New York City Transit Authority v. State
Mary Myers, a Seventh Day Adventist, was terminated from her employment by the Transit Authority for her refusal to work on Saturdays due to religious observance. Despite the Transit Authority's attempts to accommodate her, the Transport Workers Union's collective bargaining agreement, which prioritized seniority for work assignments and days off, prevented such accommodation without waiving other employees' seniority rights. The Commissioner of Human Rights found Ms. Myers' religious convictions sincere. However, the court, citing precedent regarding union seniority systems, annulled the administrative determination that had supported Ms. Myers. Justice Rubin, in a concurring opinion, criticized the legal framework that exempts union seniority systems from civil rights statutes, arguing for a joint employer and union obligation to reasonably accommodate religious beliefs, especially for quasi-public entities.