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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016
Tied 4-4 after Scalia’s death, US
Supreme Court gives unions a win
Teachers had
objected to
paying fees
By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In
the clearest sign yet of the
impact of Justice Antonin Sca-
lia’s death, labor unions on
Tuesday won a high-pro¿le
Supreme Court dispute they
once seemed all but certain to
lose.
The justices announced
they were divided 4-4 in a
case that considered whether
unions representing govern-
ment employees can col-
lect fees from workers who
choose not to join. The split
vote leaves in place an appeals
court ruling that upheld the
practice.
The result is an unlikely
victory for organized labor
after it seemed very likely the
high court would rule 5-4 to
overturn a system that’s been
in place nearly 40 years. The
court is operating with only
eight justices after the death of
Scalia, who had been expected
to rule against the unions.
The one-sentence opinion
does not identify how each jus-
tice voted. It simply upholds a
decision from the 9th U.S. Cir-
cuit Court of Appeals.
Blow to conservative
groups
But it’s a major blow to
conservative groups that have
spent years pushing the court
to overrule a 1977 precedent
that allows unions to collect
“fair share” fees from mem-
bers and non-members alike
that cover the costs of collec-
tive bargaining.
The decision came as
Supreme Court nominee Mer-
rick Garland was to meet with
Republican Illinois Sen. Mark
.irk, his ¿rst meeting with a
J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
Visitors wait on the plaza of the Supreme Court on Tuesday as the justices split 4-4 in a
case that considered whether public employees represented by a union can be required
to pay “fair share” fees covering collective bargaining costs even if they are not mem-
bers. The deadlock is the first tie vote since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, who
had been expected to rule against the unions, and now leaves in place an appeals court
ruling that upheld the practice.
GOP senator. President Barack
Obama nominated Garland to
¿ll the vacant seat, but Repub-
lican leaders in the Senate say
they won’t hold con¿rma-
tion hearings or vote on the
pick until a new president is
elected.
The union case is among
a handful of key disputes
in which Scalia’s vote was
expected to tip the balance
toward a result that favored
conservatives. During argu-
ments in the case in January,
Scalia and the court’s four
other conservatives made it
clear they were ready to deal a
blow to the unions.
Since Supreme Court deci-
sions are not ¿nal until they
are handed down, nothing Sca-
lia did or said in connection
with the case before his death
mattered in the outcome.
vative group said being forced
to pay union fees violated the
free speech rights of nonmem-
bers who disagree with the
unions’ positions. The high
court had raised doubts about
the viability of the 1977 prec-
edent, Abood v. Detroit Board
of Education, but it stopped
short of overturning it in two
recent cases. In Abood, the
court said public workers who
choose not to join a union can
be required to pay for bargain-
ing costs if the fees don’t go
toward political purposes.
The lead plaintiff was
Rebecca Friedrichs, a public
school teacher from Orange
County, California, who said
she resigned from the Cali-
fornia Teachers Association
over differences but was still
required to pay about $650 a
year to cover bargaining costs.
Free speech rights
Fees necessary
In the case, California
teachers backed by a conser-
The case affects more than
5 million workers in 23 states
and Washington, D.C., who are
represented at the bargaining
table by public sector unions.
Labor of¿cials worried the
potential loss of tens of mil-
lions of dollars in fees would
reduce their power to bargain
for higher wages and bene¿ts
for government employees.
Labor leaders called the
lawsuit part of a coordinated
effort by conservative groups
to weaken labor rights. Union
of¿cials say the fees are neces-
sary because the organization
has a legal duty to represent all
teachers, even those who are
not members of the union.
Lee Saunders, president of
the American Federal of State,
Local and Municipal Employ-
ees, called the case a “political
attack” on unions.
“AFSCME members are
more resolved than ever to
band together and stand up to
future attempts to silence the
voices of working families,”
he said.
County unemployment below state, nation
professional and business ser-
vices 50. Manufacturing lost
40 jobs over the year.
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County’s season-
ally adjusted unemployment
last month was more than 1
percentage point lower than
the same point the year prior,
according to statistics from
the Oregon Employment
Department.
The county’s season-
ally adjusted unemploy-
ment rate, 4.6 percent, was
the ninth-lowest out of Ore-
gon’s 36 counties, and lower
than both the national (4.9)
and state (4.8) unemployment
rates. February’s unemploy-
ment was down three-tenths
of a percent from January, and
1.1 percentage points lower
than the same point the year
prior.
The county added 210 jobs
in February, 100 more than
expected. The change left
nonfarm payroll employment
at 17,950, 380 more than the
year prior for a growth rate of
2.3 percent.
over the last yea,r and local
education another 50.
Tillamook County
Columbia County
Leisure and hospitality
added 80 jobs in February.
Local government education,
which includes student work-
ers, added another 90.
Over the past year, retail
trade has added 230 positions,
leisure and hospitality another
80, local government 70 and
In Columbia County, the
6.2 percent seasonally adjusted
unemployment rate in Feb-
ruary was in the bottom half
among Oregon’s counties,
but down one-tenth of a per-
cent from January and more
than 1 percentage point lower
than the same point in time last
year.
In February, professional
and business services added 20
jobs, as did leisure and hospi-
tality. Retail trade lost 20 jobs.
Columbia County’s non-
farm payroll employment
in February was 10,450, up
120 from the year prior for a
growth rate of 1.2 percent.
Over the past year, the coun-
ty’s manufacturing industry
has added 70 jobs, leisure and
hospitality 50 and professional
and business services 40. Con-
struction has dropped 60 jobs
In Tillamook County, the
5 percent seasonally adjusted
unemployment rate in February
was near the middle of Oregon’s
36 counties, down one-¿fth of a
percent from the month prior
and more than one-half a per-
cent lower than the year prior.
Food manufacturing added
20 jobs in February, and local
government education grew by
30.
February’s nonfarm pay-
roll employment was 8,830,
40 more than the year prior for
a growth rate of 0.5 percent.
Industries adding the most posi-
tions over the past year included
manufacturing with 90 and
retail trade with 60. Leisure and
hospitality was down 50 jobs
over the year.
The state Employment
Department
will
release
March’s county unemployment
rates April 19.
Man arrested for sexual
abuse of teenage girl
According to the Sheriff’s
Of¿ce, evidence revealed
The Clatsop County Jetland had secretly entered
6heriff’s Of¿ce arrested an the residence nearly a day
Ilwaco, Washington, man earlier and hid in the bed-
room with the girl
Monday for the
online sexual cor-
while intermittently
ruption and abuse of
have sexual contact
a local teenage girl.
with her throughout
Jesse Lee Jet-
the day.
land, 21, was
Jetland used a
charged with two
social network to
counts of sec-
arrange an in-per-
ond-degree sodomy
son meeting with
and one each of
the girl, providing
¿rst-degree online
her and a friend
Jesse Lee
sexual corruption,
with marijuana and
Jetland
rape and burglary.
tobacco while at
The
arrest
the residence. Par-
comes after a monthlong ents of both girls are aware of
investigation by the Sher- the situation and have been
iff’s Of¿ce, which received assisting law enforcement.
a report in January indicating And further evidence indi-
the parents of a local middle cates Jetland was communi-
school student had found Jet- cating with other underage
land in their daughter’s bed. females in the county.
The Daily Astorian
Nuclear power plant
unexpectedly shut down
after equipment breaks
Associated Press
RICHLAND, Wash. —
Washington state’s only
nuclear power plant has been
shut down after operators
received an indication that
a system used to cool equip-
ment wasn’t working. Of¿-
cials said there was no release
of radiation and no danger to
the public.
The Columbia Generat-
ing Station near Richland was
shut down about 1:30 p.m. on
Monday, Energy Northwest
spokesman John Dobken said.
Of¿cials hope to restart
the plant sometime this week,
Dobken told The Associated
Press early Tuesday.
The Tri-City Herald
reported that the plant was
shut down after operators
were alerted to problems with
the system that uses water
to cool heat exchangers and
pumps, including those that
control the power level of the
reactor.
Energy Northwest says
it seems that a water system
valve may not have been in the
right position, but adds that an
investigation is ongoing.
The last time the plant
had an unplanned shutdown,
known as a scram, was in
November 2009, when there
was a hydraulic Àuid leak.
Mike Paoli, an Energy
Northwest spokesman, said
a decision on restarting the
plant will be made after a
thorough review of the event
and when operators have con-
¿dence that all systems can
operate to standards.
“Scrams are not unusual
events in the industry, but they
are not what we like to see
to meet our generation num-
bers,” Paoli said.
The nation has 99 operat-
ing nuclear reactors and they
had more than 110 scrams in
the last two years, he said.
The plant broke genera-
tion records in December and
January, operating in January
above its peak capacity factor.
It produces enough elec-
tricity to power a city about
the size of Seattle.
Bundy, co-defendants
appeal to remain in Oregon
Associated Press
PORTLAND — Ammon
Bundy and three co-defen-
dants who are jailed in Ore-
gon for the occupation of
a national wildlife refuge
have appealed an order that
requires them to Ày to Nevada
next month to face charges in
a federal case there.
Assistant federal pub-
lic defender Rich Federico
sent notice Monday that the
four men are appealing to
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals.
A federal judge in Port-
land last week ordered the
defendants to be Àown to
Nevada on April 13 and
returned to Oregon on April
25. During that window,
they would make their ¿rst
court appearances on charges
stemming from a 2014 stand-
off at Cliven Bundy’s ranch
near Bunkerville, Nevada.
Defense attorneys say the
clock shouldn’t start on the
Nevada case until the Ore-
gon one if ¿nished, because
it could violate their clients’
right to effective counsel.
W A NTED
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A
Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500
Early Childhood
Health & Education Clinic For
Clatsop County Kids
SIGN UP TODAY!
FREE For all 2-5 year olds, regardless of income
April 13, 2015
Astor Elementary School
3550 Franklin Ave., Astoria
April 19, 2015
Seaside Convention Center
415 First Avenue, Seaside
Early screening is an important step to successful learning.
Your child will receive the following exams and screenings:
~ Physical ~ Hearing ~ School Readiness ~Speech
~ Nutrition ~Vision ~Dental ~Immunization
Call your local elementary school or Head Start center for an appointment by April 6 for the
Astoria clinic or April 14 for the Seaside clinic.
Limited transportation help is available upon request. se habla espanol.
Sponsors are NW Early Learning Council, NW Educational Service District
and Clatsop Kinder Ready. Major health & education groups of
Clatsop County are partnering to make this clinic possible.
Columbia Memorial Hospital
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