LJC In The News
Illinois Man at Heart of Supreme Court Case Continues Fight
(The News Gazette)—Public employees across the country no longer are being forced to pay fees to unions they don’t support. They can thank Illinois’ Mark Janus and others like him for their newfound freedom. Janus was a former child support specialist for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services....
After Supreme Court’s ‘Janus’ decision, Pa. is Hub for Anti-Union Lawsuits
(Philadelphia Inquirer)—Shalea Oliver had been trying to leave her union for more than a year when she found a website offering help. It had a template resignation letter that she could send to her union, SEIU Local 668, and a form to fill out if the letter wasn’t effective, which...
Mark Janus, the Man Who Ended Compulsory Union Dues
(National Review)—An average guy, provoked enough, can accomplish things that are above average. Mark Janus is such a guy. Provoked by what he believed was a bald violation of his First Amendment rights, he took action to see them protected. And he prevailed. Big time, as an average guy might...
4 Lebanon County Employees Sue Over Forced Union Dues
(Lebanon Daily News)—Four Lebanon County employees are suing the county and a union they say required them to pay dues after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed that practice. “Our clients have repeatedly made it clear to Lebanon County and Teamsters Local 429 that they do not consent to the deduction...
County Faces Lawsuit over Alleged Unauthorized Deduction of Union Dues
(LebTown)—Four Lebanon County employees have filed a federal complaint (PDF) against the county and Teamsters Local 429 for unauthorized deductions of union dues from their paychecks. The lawsuit stems from a June 2018 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that significantly weakened the power of public sector...
Unions Kept Collecting Dues After Workers Resigned
(The Center Square)—Pennsylvania lawmakers were warned last fall that if the state didn’t amend its laws to comply with the terms of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Janus v. AFSCME ruling, the result could be a host of legal complications. That warning is now ringing true. The nonprofit Liberty Justice...
Chicago Alderman Wants “Robot Tax”
(Illinois Policy Institute)—As Amazon considers pulling its HQ2 out of New York City, Chicago is considering imposing a “robot tax” on companies looking to automate their way around high labor costs. Chicago would impose a “robot tax” on companies as a penalty for automating, under a proposal that may soon...
Illinois School Employee Sues for Refund of Union Dues
(Daily Herald)—Citing a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision from last summer, a Palatine Township Elementary District 15 diesel mechanic is suing his former union and the district for a refund of dues he says he paid unwillingly. Erich Mandel, a Palatine resident, contends in the federal lawsuit that he had...
21 Policy Groups Back Lawsuit to End Forced Union Representation
(The Daily Signal)—In what could be the largest labor-related case since Janus v. AFSCME, policy groups from around the country are expressing support for a lawsuit that would prohibit forced representation from public sector unions. The lawsuit, litigated by the Ohio-based, free-market Buckeye Institute, received support from 21 different policy...
Janus Didn’t Settle Union Dues Question After All, LJC Attorney Says
(North Cook News)—Would-be nonunion members who thought the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision had codified their right not to pay compulsory collective bargaining dues are discovering the unions have an out, according to a lawsuit filed last month. Jeffrey Schwab, senior attorney at Liberty Justice Center, heads the legal team...
Palatine School Worker Sues Union, Saying He’s Forced to Pay Dues Despite Supreme Court Ruling That Bars Practice
(The Chicago Tribune)—A northwest suburban school employee is suing his labor union, saying he’s being blocked from opting out of membership despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year that barred public unions from requiring government employees to pay dues. Erich Mandel, a diesel mechanic from Palatine, claims in the...
Workers Say Unions Defying Janus Ruling, Threaten New Court Action
(Fox News)—Despite the landmark Supreme Court ruling this summer barring public-sector unions from requiring nonmembers to pay so-called agency fees, workers in several states say unions are either flat-out ignoring the decision or establishing a frustrating maze of procedural roadblocks to avoid compliance. The June decision in Janus v. AFSCME...
Mass. Unions Say Janus Decision Having Little Effect So Far
(Boston Business Journal)—When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that unions can no longer collect fees from non-members, unions and their advocates slammed the decision as an attack on working people. Many labor rights activists warned the decision could seriously diminish the power of unions. Two months later, the decision does...
Group Warns of Union Dues Lawsuit
(The Salem News)—A conservative group is threatening to sue state and local officials if they don’t stop collecting union dues and agency fees from workers’ paychecks. In letters to Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and other officials, the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center called on...
Janus Lawyers Threaten Lawsuit over Union Dues in Oregon
(Chicago Sun Times)—A Chicago-based conservative group is threatening to sue Oregon government officials if they don’t stop collecting union dues and agency fees from workers’ paychecks, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The Liberty Justice Center has sent cease-and-desist letters to state officials, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The nonprofit helped represent an Illinois...