YOUR LETTERS: Supreme Court decision will not deter workers

On June 1, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with corporations over working people (Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters). But let’s be clear: This decision will in no way deter workers from going on strike.

The energy, enthusiasm and effectiveness of working people cannot, and will not, slow down in the wake of this ruling. When the facts of this case are revealed on remand, it will be clear the union acted properly and the truck drivers’ strike was protected by federal law.

The Supreme Court recognized that federal law has protected workers’ right to strike for better working conditions for more than a century. Unfortunately the court relied on unfounded employer allegations that the union intended to damage the cement trucks when it called the strike.

We are confident that the state court will allow the National Labor Relations Board to decide if the strike was protected and the NLRB will find the union acted properly.

Working people are standing up for our rights and fairness in the workplace at a rate not seen in generations. Striking for justice on the job is a critical part of the labor movement’s resurgence.

The AFL-CIO and our more than 12.5 million members will continue to fight for workers, and we know that we will succeed.

LIZ SHULER
President, AFL-CIO