Durst v. Oregon
On March 31, 2020, the District of Oregon granted summary judgment in Durst v. Oregon Education Association, et al. to the Oregon Education Association and its affiliates represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP. Â The court rejected the claims of three former union members that their First Amendment rights were violated when their employers deducted union membership dues that the plaintiffs themselves had agreed to pay in exchange for union membership rights and benefits. Â The court recognized that its decision was consistent with every other federal court that has addressed similar post-Janus claims challenging voluntary union membership dues deductions, including in many other cases litigated by Altshuler Berzon LLP. Â The decision can be found here.
Chambers v. AFSCME, et al.
On March 31, 2020, the District of Oregon granted summary judgment to the defendant unions in Chambers v. AFSCME, et al., rejecting the plaintiffsâ attempts to recover fair-share fees that they had paid to cover the costs of collective bargaining, in accordance with then-valid state law and binding Supreme Court precedent before the Supreme Court overturned that precedent in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31. The plaintiffs in Chambers brought a putative class action against Oregon affiliates of AFSCME, SEIU, NEA, and other unions, seeking to assert claims on behalf of most public sector employees across the state of Oregon. Altshuler Berzon LLP successfully defended the unions against plaintiffsâ federal and state tort law claims. The district courtâs order can be found here.  Altshuler Berzon LLP has also successfully defended many similar post-Janus lawsuits filed across the country.
Quirarte v. United Domestic Workers AFSCME Local 3930
On February 10, 2020, in Quirarte v. United Domestic Workers AFSCME Local 3930, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California granted judgment on the pleadings to the defendant government officials and union, ruling that the deduction of union dues from California home care providersâ paychecks did not violate the First Amendment, that no state action was involved in making those deductions, and that the plaintiffs could not assert a cause of action under the Medicaid Act. The order can be found here. The case is on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Altshuler Berzon LLP represents United Domestic Workers in the case.
Few v. UTLA et al.
On February 10, 2020, the United States District Court, in Few v. UTLA et al., granted Defendantsâ motion to dismiss the plaintiffâs claims seeking to enjoin the California state laws governing the deduction of voluntary union dues from public employee union members and to recover damages premised on the plaintiffâs payment of voluntary dues prior to his resignation from his union. The order can be found here. Altshuler Berzon LLP represented defendant United Teachers Los Angeles in the district court proceedings.
Grossman v. Hawaii Government Employees
Association/AFSCME Local 152
In Grossman v. Hawaii Government Employees Association/AFSCME Local 152, the District of Hawaii rejected multiple attacks on voluntary unionism for public sector workers in Hawaii based on the plaintiffâs radical misinterpretations of Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31. On May 21, 2019, the court dismissed the plaintiffâs facial challenge to Hawaiiâs system of exclusive representation for purposes of collective bargaining for public sector workers, finding that challenge squarely foreclosed by Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit precedent. On January 31, 2020, the court granted summary judgment against the plaintiffâs remaining claim, in which the plaintiff sought a refund of dues that the plaintiff had voluntarily agreed to pay as a union member in exchange for the rights and privileges of union membership that she received. The orders can be found here and here. The union defendants were represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP.
Hendrickson
v. AFSCME Council 18 (D.N.M.)
In Hendrickson v. AFSCME Council 18, the District of New Mexico granted the Unionâs and State of New Mexicoâs motions for summary judgment. On January 22, 2020, the court ruled that a union membership agreement that required an employee who chose to become a union member to pay dues for a renewable one-year period was enforceable, rejecting the plaintiffâs argument that the agreement violated his First Amendment rights. The court also rejected the plaintiffâs challenge to exclusive union representation as established by New Mexicoâs public employee collective bargaining law. The order can be found here. The union defendant was represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP.