Defending You Against Big Business Group
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Oregon Industries (AOI) filed a lawsuit yesterday trying to overturn a new law that protects your rights at work.
S.B. 519, called the Worker Freedom Act, says that you can't be fired for asking to opt-out of a meeting about politics, religion or union organizing at work. Until January 1, when the law takes effect, your boss is allowed to call a meeting on any topic of their choice, force you to attend, and talk about whatever they want. When they want to talk about work-related issues this makes perfect sense. But when they lecture you about their personal beliefs or how they think you should vote they cross a line. Many Oregon workers have felt intimidated or uncomfortable at meetings like these, and have asked to be allowed to return to their regular work. Some of them soon found that they were treated differently from other workers, or even laid off.
Your job should be safe even if you disagree with your boss on political or religious topics. And you shouldn't have to check your rights at the door just to get a paycheck. That's why we worked hard to pass the Worker Freedom Act last Spring.
But the Chamber of Commerce, AOI, and the businesses they represent apparently want to be able to punish or fire you for asking to opt-out of meetings that aren't related to work topics. They filed a lawsuit trying to stop this law from taking effect.
From The Oregonian today:
One of Oregon's largest business groups, Associated Oregon Industries, has joined forces with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a bid to overturn a new Oregon law that allows workers to opt out of meetings where employers talk about unions, ballot measures and other political matters unrelated to their duties.
AOI and the U.S. Chamber filed suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Oregon to overturn the law, which takes effect Jan. 1.
They claim it runs counter to federal law and violates their first amendment rights because it eliminates an employer's right to conduct mandatory meetings with employees "to rebut union rhetoric and provide information about the drawbacks of a unionized workplace," according to a news release from the U.S. Chamber.
AOI officials were not available to comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.
Read the rest of the article on The Oregonian's website.
We don't think the Chamber will get anywhere with the claim that the Worker Freedom Act violates the first amendment since it specifically protects an employer's right to hold voluntary meetings. In fact, S.B. 519 protects your right to not have to listen to unwanted speech, a right upheld in Hill v. Colorado in 2000.
If you're interested in reading the bill for yourself you can find it on the Oregon Legislature's website.
-
Playing Chicken with Our Economic Recovery
DECEMBER 20th, 2011 | Congress stands at the crossroads of yet another Federal shutdown, the third this year. If we were waiting for a clear indication that we need to more Representatives in Washington who will put working families and the middle class first, this is it. Partisan bickering keeps the real leaders on both sides of the aisle, who are ready to fight for the 99% of us who work for a living, doing their jobs.
-
Breaking Down Wealth Inequality
NOVEMBER 30th, 2011 | Occupy Wall Street has rippled across the country leaving a wake of activism and protest in nearly every state and wide-scale demonstrations teeming in over 20 major North American cities. The message is clear: we are the 99%. We work the jobs, we pay the bills and we’re tired of the 1% keeping all of the profits.
