12-20-05,9:14am
Review Prepared for Senators Details Disturbing Record of Anti-Worker Decisions and Dissents
(December 14)—The AFL-CIO today announced its opposition to the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court and released a review of his record on worker rights cases that outlines the grave threat to working families posed by his confirmation.
As a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, according to a letter sent this morning from AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to the full U.S. Senate, Judge Alito handed down decisions and offered dissents that reveal “a disturbing tendency to take an extremely narrow and restrictive view of laws that protect workers’ rights, resulting in workers being deprived” of many vital protections relating to health and safety, wage and hour, anti-discrimination and pensions.
“After conducting a thorough and conscientious review of Judge Alito’s record on the U.S. Court of Appeals, it’s clear that his judicial philosophy is at odds with the interests of America’s working families,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “The Senate must make a clear statement to the Bush administration that only those nominees who have a demonstrated record in support of workers’ fundamental rights will be confirmed to sit on our country’s highest court for life.”
“Working families are struggling mightily against an assault on our hard-won gains in the legislative arena and at the bargaining table,” Sweeney said in the letter to senators. “Wages are being cut, pensions and health benefits are being drastically reduced or eliminated, and job security is vanishing. Now more than ever, workers need the protections offered to them under the laws passed by Congress to protect their pay, benefits, retirement security, and health. Working families need and deserve Supreme Court justices who understand and respect the importance of our hard-fought rights and protections, not justices who take an unduly narrow view of the law, and of our rights.”
Judge Alito’s record on the U.S. Court of Appeals is peppered with decisions that have shown hostility toward workers’ rights. From denying overtime pay to newspaper reporters (Reich v. Gateway Press) to thwarting Congress' efforts to guarantee all employees unpaid time off from their jobs for serious illnesses (Chittister v. Department of Community and Economic Development) and putting roadblocks in the way of workers trying to remedy job discrimination (Bray v. Marriott Hotels and Sheridan v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours), Alito has consistently sided against working Americans.
“Working families are hanging on by a thread in this country,” Sweeney said. “Wages are shrinking, health care costs are rising and workers are being denied a voice on the job. Americans absolutely cannot afford to have Judge Alito making decisions that will impact the day-to-day lives of their families for generations to come.”
To receive a copy of the letter or the review of Judge Alito’s record on workers’ rights cases, contact 202-637-5018 or visit www.aflcio.org/issues/legislativealert/alerts/upload/alito_letter.pdf.
Contact: Steve Smith, 202-637-5018
