The excerpt below is from an article by Ronnie Wachter that appeared December 30, 2015, in the Chicago Tribune.
Officials in Lincolnshire are aware of the possibility that a new union ordinance could soon face a legal challenge, and both sides are gearing up for a fight.
The Illinois chapter of the AFL-CIO — one of the largest union organizations in the nation — is considering a potential lawsuit following Lincolnshire’s Dec. 14 vote that established an ordinance which allows some union members to opt out of paying union dues.
Spokesman Bill Looby sent out a news release this month from chapter president Michael Carrigan, saying, in part: “The elected officials of Lincolnshire did not advance the cause of their residentsMonday. They acted outside the law with this politically-motivated ordinance. We are exploring all options with our legal counsel.”
Looby said in a phone interview that he did not know when the chapter would make a decision, or a filing.
“That’s just not something that gets taken care of in a matter of hours,” he said.”Nothing legal happens quickly.”
The Liberty Justice Center, a conservative thinktank in Chicago, will represent Lincolnshire for free, if need be. The group’s senior attorney, Jacob Huebert, said they would be ready to respond if the AFL-CIO or another group acts quickly.
“The Liberty Justice Center is prepared to defend Lincolnshire’s ordinance against the unions’ legal challenge, whenever it comes,” Huebert wrote in an email.
Read the full article in the Chicago Tribune.
