“For 35 years I have worked for New York State and belonged to a union … I was a shop steward and a delegate to the (union’s) convention for the last 12 years. During my time ‘on the inside’ I learned much about how (the union) spends our dues. I found that most of the dues is spent on things that few union members would support if they knew about them. For 35 years I was forced to pay dues to (a government union), most of which was wasted. But thanks to a decision last year by the U.S. Supreme Court I was given a choice.” — Anonymous worker to New Choice New York

Just one year ago, the anonymous worker quoted above—and more than five million government employees nationwide—effectively had no choice when it came to paying a union. It was either pay up—or lose your job.

But that all changed on June 27, 2018, when the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in the monumental Janus v. AFSCME case. Since then, public sector workers have had the freedom to truly choose if they want to pay and belong to a union. Ruling in favor of Illinois child support specialist Mark Janus, the Court said government workers may no longer be forced to pay money to a union just so they can earn a living.

In the year following the Janus v. AFSCME decision, many workers have come forward to join the likes of Mark Janus, and his predecessor, Rebecca Friedrichs, in publicly supporting worker rights and workplace freedom. They have made the courageous choice to stand up to the most powerful unions in the country on behalf of themselves and coworkers.

Among them are workers like:

• Pennsylvania income maintenance caseworker Shalea Oliver, who is suing her union for continuing to collect dues from her paycheck even after she resigned membership following the Janus ruling.
  
• Jade Thompson, an Ohio teacher who didn’t want to pay union dues after learning the union was spending that money to publicly attack her husband, who was running for office at the time. Now, Thompson is suing her local teachers union to end laws that force her and other public employees to accept exclusive representation from the union, even if they no longer wish to be members.
  
• New Jersey nurse Jody Lutter, who was told she could only exercise her right to leave the union during a 10-day period. She’s now suing to be released from the union and ensure her rights and the rights of other public employees are protected year-round.
  
• Former Pennsylvania social worker and union shop steward Francisco Molina, who faced extreme harassment from his union after trying to leave. The intimidation eventually cost him his job, and he’s now fighting his former union in court to protect workers’ freedom to resign membership any time of year.
  
• Bethany Mendez, a special education teacher in California whose union has not let her and others out since the Janus v. AFSCME decision. She’s now the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit seeking to uphold the piece of the decision that says workers must affirmatively consent to belonging in a union, meaning they understand that dues are voluntary and that they are waiving their First Amendment rights by continuing membership. 
  
• Brooklyn College Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences David E. Seidemann, who worked without a contract for six years because his union failed to negotiate one. After taking the union to court, he learned the union wasn’t spending $1.60 of his money on political causes—it was spending $178. He now encourages other workers to find out how their unions are spending their money.
  
• Aaron Benner, a Minnesota educator proud of his union roots who witnessed first-hand that not all unions work to serve their members after his union failed to support him when he was physically assaulted by a student.

Countless other workers have made the courageous choice to speak out publicly in favor of workplace freedom. They have chosen to spread the word to friends and colleagues, even knowing that doing so may open them up to criticism and harassment.

Network education efforts are supporting workers who want to exercise their rights

Thanks to the tireless nationwide educational efforts that dozens of SPN member think tanks have spearheaded, hundreds of thousands of workers who had been forced to pay unions against their will have already been freed from paying and have seen their First Amendment rights to free speech and association restored. For decades, government unions were allowed to free ride off workers who wished for nothing more than to do their jobs and support their families. Now, only workers who see value in union membership and want to belong must pay.

However, many workers still don’t know about the Janus v. AFSCME decision and what it means for them. Millions are trapped in the system, thanks to massive advocacy efforts and deceptive tactics from government unions and their allies. They are relying on colleagues and the people of this Network to inform them of their rights and to defend them when the union or government prevents them from exercising their freedom.

Learn more about the options for workers

Click here for more information on education efforts in your state and resources to help workers exercise their First Amendment rights.

Authored by: James Pinedo

Marketing Manager · State Policy Network