LJC In The News
Downers Grove Man Sues Over New Village Ban on Painted Wall Signs
(The Chicago Tribune)—A Downers Grove business owner is hoping the painted wall signs that have advertised his business for decades will not be allowed to fade away, but whether his current signs stay or go may now depend entirely on the results of his lawsuit against the village. The village...
Kent State Custodians Sue to Stop University from Withholding Union Dues from Paychecks
(Cleveland.com)—Three Kent State University workers sued the university and a labor union Monday, saying the university continues to deduct dues from their paychecks even though they withdrew from the labor organization following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year. Annamarie Hannay, Adda Gape and John Kohl, who all work as...
Special Ed Teacher Suing to Leave California Union
(Fox News)—A California educator is battling a state teachers’ union over his problems leaving the organization, in what his attorneys say could be a precedent-setting legal case that ultimately forces labor unions across the country to reimburse billions in back dues to their members. Tommy Few, a special education teacher...
Special Ed Teacher Suing California Union in Case that Could Cost Labor Big
(Fox News)—A California educator is battling a state teachers’ union over his problems leaving the organization, in what his attorneys say could be a precedent-setting legal case that ultimately forces labor unions across the country to reimburse billions in back dues to their members. Tommy Few, a special education teacher...
Sweeping Class-Action Lawsuit Could Force Unions Nationwide to Refund Millions in Fees
(Fox News)—A massive class-action lawsuit filed in Illinois on Wednesday could force unions to refund hundreds of millions of dollars in agency fees paid by thousands of workers nationwide prior to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling last year in Janus v. AFSCME. That June 2018 decision barred public-sector unions from...
Kent State Custodians Sue to Stop University from Withholding Union Dues from Paychecks
(Cleveland.com)—Three Kent State University workers sued the university and a labor union Monday, saying the university continues to deduct dues from their paychecks even though they withdrew from the labor organization following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year. Annamarie Hannay, Adda Gape and John Kohl, who all work as...
Even after Janus Ruling, Issues with Organized Labor Persist
(Philadelphia Inquirer)—I recently sued my union. It’s not something I ever expected to do. But I also never thought an organization that claims to champion workers’ rights would deny me the opportunity to exercise mine. I’ve been working as an income maintenance caseworker for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 2014....
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...