Subject: Re: Union Leaders, Members on SCOTUS Grant of Cert in Friedrichs v. CTA
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: Nikki Budzinski <[email-masked]>, Lauren Peterson <[email-masked]>, Katie Dowd <[email-masked]>, Teddy Goff <[email-masked]>
Cc: Amanda Renteria <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, "Ann O'Leary" <[email-masked]>, Maya Harris <[email-masked]>, Christina Reynolds <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Brynne Craig <[email-masked]>, Marlon Marshall <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2015 17:09:42 -0400

Adding Lauren, Katie & Teddy

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 5:08 PM, Nikki Budzinski <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> I think a tweet could work.  It would be very helpful to do today.  For
> the sake of time, I'd take the tweet.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jun 30, 2015, at 5:02 PM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
> wrote:
>
> Would a tweet not do the trick here?
>
> On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 2:04 PM, Amanda Renteria <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
>> I worry about being talking "fees".
>> I like staying more at platitudes about what unions have done for
>> workers.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jun 30, 2015, at 1:50 PM, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Adding Dan.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jun 30, 2015, at 1:44 PM, Ann O'Leary <[email-masked]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> 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
>>
>>
>