How has the Supreme Court weakened civil rights and labor laws?
Recent Supreme Court decisions have substantially eroded the force of these two important laws by leaving many workers without any protection against unfair, exploitive, and retaliatory practices by employers. Moreover, the enforcement scheme envisioned by Congress — i.e., individuals using the court system to protect their rights — has been eroded for state employees. State employees and their right to sue for money damages under FLSA In Alden v. Maine (1999) the Supreme Court dismissed a suit by a group of Maine probation officers who sued the state for refusing overtime pay as mandated by U.S. labor laws. The workers were thrown out of federal court, because the court, through a cramped interpretation of the Eleventh Amendment, said citizens cannot sue a state agency for back pay. This ruling leaves state employees without adequate protection against employer abuses of federal labor laws. State employees and age discrimination The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protec
