Daniela Berson
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) A group of teachers and their allies are rallying outside the Supreme Court today as the justices examine a court case regarding teachers’ unions.
The rally supports non-union teacher Rebecca Friedrichs, who is arguing that teachers shouldn’t have to pay union fees if the union supports political causes that the teachers disagree with.
Friedrichs v. Califonia Teachers Association et. al could allow non-union teachers to avoid agency fees and continue teaching, if SCOTUS rules in favor of the plaintiffs.
Inez Feltscher with the American Legislative Exchange Council told WMAL that in 25 states, non-union teachers currently have to pay the unions.
“They have to pay, what in some states is up to 70 or 80 percent of those union fees for so-called union activities that are not political,” Feltscher said. “Rebecca and her fellow plaintiffs are arguing that all public sector union activities are inherently political.”
The District of Columbia is one of those “states.”
According to ALEC, non-member teachers in D.C. public schools pay up to $800 per year in agency fees to the Washington D.C. Teachers Union.
ALEC leaders and other Friedrichs supporters are protesting on the Supreme Court steps from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today.
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