**Washington, DC** – Wednesday morning, January 10, at approximately 11:00 a.m. EST the U.S. States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the cases of Davenport v. Washington Education Association (WEA) and Washington v. WEA. The High Court will decide whether to overturn a Washington State Supreme Court decision that discovered a “right” for union officials to spend nonunion employees’ forced union dues on politics.
If this unprecedented interpretation of the First Amendment is allowed to stand, it will represent a major step backwards for the rights of unionized employees, and it could lead to legal attacks on America’s 22 state Right to Work laws which ban forced union dues. On the other hand, National Right to Work Foundation attorneys also seek a ruling that would strike down union opt-out procedures imposed on nonunion employees nationwide who are forced to pay union dues as a job condition.
**What**: Media availability directly following Supreme Court oral arguments in Davenport v. WEA and Washington v. WEA
**When**: Approximately Noon EST (at the conclusion of oral arguments)
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
**Where**: Immediately at the base of the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court
One First Street NE
Washington, DC 20543-0001
**Who**:
*Mark Mix*, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which is providing free legal aid to the Davenport teacher plaintiffs
*Milton Chappell*, National Right to Work Foundation Staff Attorney and Lead Counsel for 4,000 nonunion teachers in Davenport v. WEA
*Gary Davenport*, Lead Petitioner in Davenport v. WEA
**Why**: As the only national organization dedicated solely to protecting workers from abuses of compulsory unionism, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is the foremost expert in this important area of the law.
For more information or for press materials contact Justin Hakes at (571) 243-3637.
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.
