In the wake of the monumental decision by the Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME declaring Agency Fee payments to be unconstitutional, we wanted to make sure you know we are continuing to engage in our work in order to best represent you. As always, we remain committed to bargaining on your behalf and defending the contract and rights we have won since our inception.
In the 1977 Abood v. Detroit Board of Education case, the Supreme Court ruled that employees represented by a union-including nonmembers-should pay agency fees to compensate the union for bargaining contracts and other services. The Court overturned a precedent that for more than 40 years had recognized the ability of unions to collect "fair share" fees.
In the wake of this anti-union ruling by the United States Supreme Court, we have already begun to see a full-court press by groups like the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity and the National Right to Work Committee. They are sending out blast emails and calling to urge our members to resign their membership. Unions remain the most effective vehicle for working people to secure their rights and freedoms, and they help provide a pathway to the middle class.
Now is the time to stay in the fight. Together, in unions across the country, we are continuing the fight for our values -decent pay, safe
workplaces and fair treatment - our fundamental rights and our future.
As the ramifications of the decision become clear as the legal process moves forward, we will continue to communicate with you about how our union will be impacted. We will continue to represent you and fight for fair and honest contracts in the hope all of you will remain in solidarity with us.
