Despite being turned away by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week, an Ohio group continues its battle against forcing public employees to be part of a union.
The court declined to hear The Buckeye Institute’s petition in Reisman v. Associated Faculties of the University of Maine. The petition called for an end to laws that forced public-sector employees to accept a union’s exclusive representation.
“As a condition of his employment at a public university, Maine law compels Professor Jon Reisman to accept the AFUM as his ‘sole and exclusive bargaining agent.’ Unfortunately, earlier [Monday], the high court denied his petition demanding an end to those unjust laws,” said Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute.
The Buckeye Institute has two other pending cases that ask courts to end laws forcing public-sector employees to accept a union’s exclusive representation.
Thompson v. Marietta Education Association deals with a high school Spanish teacher in Marietta, Ohio. Thompson did not want to join a union, but said it was a requirement in the state.
In a video, Thompson said the Ohio Education Association targeted her husband with negative flyers during his race for the Ohio House of Representative. She realized, she said in the video, as a union member, she was funding the ads against her husband.
“I don’t speak for every teacher. I just think we ought to have a choice and it ought to be competitive, and for it not have to do with politics,” Thompson said in the video. “Give a teacher a choice to vote.”
The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected her challenge in August. Alt said The Buckeye Institute will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court shortly.
Also, the group is involved with a Minnesota case currently before the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
“The Supreme Court will have other opportunities to rule on matters that it has already said are of ‘substantial public concern’ and protected by the First Amendment,” Alt said. “The Buckeye Institute will continue to fight on behalf of our heroes Jade Thompson and Kathy Uradnik, along with millions of other public employees across the country.”
Originally posted at The Center Square. Republished with permission.
