EP 176 PUBLIC UNIONS DEALT A SEVERE BLOW BY THE SUPREME COURT
In states friendly to public sector unions, the members have had benefits few others in our society, unionized or not, have retained. These include good wages, great health benefits and pensions. The United States Supreme Court recently ruled in the Janus v. AFSCME case that agency fees are unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Twenty-two states had compelled all government workers to pay agency fees, or partial dues, to the union that represented them in contract negotiations. These fees kept union membership, and dollars, flowing. But, did they force someone to pay for a form of speech they opposed? By a 5-4 vote, the Court said ‘yes’. Now, this isn’t the end of collective bargaining for government employees, but how might it change the landscape of union organizing and politics in America? After all, these union, particularly teachers, have been a force at all levels of government. Nat Malkus, of the American Enterprise Institute, joins us to play out various scenarios going forward.
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