Janus, like the god of the same name, has two faces. This ruling will be the most important and impactful decision on organized labor since the New Deal. And I believe labor unions will become stronger, more aggressive, more effective, and more responsive to membership. I don’t think this is a death knell…it’s a wake-up call to begin focusing on members. For far too long, public-sector unions have relied on campaign contributions and cozy relationships with “management” (elected officials and their appointees) to get things done. They will now need to be responsive to membership and fight to attract and retain members. Unions will get more aggressive as a result. It’s about more than the contract – representation, training, dispute resolution, and many other benefits. I think the private sector unions have had to battle to get and keep themselves relevant and certified for years – and this ruling doesn’t impact them directly. The public sector unions will now have to do the same. This is a wake-up call to show the value of unions to their membership – as they did before the Abood decision. Stay tuned.
“By agreeing to pay, nonmembers are waiving their First Amendment rights, and such a waiver cannot be presumed,” Alito wrote.
The 5-4 decision in Janus v. AFSCME was lambasted by unions representing the city, county, and state employees, who said it would hurt workers and degrade quality…
An enjoyable listen on Janus.
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In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (/ˈdʒeɪnəs/; Latin: IANVS (Iānus), pronounced [ˈjaː.nus]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces since he looks to the future and the past. (from Wikipedia)
