No. 21-1073

Kourosh Kenneth Hamidi, et al. v. Service Employees International Union, Local 1000

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2022-02-02
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived Experienced Counsel
Tags: 42-usc-1983 civil-rights constitutional-rights employee-protections first-amendment fourteenth-amendment good-faith state-action union-rights waiver
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity FirstAmendment DueProcess CriminalProcedure LaborRelations Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri ClassAction
Latest Conference: 2022-02-25
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a labor union acting in concert with state officials may seize payments for union political speech from an employee absent clear and compelling evidence that the employee knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his First Amendment right

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED The Civil Rights Act of 1871 provides that “every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State” deprives a citizen of a constitutional right “shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.” 42 U.S.C. § 1983. In Knox v. SEIU, Local 1000, this Court held that in earlier cases, “we assumed without any focused analysis that the dicta from Street had authorized the opt-out requirement as a constitutional matter,” and that “By authorizing a union to collect fees from nonmembers and permitting the use of an opt-out system for the collection of fees levied to cover nonchargeable expenses, our prior decisions approach, if they do not cross, the limit of what the First Amendment can tolerate.” 567 U.S. 298, 313-14 (2012). In the context of a procedure to collect a “Temporary Special Assessment to Create a Political Fight-Back Fund” from nonmembers (including those who previously opted out), this Court declared “This aggressive use of power... to collect fees from nonmembers... indefensible.” Id. In Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, this Court went further, stating that “Neither an agency fee nor any other payment to the union may be deducted from a nonmember’s wages, nor may any other attempt be made to collect such a payment, unless the employee affirmatively consents to pay.” 138 S.Ct. 2448, 2486 (2018). Nevertheless, notwithstanding these unambiguous pronouncements, Respondent persisted in imposing an -il“opt-out” requirement upon nonmembers, requiring an affirmative objection in order to avoid the seizure from their wages of fees exceeding the reduced fee amount authorized by Abood v. Detroit Bd. of Educ., 431 U.S. 209 (1977), overruled Janus, 138 8.Ct. at 2486. The questions presented are: 1. Maya labor union acting in concert with State officials, consistent with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, seize for union political speech payments from anemployee absent clear and compelling evidence that he knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his First Amendment right under the standard set forth in Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 464 (1938)? 2. Mayaprivate party who violates constitutional rights be immunized from liability for damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 by a profession of “good faith” reliance under color of a law before that law or practice was held unconstitutional?

Docket Entries

2022-02-28
Petition DENIED.
2022-02-09
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/25/2022.
2022-02-04
Waiver of right of respondent Betty T. Yee, Controller for the State of California to respond filed.
2022-02-03
Waiver of right of respondent Service Employees International Union, Local 1000 to respond filed.
2022-01-24
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 4, 2022)

Attorneys

Betty T. Yee, Controller for the State of California
Samuel Passchier SiegelCalifornia Department of Justice, Respondent
Samuel Passchier SiegelCalifornia Department of Justice, Respondent
Kourosh Hamidi, et al.
William James Youngc/o National Right to Work Legal Defense Fdtn., In, Petitioner
William James Youngc/o National Right to Work Legal Defense Fdtn., In, Petitioner
Service Employees International Union, Local 1000
Scott A. KronlandAltshuler Berzon, LLP, Respondent
Scott A. KronlandAltshuler Berzon, LLP, Respondent