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The Supreme Court has been terrible for women all year – and that is with Anthony Kennedy, the conservative swing vote, on the bench. Now that he is retiring, the court's constant assault on women's economic and reproductive rights is on the verge of becoming a total war
The stakes are now life and death. Any judge appointed by President Donald Trump will surely be anti-abortion, as Trump promised. The path to reverse Roe v. Wade seems more certain than ever, causing fears in the background or even self-induced abortions to be feared.
"It's a really dramatic moment where we have to keep our eyes on the next step," said Sunu Chandy, legal director of the National Women's Center, echoing the concerns of a myriad of groups progressives who are afraid of what will happen. and prepare to fight.
Still, it's worth looking at the damage that Kennedy and her conservative male colleagues have already inflicted on women this year – by beating their wallets, the Me Too movement and health rights . It reminds how dangerous this situation is and how much remains to be done before going to the bottom
Kennedy joined the Conservatives of the Court on three opinions of 2018 that were particularly damaging to women.
Janus c. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees the court hindered public unions, ruling that members should not pay any dues if they disagree with their union politically. Trade union membership is a path to economic security for many workers, but especially for minorities and women – women make up 55 percent of unionized public sector workers, according to data from the National Women's Law . Center
Women in unions who work full time earn 30% more than women who are not, according to data compiled by the Institute for Research on Women's Policies. Hispanic women see the biggest gains from union membership; those who are not unionized earn only $ 565 per week on average, compared to $ 829 per week for their counterparts, according to IWPR. This represents a salary increase of 47%.
When women and people of color have unions to negotiate their wages, the likelihood of wage discrimination drops dramatically, Chandy said. The pay gap between men and women has long been lower than for non-unionized workers. Just like the racial pay gap.
The Janus decision was just the latest in a decades-long conservative labor attack on behalf of the nation's largest corporations.
But unions argue for more than good wages for workers, according to Chandy. This means better health care and retirement programs, safer workplaces, more protections for disabled workers, and more equitable or predictable hours – an issue of particular importance to working mothers.
IWPR
The eve of the decision Janus in another decision 5-4, conservatives of the court ruled that the so-called pregnancy centers of crisis, usually led by Christian opponents of abortion mask as health professionals, they were not obliged to tell women who were seeking medical information about the availability of reproductive health services.
The decision is an indication of what will happen next year, if Trump makes his way and puts an opponent to abortion. bench.
And last month, in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, the court ripped off the right of many workers to band together with their colleagues and sue a company for violation of wages, discrimination or other workplace. grievances. According to the decision, employees who have signed arbitration agreements are required to go to secret courtrooms outside the justice system where each employee must plead his case individually.
Many workers do not even care, allowing businesses to get away with all kinds of discrimination and abuse, including stealing wages. The decision was a blow to the Me Too movement making it more difficult for harassed women to meet up and meet to pursue justice in the courtroom.
With the Epic decision, the Conservative Judges – led by Neil Gorsuch – have once again demonstrated that they sit in the anti-labor and pro-bank wing of the bench. And this wing is sure to stay strong with the addition of another conservative judge to replace Kennedy. It's bad for women, minorities, low-wage workers – almost everyone who is already at a disadvantage in this economy.
"When you have a pro-business approach, it will negatively affect women who already have less power in the economy," said Kate Bahn, an economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. those who face historical socio-political imbalances, including people of color, adds R.
It should be noted that economic equality for women and access to reproduction are intimately When states enact restrictive abortion laws, for example, it is poor women who are most likely to lose their access.
For example, even if you are a low-income woman lucky enough to have Medicaid, your abortion may not be covered by government insurance if you live in the bad state.
If you are lucky enough to be a worker in a union, you are much more likely to be ## 147 ## 39; have good health insurance. Seventy-seven percent of unionized women are covered, compared with just over half of non-union women, according to IWPR
Certainly, whoever chooses Trump will continue the conservative tradition of wallowing workers in favor of women. companies, putting in What could be a more damning condemnation of the so-called "right to life" movement that a Supreme Court that rolls Roe v. Wade, essentially forcing women to have children, then pulls the rug off of them when they go to work to support their children.
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