Posted on 06/30/2014 2:54:34 PM PDT by jazusamo
An Illinois woman who took her fight against one of the nation's most powerful unions all the way to the Supreme Court and won, said all she ever wanted was to care for her ailing son.
Pam Harris, the lead plaintiff in the landmark Harris v. Quinn case, in which the high court ruled people who care for loved ones in their home can't be compelled to join the Service Employees International Union, said the ruling was a victory for her son Josh, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder.
"It means no third party intrusion, it means that there's not going to be a union contract inserted between my son and I, there's not going to be union rules and regulations dictating how I can provide the care that Josh needs," she said.
Harris is the primary caregiver for her 25-year-old son, who suffers from Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome. His illness has left him mentally and physically disabled and in need of ‘round the clock care at his home in Winthrop Harbor, Ill.
“We feed him, help him wash his face, shave him, brush his teeth,” she said.
The family receives a Medicaid check each month for approximately $1,300 to care for Josh, but its "not nearly enough" to pay for all his medical bills and other needs. In order to receive that check, under state law, the Harris family must undergo eleven visits per year by state employees checking on Josh’s welfare, be required to submit monthly summaries detailing care on a time sheet and provide specific information about Josh’s care.
And, until Monday's ruling, join a union.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
And another thing. She receives $1300 from the state in Medicaid and is considered a state employee healthcare worker. $1300 a month is $15,600 a year, or $300 a week, or $7.50 an hour for a 40 hour week. Minimum wage in Illinois is $8.25. I'd sue over that as well.
“Wow. I’m totally in favor of the government not butting in and dictating medical care to families. It does seem to be another situation where the SC has finally said “enough already” with government over-reach.”
When you take government money you loose your freedom.
Try something like getting a CPAP machine through Medicare. If you do, you will find that it has a transmitter that the government monitors to see just how many hours a day you use it. And if you don’t “measure up,” they will take it away! Big Brother has landed!
So do nursing homes. In this case they would likely get about $8K or more a month. I would say likely more based on level of care needed.
Yep...She and other parents like her are saving the state a lot of dollars by taking on the care of these disabled people.
It blows me away that unions got the legislature to pass the bill and the Gov to sign it even though it is Illinois.
Why the hell does every other headline these days have to contain the word “mom.” Sheesh. I see, read, and hear the word “mom” more in my middle age years than I did when I was a child.
I have a relative who’s on Medicaid disability and know exactly what you mean. He gets the medical treatment they want him to have, when they decide to give it to him. It’s a “once you enter you can never leave” situation. I wonder if he would perhaps have been better off working thriough his medical difficulties with life-style changes...take the risk up front and stay independent.
This is a real victory against evil.
The really good news is that she (and thousands of other victims of this sham ) will be able to sue the SEIU for recovery of those dues already stolen from them.
BUMP
You are soooo right. OSHA has union guys going on safety inspections in non-union companies and you’d be surprised how many problems they find.
Forcing them to join a union is not one of those lost freedoms though.
A blow against the Uniones. God bless Pam Harris for all she has gone through.
I think they view it as personal against Obama.
I don’t think they give a tinker’s darn about the law.
This doesn’t affect the government’s butting in. IL will continue to have its inspections and paperwork. She is, after all, collecting a benefit from the government for the care of her son, and they are entitled to see how the taxpayers’ funds are being earned.
It’s the unions that will no longer be collecting forced dues from Ms. Harris (and others who care for family members on this program) under the ruse that she’s a “government employee.”
>> “My only regret is that the ruling appears not to extend to all public employees.” <<
.
Worry not!
One of the more conservative appellate circuits will soon have an opportunity to do exactly that, using Alito’s comments as a guide.
.
Not an amazing woman, just the National Right to Work Foundation doing its stuff diligently.
>> “She beats the SEIU union in Illinois yet!” <<
.
The National Right to Work Foundation beat the SEIU.
(with the money donated by a million little guys)
.
This needed to go to SCOTUS?
Really?
The fact that this is not self-evident to everyone shows just how deranged and out of control the statists and union thugs are.
True that, it’s nothing more than common sense to normal people but of course leftists are NOT normal people.
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