Southwest flight attendant awarded $5M after firing over abortion stance

[Chris]

The union supports abortion, the non-union but still dues-paying flight attendant criticized them, she was fired, she sued and won.

Note: Court opinion can be found at link.

Southwest flight attendant awarded $5M after firing over abortion stance

A federal jury in Texas has awarded a former Southwest flight attendant more than $5 million after the airline fired her over her stance on abortion in a lawsuit dating back to 2017.

The reward in combined compensatory and punitive damages comes after the Transportation Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 556 union and Southwest fired Charlene Carter for her religious stance on abortion, which she publicized on social media.

"Today is a victory for freedom of speech and religious beliefs. Flight attendants should have a voice and nobody should be able to retaliate against a flight attendant for engaging in protected speech against her union," Carter told FOX Business in a Friday statement. "I am so humbled and thankful for today’s decision and for everyone who’s supported me these past five years, including the National Right to Work Foundation."

..."No American worker should have to fear termination, intimidation, or any other reprisal merely for speaking out against having their own money spent, purportedly in their name, to promote an agenda they find abhorrent," said Mark Mix, president of National Right to Work Foundation, which offered pro-bono legal representation to Carter.

Mix added that "even with this basic right" to dissent from the union's ideas "under the Railway Labor Act successfully defended, however, TWU union officials still enjoy the enormous government-granted privilege of being able to force airline workers to financially subsidize their activities as a condition of employment."

"While we’re proud to stand with Ms. Carter and are pleased by the verdict, there ultimately should be no place in American labor law for compelling workers to fund a private organization that violates their core beliefs," he continued....

[DGUtley]

That is an interesting verdict. The Court of Appeals should have a fun time with this one.

[donttread]

The union supports abortion, the non-union but still dues-paying flight attendant criticized them, she was fired, she sued and won.

Note: Court opinion can be found at link.

Southwest flight attendant awarded $5M after firing over abortion stance

Maybe the return of conservative free speech?

[blackjack21]

I imagine SCOTUS would likely uphold this finding if the appellate court overturns it. People aren't protected for political speech in employment, but they most certainly are protected for religious speech. It does appear that she was terminated for her beliefs and for being outspoken about them. While I don't think the people who put those laws in place were trying to protect fundamentalist Christians, the law applies equally in the United States of America.

[Chris]

That is an interesting verdict. The Court of Appeals should have a fun time with this one.

It is an interesting case in that she shouldn't have to pay union dues to support their political opinions.

[countryboy]

I imagine SCOTUS would likely uphold this finding if the appellate court overturns it. People aren't protected for political speech in employment, but they most certainly are protected for religious speech. It does appear that she was terminated for her beliefs and for being outspoken about them. While I don't think the people who put those laws in place were trying to protect fundamentalist Christians, the law applies equally in the United States of America.

What are "fundamentalist Christians", and how do they differ from other Christians?

[DGUtley]

It is an interesting case in that she shouldn't have to pay union dues to support their political opinions.

I thought SCOTUS dealt with this a few years ago.

[Chris]

I thought SCOTUS dealt with this a few years ago.

Looked it up and according to The Use of Labor Union Dues For Political Purposes "Seven Supreme Court decisions have held that union dues exacted from dissenting non-members may not to be used for political and ideological purposes and must be expeditiously refunded to dissenting non-members according to proper procedural safeguards: (1) International Association of Machinists v. Street, 367 U.S. 740 (1961); (2) Railway Clerks v. Allen, 373 U.S. 113 (1963); (3) Abood v. District Board of Education, 431 U.S. 209 (1977); (4) Ellis v. Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, 466 U.S. 435 (1984); (5) Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson, 475 U.S. 292 (1986); (6) Communications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 (1988); and Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association, 500 U.S. 507 (1991)."

[carolina73]

How could a union fire her?

or

Why would an airline fire her because of a conflict with her own union?

[Chris]

How could a union fire her?

or

Why would an airline fire her because of a conflict with her own union?

The Factual Allegations in the opinion state: "Carter started her employment as a flight attendant at Southwest in September 1996, and worked in that position until March 14, 2017, when Southwest terminated her employment, following its investigation of a complaint that Local 556 President Audrey Stone filed against Carter."