Service Employees International Union, Local 3 Rachel Canning Velvet Hazard v. Municipality of Mt. Lebanon

**Union Wins Right to Visit Workers at Their Homes** This case involved a dispute between the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon over a local law that restricted door-to-door activities. The union wanted to visit workers at their homes to discuss union membership and workplace issues, but Mt. Lebanon had passed an ordinance that severely limited when and how people could go door-to-door in residential neighborhoods. The union challenged this ordinance in court, arguing it violated their free speech rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Initially, a lower court sided with Mt. Lebanon and dismissed the case. However, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this decision in 2006, ruling in favor of the union. The appeals court found that the union had the right to challenge the ordinance and that Mt. Lebanon's restrictions were unconstitutional because they violated freedom of speech protections. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This ruling protects unions' ability to reach workers where they live to share information about workplace rights, organizing efforts, and union benefits. It prevents local governments from using overly broad ordinances to block legitimate union communication with workers, ensuring that employees have access to information about their rights to organize and join unions.