Harris scores victory at SCOTUS

SHARE THIS EMAIL

Harris scores victory at SCOTUS By Scott Reeder and Brady Cremeens WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Supreme Court dealt a blow Monday to government unions that sought to organize home care workers and others not directly employed by government. The High Court ruled 5-4 that groups, such as home care workers, cannot be compelled to pay representation fees or dues to unions. Pamela Harris, a mother from Lake County who cares for her developmentally disabled son, brought the case. “I brought this lawsuit because I don’t want anyone to get between me and caring for my son,” an exuberant Harris said Monday, moments after learning of the decision. Harris is caring for her adult disabled son, Josh, and receiving assistance from the state of Illinois to do so. Gov. Pat Quinn issued an executive order designating Harris and other homecare workers as “state employees” for the purpose of joining a union. Service Employees International Union, a political ally of the governor, then began trying to organize the workers. “I think there is a very unhealthy relationship between politicians and the unions,” Harris said. “I only wish Gov. Quinn had listened to us five years ago when we said we didn’t want to join the union.” Read the rest of the story here. Could the state replace home caretakers with union workers? Brady Cremeens Could the state of Illinois remove mothers of disabled children from their roles as caregivers? At least one such mother has already been threatened with that very thing. Twenty years ago, Juliet Teixeira was a passenger in a car accident that caused a major brain injury and several other permanent physical problems. Juliet is 37 now, and has been confined mostly to home and a wheelchair since her accident. She talks with the help of a communication device and is only able to walk short distances with assistance. Nonetheless, her mother Deborah, who takes care of her on a full-time basis, says Juliet is cognitively aware, pleasant, bright, and funny. She derives joy from life and supplies it to others. Deborah Teixeira has cared for her daughter full-time for two decades now, but says the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services is threatening to replace her with a state worker. The trouble began when the state implemented a call-in system that requires caregivers to clock in and clock out over a nine-hour period each day in order to receive the financial benefits from the DRS. Deborah said she calls in every morning, and is required to call again exactly nine hours later, with a very small window of time in which to make the call and end the clock for that day. “The system is really set up to fail” Teixeira said. “I can’t understand how they can strap people like me to a time clock, punching in and punching out. We [caregivers] live our lives and do our jobs 24-7.” Read the rest of the story here.   THE ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK IS ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. LIKE AND FOLLOW US!