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Teamsters Statement on Gorsuch Nomination to the Supreme Court

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(WASHINGTON) – The nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court raises serious concerns for workers across our nation. Any person seeking to serve on the highest court in the land must respect working Americans and their rights on the job.

It appears that Judge Gorsuch has often sided with corporations over workers in a number of cases. For example Judge Gorsuch has been critical in decisions of the authority of the National Labor Relations Board and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. He has also ruled against Teamster members who have been unlawfully locked-out by their employer. These decisions, and numerous others, raise serious concerns about his nomination.

The next justice will certainly be called upon to decide the collective bargaining fate of public employees, including the more than 250,000 Teamsters working in the public sector. Such workers have repeatedly come under fire in the courts, most recently as part of the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case the court heard last year. These efforts are a blatant attempt to weaken unions and make it more difficult for public employees to join together to make sure that they have everything they need to do the best jobs they can when serving the citizens of this country. As Judge Gorsuch is often compared to former Justice Antonin Scalia as a “strict constitutionalist,” the union is concerned that his confirmation could deal a serious blow to worker rights.

We will continue to review his judicial record and fight to ensure that the confirmation process is rigorous and complete.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.