A lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles by several California teachers against their unions alleges that those who wish to exercise their right to refrain from contributing to their union’s political agenda are stripped of important employment-related benefits and denied the right to vote in job-related matters.
The defendants include the California Teachers Association, United Teachers Los Angeles and the American Federation of Teachers.
A CTA spokesman said he had not seen the U.S. District court complaint and could not comment.
The plaintiffs — April Bain, Bhavini Bhakta, Kiechelle Russell and Clare Sobetski — are California teachers who are members of their national, state and local unions, according to the suit. They say they support their unions’ collective bargaining activities and wish to remain members, but that the First Amendment allows them to choose not to fund their unions’ political activities.
“Across California, public school teachers are being forced to choose between important employment benefits like paid maternity leave and their own political values,” Bhakta said. “It’s unfair. I appreciate my union and want to stay a member. But I don’t want to be forced to fund political activities that contradict my core beliefs about education.”
Under California law, teachers are unable to exercise this right without being forced to abandon union membership and the significant employment- related benefits that members receive, the suit alleges.
“The California system unconstitutionally punishes teachers for choosing not to pay the political portion of their dues, depriving them of important employment-related benefits and voting rights,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. “The First Amendment does not tolerate this unequal treatment based on a teacher’s political views.”
The suit states that union dues for California teachers are divided into two categories, the first covering the cost of unions’ collective bargaining activities, such as negotiating with school districts for higher wages. All California teachers must pay this portion of their dues.
In addition to those collective bargaining dues, however, unions also collect a second category of dues that finance their political and ideological activities, including lobbying efforts and contributions to candidates and ballot measures, the suit states.
California teachers unions collect and spend millions of dollars each year on such political activities, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are asking a judge to find the current system unconstitutional and enjoin its enforcement.
— City News Service