Court temporarily blocks anti-union law in North Carolina, but fight isn’t over for farm workers

Agriculture is one of the biggest, most powerful industries in North Carolina. But its corporate and political backers just lost the first round of a legal battle with the industry’s lowest-paid workers. Last year the N.C. General Assembly passed a law that, in part, made it illegal for farms and unions to negotiate settlements involving union contracts. It also made it illegal for farm workers to directly transfer parts of their paycheck to the union as dues. A federal judge blocked the law from taking effect — at least temporarily — as the lawsuit continues winding its way through the court system.