ALL IN: Building Union Power

What Is the Janus case?

What Is Janus?

Janus v. AFSCME is a case before the U.S. Supreme Court backed by corporate CEOs and billionaires who are trying to weaken public-sector unions. The lead plaintiff in the case is an Illinois social worker who doesn’t want to pay any union dues or fees. A decision in his favor — and against the interests of unionized working men and women — is expected soon.

Why are we focused on this case?

The Janus case is part of a larger corporate-backed campaign to undo union power across the country. We need to be prepared for both an immediate and a prolonged fight to protect our rights. There are already 28 states where legislatures have passed so-called Right-to-Work laws in an attempt to weaken unions. However, with deep member involvement in our union, we have an opportunity to grow our power.

What is the current law?

No one is required to join a union. However, under the current system based on a 40-year-old Supreme Court decision, all public employees who work in a unionized workplace can be required to pay a fair-share fee (also known as an agency fee) toward the cost of negotiating and maintaining the contract from which all employees benefit.

How would unions be affected by overturning current law?

If Janus prevails, then the fair-share fee requirement would be eliminated. All employees, whether they pay dues or not, would receive all the collective bargaining rights afforded to dues-paying members. Union members would be targeted by campaigns urging them to drop their memberships. The goal of these campaigns is to weaken unions and silence the voices of working men and women.

What is the goal of Janus backers?

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and other corporate-funded groups behind this lawsuit want management to have unfettered rights to determine pay, benefits and working conditions. We know from experience that weaker unions lead to lower compensation. For example, since public employee unions were gutted in Wisconsin in 2011, median pay and benefits for teachers has declined by $10,842.

What is the MTA doing in response to Janus?

The MTA is fighting back by organizing to protect the power of our members and the public good. This includes developing leaders and encouraging members to be active at the local, state and national levels in support of the public schools and colleges our students, our members and our communities deserve.