Organizations fighting fair-share fees
| Organization | Description | Fair share case |
|---|---|---|
| National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation |
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation (NRTWLDF) provided pro bono representation to the plaintiffs in Harris. In this case, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund-backed plaintiffs argued that fair share fee arrangements violated the Constitution. The NRTWLDF is the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Right to Work Committee” (NRTWC), a 501(c)(4) organization. The National Right to Work Committee is financed by business and conservative interests, that seeks to undercut private-sector unions by lobbying states to pass laws that ban any requirements that workers pay fair share fees.[1] [2]
|
Harris v. Quinn |
| Center for Individual Rights | The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) provided pro bono representation to the plaintiffs in Friedrichs. In this case, the CIR-backed plaintiffs argued that a public-sector union’s ability to collect fair share fees should be unconstitutional. This case was decided 4-4 because of Justice Scalia’s death halfway through the 2016 Supreme Court term. In the past, CIR was engaged primarily in litigation to limit environmental and health and safety regulations. As the organization’s budget has grown, it has become involved in litigation aimed at limiting workers’ rights. CIR has received funding from Dunn’s Foundation for the Advancement of Right Thinking, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the John M. Olin Foundation. Most notably, CIR has received financial support from the Koch-backed Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund as well as the Bradley Foundation. [3]
|
Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association |
| Liberty Justice Center & NRTWLDF | The Liberty Justice Center and the National Right to Work Foundation both represent the plaintiffs in Janus. In this case, the plaintiffs are making the same anti-union argument that was put on hold in Friedrichs – that public sector unions should not be able to cover the cost of representing and negotiating on behalf of nonmembers who benefit from the union’s representation. The Liberty Justice Center is the legal arm of an Illinois based conservative think-tank called the Illinois Policy Institute. A review of both of these organization’s 990s provides a limited view of their financial profile, but it is clear that they survive off of the same core group of corporate-backed organizations that contribute to many political and legal fights against unions. DonorsTrust, The Lynde and Harry Bradley foundation, the Ed Uihlein Foundation, Dunn’s center for the Advancement of Right Thinking, and the Charles Koch Institute have support the Illinois Policy Institute and Liberty Justice Center.[4]
|
Janus v. AFSCME |
[1] Bridge Project, “National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation,” Conservative Transparency database.
[2] Daniel Bice, “Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation grants 2011-2015”, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 5, 2017.
[3] Bridge Project, “Center for Individual Rights,” Conservative Transparency database.
[4] Bridge Project, “Illinois Policy Institute,” Conservative Transparency database.
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