The Supreme Court of Texas is set to hear oral arguments on public sector labor unions' "release time" scheme, which forces taxpayers to pay union organizers' salaries and finance their activities. The Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Goldwater Institute are representing taxpayers in the case.
"The City of Austin is in a public safety crisis that this release time policy only makes worse," said lead attorney Robert Henneke, executive director and general counsel at TPPF. "City of Austin firefighters should be doing their jobs, not being assigned to AFA union activities at taxpayer expense."
"Release time is one of the most corrupt and unlawful ways that the government provides favors to political benefactors and preferred special interests," said lead attorney Jon Riches, vice president for litigation at the Goldwater Institute. "We hope the justices will lead the way in protecting taxpayers by striking down these pernicious government-labor-union abuses."
The case involves government agencies releasing employees to work for their private unions, engaging in political and lobbying activities, negotiating higher wages and benefits, soliciting new union members, and filing grievances against their public employer - all while receiving full government pay, benefits, and retirement. This practice costs taxpayers across the country tens of millions of dollars a year.
The oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st at 9:00 am CT at the Supreme Court of Texas in Austin, Texas.
For additional background on the case, interested parties are encouraged to visit the respective websites of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Goldwater Institute.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin that aims to foster human flourishing by protecting and promoting liberty, opportunity, and personal responsibility. The Goldwater Institute, on the other hand, is a free-market public policy research and litigation organization committed to empowering all Americans to live freer, happier lives by working in state courts, legislatures, and communities nationwide to advance, defend, and strengthen the freedom guaranteed by the constitutions of the United States and the fifty states.
