(June 27, 2018) – Laura Penn, Executive Director of SDC, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, released the following statement on behalf of the Executive Board and membership of the Union in response to today’s Supreme Court decision on Janus vs. AFSCME:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision in Janus vs. AFSCME profoundly undermines the rights of American workers. By siding with powerful private interests who do not want workers to have the ability to collectively bargain and speak up for their safety, their livelihoods, and the lives of their families, the Court’s conservative majority has immediately expanded the divisions in this country.
“Instead of defending speech, this decision will silence millions of workers by eroding the resources which enable Unions to stand for fair compensation and benefits, workplace protections, and many fundamental rights which the Labor movement has fought so hard for since its earliest days.
“The Labor movement is not an elite group of activists; it is the workers themselves — from the person on an assembly line, to the public sector workers across the country immediately affected by this decision, to the director helming a Broadway show. It is the American worker that the Supreme Court is now letting be silenced by private interests, but we will not be silent. The directors and choreographers who make up the membership of SDC pledge solidarity and support to righting this egregious wrong.
“As workers engaged in the profession of communicating with audiences across the country, our members will use their talents, their resources, and their energies in defending workers’ rights and amplifying the voices of those who, past and present, have fought for recognition of basic human rights.
“We are committed to every Union in both the public and private sector. As our mission states, we will continue to unite, empower, and protect our members and all those who need and benefit from the essential roles of Unions in American life.”
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