The final brief has been submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving six City University of New York (CUNY) professors who are challenging the monopoly representation powers of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) union officials. The professors, five of whom are Jewish, argue that they should not be forced to associate with PSC due to its public statements and actions, which they find anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. However, New York state law requires them to accept the union's representation.
The professors involved in this case are Avraham Goldstein, Michael Goldstein, Frimette Kass-Shraibman, Mitchell Langbert, Jeffrey Lax, and Maria Pagano. They are receiving legal assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and The Fairness Center. Their lawsuit targets aspects of New York State’s “Taylor Law,” which grants unions significant bargaining power over public sector employees.
The original petition for writ of certiorari was filed in July. It highlights past Supreme Court decisions recognizing how monopoly bargaining in the public sector burdens workers' First Amendment rights. A notable reference is made to Steele v. Louisville & Nashville Railway Co., where rail union bosses were found discriminating against African-American workers.