIU President Mary Kay Henry issued the following joint statement today in
> response to U.S. Supreme Court granting cert to *Friedrichs v. California
> Teachers Association*:
>
>
>
> “We are disappointed that at a time when big corporations and the wealthy
> few are rewriting the rules in their favor, knocking American families and
> our entire economy off-balance, the Supreme Court has chosen to take a case
> that threatens the fundamental promise of America—that if you work hard and
> play by the rules you should be able to provide for your family and live a
> decent life.
>
>
>
> “The Supreme Court is revisiting decisions that have made it possible for
> people to stick together for a voice at work and in their
> communities—decisions that have stood for more than 35 years—and that have
> allowed people to work together for better public services and vibrant
> communities.
>
>
>
> “When people come together in a union, they can help make sure that our
> communities have jobs that support our families. It means teachers can
> stand up for their students. First responders can push for critical
> equipment to protect us. And social workers can advocate effectively for
> children’s safety.
>
>
>
> “America can’t build a strong future if people can’t come together to
> improve their work and their families’ futures. Moms and dads across the
> country have been standing up in the thousands to call for higher wages and
> unions. We hope the Supreme Court heeds their voices.”
>
>
>
> And public servants are speaking out, too, about how *Friedrichs v. CTA*
> would undermine their ability to provide vital services the public depends
> on. In their own words:
>
>
>
> “As a school campus monitor, my job is to be on the front lines to make
> sure our students are safe. Both parents and students count on me—it’s a
> responsibility that I take very seriously. It’s important for me to have
> the right to voice concerns over anything that might impede the safety of
> my students, and jeopardizing my ability to speak up for them is a risk for
> everyone.”
>
> *—Carol Peek, a school campus security guard from Ventura, Calif.*
>
>
>
> “I love my students, and I want them to have everything they need to get a
> high-quality public education. When educators come together, we can speak
> with the district about class size, about adequate staffing, about the need
> for counselors, nurses, media specialists and librarians in schools. And we
> can advocate for better practices that serve our kids. With that collective
> voice, we can have conversations with the district that we probably
> wouldn’t be able to have otherwise―and do it while engaging our
> communities, our parents and our students.”
>
> *—Kimberly Colbert, a classroom teacher from St. Paul, Minn.*
>
>
>
> “As a mental health worker, my colleagues and I see clients who are
> getting younger and more physical. Every day we do our best work to serve
> them and keep them safe, but the risk of injury and attack is a sad, scary
> reality of the job. But if my coworkers and I come together and have a
> collective voice on the job, we can advocate for better patient care,
> better training and equipment, and safe staffing levels. This is about all
> of us. We all deserve safety and dignity on the job, because we work
> incredibly hard every day and it’s certainly not glamorous.”
>
> *—Kelly Druskis-Abreu, a mental health worker from Worcester, Mass.*
>
>
>
> “Our number one job is to protect at-risk children. Working together,
> front-line social workers and investigators have raised standards and
> improved policies that keep kids safe from abuse and neglect. I can't
> understand why the Supreme Court would consider a case that could make it
> harder for us to advocate for the children and families we serve—this work
> is just too important.”
>
> *—Ethel Everett, a child protection worker from Springfield, Mass. *
>
>
>
> ###
>
>
>
> *About the National Education Association*
>
> *The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional
> employee organization, representing nearly 3 million elementary and
> secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support
> professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students
> preparing to become teachers. Learn more at **www.nea.org*
> <http://www.nea.org/>* and follow on Twitter at @NEAmedia.*
>
>
>
> *About the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)*
>
> *The American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, was
> founded in 1916 and today represents 1.6 million members in more than 3,000
> local affiliates nationwide. AFT represents pre-K through 12th-grade
> teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher
> education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local
> government employees; and nurses and other healthcare professionals. Go
> online to **www.aft.org* <http://www.aft.org/>* or @AFTunion to find out
> more.*
>
>
>
> *About the California Teachers Association (CTA)*
>
> *The 325,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the
> 3 million-member National Education Association. Find out more at *
> *www.cta.org* <http://www.cta.org/>* and follow CTA on Twitter at
> @CATeachersAssoc.*
>
>
>
>
> *About the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
> (AFSCME)**AFSCME is the nation’s largest and fastest growing public
> service employees union with more than 1.6 million working and retired
> members. AFSCME’s members provide the vital services that make America
> happen. We are nurses, corrections officers, child care providers, EMTs,
> sanitation workers and more. Read more online at **www.afscme.org*
> <http://www.afscme.org/>* and @AFSCME.*
>
>
>
> *About the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)*
>
> *The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) unites 2 million diverse
> members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The nation’s largest
> health care union, SEIU represents nurses, LPNs, doctors, lab technicians,
> nursing home workers, and home care workers in addition to building
> cleaning and security industries, including janitors, security officers,
> superintendents, maintenance workers, window cleaners, and doormen and
> women. SEIU also represents public workers including local and state
> government workers, public school employees, bus drivers, and child care
> providers. Learn more at **www.seiu.org* <http://www.seiu.org/>* and
> @SEIU.  *
>
>
>
>
>
> *******************************************************************
> Only the individual sender is responsible for the content of the
> message, and the message does not necessarily reflect the position
> or policy of the National Education Association or its affiliates.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Nikki Budzinski
>
> Labor Outreach Director
>
> Hillary for America
>
> 646-854-1442 (direct)
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Amanda Renteria
>
> National Political Director
>
> Hillary for America #Hillary2016
>
> 559-426-5756 (o)
>
> 650-868-1188 (c)
>
> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/renteriaforcongress> or Twitter
> <https://twitter.com/AmandaRenteria>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Nikki Budzinski
>
> Labor Outreach Director
>
> Hillary for America
>
> 646-854-1442 (direct)
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Amanda Renteria
>
> National Political Director
>
> Hillary for America #Hillary2016
>
> 559-426-5756 (o)
>
> 650-868-1188 (c)
>
> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/renteriaforcongress> or Twitter
> <https://twitter.com/AmandaRenteria>
>
>

-- 
Ann O'Leary
Senior Policy Advisor
Hillary for America
Cell: 510-717-5518