workers rights Archives - Liberty Justice Center

National Employee Freedom Week: 6 Janus Rights Every Government Employee Should Know

August 2022

August 14-20, 2022 marks National Employee Freedom Week, a national celebration of government employees rights regarding union membership. Government workers’ First Amendment rights were restored in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that union membership was optional and workers could...

‘Excessive Engagement in Politics’ Causing Mass Exodus From Nation’s Largest Labor Unions: Analysts – The Epoch Times

According to a survey of 3,000 potential union members conducted in 2021, "excessive engagement in politics is the number one obstacle" preventing them from joining a union

Appeals panel says states can make lawyers join the bar based on ‘undermined’ law, but SCOTUS might say ‘no’ – Cook County Record

The appeals court said membership helps uphold standards in the legal profession. However, the court noted the U.S. Supreme Court, in light of its recent decisions, might rule against the state of Wisconsin if the case is presented to it.

What are Janus Rights? 6 Things Every Government Employee Should Know About Their Rights

April 2022

Employees of local, state or federal government entities have "Janus Rights" - the right to decide whether they want to join a public union.

Sachen v. Illinois State Board of Elections

Illinois is a union state. Public sector unions hold a tight grip on politicians, state and local budgets, and even dictate whether kids can go to school in person. Illinoisans who have been working hard to fight against the union power monopoly are now facing...

UMass law professor sues to end Massachusetts law giving unions ‘exclusive representation’

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth law professor Richard Peltz-Steele filed a federal lawsuit against UMass Faculty Federation, the university president and state officials to defend his right to free speech and freedom of association.

Peltz-Steele v. UMass Faculty Federation

Peltz-Steele is a Chancellor Professor at the University of Massachusetts School of Law at Dartmouth is fighting Massachusetts’ illegal mandate that the faculty union can exclusively represent him in all in salary negotiations, grievance procedures and other matters.

U.S. Supreme Court Schedules Conference in Followup to Landmark Janus Case – The Center Square

In a major victory for First Amendment rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 27, 2018 in Janus v. AFSCME that non-union government workers cannot be required to pay union fees as a condition of working in public service. This landmark case restores the First...

‘Principle of It’: Mark Janus Fights to Get Union Dues Back After Supreme Court Win – The Washington Times

The excerpt below is from an article by James Varney that appeared May 31, 2020, on The Washington Times. The 2018 ruling known simply as Janus freed nonunion public employees from being forced to pay union dues, which the unions called “fees.” Mr. Janus...

Janus lawyers applaud Texas Attorney General for new opinion siding with public employees’ rights

In a new opinion built on the rights secured for public-sector workers in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME ruling, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton affirms the right of Texas public employees to make a free choice whether or not to join or remain in...

Two new class action lawsuits in Minnesota seek nearly $19 million in returned union fees

The unions, AFSCME Council 5 and Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) collected fees for years from workers who did not want to join a union.

Public Employees Sue Unions for $19 Million in Post-Janus Case – The Center Square

The federal class-action lawsuit, Brown v. AFSCME Council 5, seeks to recover fees paid by 8,000 Minnesota state and local workers to the union prior to the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandatory fees to the union were unconstitutional. The federal class-action lawsuit, Fellows...

Two New Class Action Lawsuits in Minnesota Seek Nearly $19 Million in Returned Union Fees – NRTW

MINNEAPOLIS (May 11, 2020) – Today, six Minnesota state employees sued two of the state’s largest government unions for an estimated recovery of $19 million in union fees paid by state and local employees. The two class action lawsuits claim that because the U.S. Supreme...

Court Rules in Favor of Law Firm Challenging Cuomo’s Executive Order Withholding Public Employee Information – The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A public interest law firm linked to the high-profile Janus v. ASCME case received another recent favorable ruling in a lawsuit concerning the accessibility of public employee information in New York. In November, the Liberty Justice Center filed the lawsuit, Suhr v....

Brown v. AFSCME Council 5

AFSCME Council 5 collected fees for years from workers who did not want to join a union. The lawsuit against AFSCME may net as much as $13 million in recovered fees for 8,000 state and local workers who paid fees to the union prior to...

Fellows v. MAPE

Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) collected fees for years from workers who did not want to join a union. The lawsuit against MAPE could recover as much as $5.8 million for state employees.

Presta v. Cook County Teachers Union

South Suburban College and Cook County Teachers Union refused to stop deducting money from the paychecks of five South Suburban College public safety officers. With the help of attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center, the nonprofit law firm that represented plaintiff Mark Janus in Janus...

Non-Union Pa. State Government Worker Files Class-Action Lawsuit Demanding Refund of Union Fees – Penn Live

A state Department of Human Services income maintenance supervisor filed a federal class action lawsuit against a large state government employee union seeking to reclaim the union fees she and more than 2,000 other non-union commonwealth social service employees were forced to pay.

Teacher Sues Waukegan District 60, Teachers Union, Argues She Wasn’t Informed of First Amendment Rights Under Janus – The Chicago Tribune

The legal clinic behind the Supreme Court case that found the requirement that public employees pay “fair share” union dues violated their First Amendment speech rights, has filed another lawsuit on behalf of a Waukegan District 60 teacher. The lawsuit, filed by Liberty Justice Center...

Chicago area teacher sues union, school district for withholding information about her rights and forcing her to pay union dues

Teacher was told she'd be charged union dues even if she was not a member – a practice ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court

Ramon Baro v. Lake County Federation of Teachers

Ariadna Ramon Baro is from Spain and is in her first year of a three-year cultural exchange program teaching at Waukegan High School. After arriving in the United States in summer 2019, she attended an orientation run by officials from the Waukegan Community Unit School...

Alaska Workers Sue State, Union Over Alleged Janus Violation – The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Two state employees filed a federal lawsuit against the Alaska State Employees Association/AFSCME Local 52 and Kelly Tshibaka, in her official capacity as Commissioner of Administration for the state of Alaska, alleging they violated the provisions established by the Supreme Court Janus...

After Janus Ruling, Worker Asks Supreme Court for Return of Paid Union Dues – Washington Times

The Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision was a landmark in labor law, but now the namesake in the case would like the justices to go further. The high court ruled in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees that public-sector employees cannot...

Alaska workers sue union, state after being forced to pay union dues

(March 2020) Two state employees have filed a federal lawsuit against the state and the Alaska State Employee Association for forcing them to pay union dues against their will.

Creed v. ASEA

Two Alaska state employees have filed a federal lawsuit against the Alaska State Employee Association and the state for forcing them to pay union dues against their will. In fall 2019, the Alaska governor issued an administrative order to ensure no government employee paid union...

State Workers Sue Union over Forced Union Dues – Must Read Alaska

Two Alaska state employees filed a lawsuit against the State of Alaska and the Alaska State Employees Association today for forcing them to pay union dues against their will. According to the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court ruling, union dues cannot be deducted from state employees’ paychecks...

Wednesday Round-Up – SCOTUSblog

At The Hill (via How Appealing), Harper Neidig reports that Mark Janus, “[a]n anti-union advocate who won a landmark Supreme Court case two years ago[,] is now asking the court to order a public sector labor group to pay back the union dues that it...

Janus, Whose Case Ended Mandatory Union Fees, Wants Supreme Court’s Help Getting Money Back – Fox News

The plaintiff whose 2018 case led to a Supreme Court ruling that mandatory public union agency fees for nonmembers were unconstitutional is now asking the high court to force the union that represented him to return a portion of the money it collected before that decision. In this...

Mark Janus asks Supreme Court to hear case seeking return of unconstitutional forced union fees

(March 9, 2020) Victory in this case could open the door to hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds for other government employees.

Union Foe Janus Wants High Court Return in Fee Dispute – Law 360

The ex-Illinois state worker who persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to let public-sector workers refuse to fund their unions urged the high court Monday to review a ruling that his union doesn’t have to return the possibly millions of dollars in fees it collected over...

Janus Wants Round Two at the Supreme Court on Union Fees – Bloomberg Law

High court forbid mandatory fees in 2018 Unions have thus far won in fee refund cases A former Illinois government worker asked the U.S. Supreme Court to force a union to refund the money he paid in mandatory fees prior to the high court’s...

Commentary: While Missouri Seeks to Free Public Employees, Illinois Traps Them with Pro-Union Law – The Chicago Tribune

What’s the best way to protect government workers? Don’t ask Illinois. Late last year, the Land of Lincoln passed a law that severely limits government workers’ freedom. It restricts their ability to opt out of union membership, despite clear guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court....

In Kent State labor case, employees’ rights to resign from union reaffirmed in settlement

(February 2020) The Buckeye Institute and Liberty Justice Center score another victory for public employees.

Capital Research Center: Workers Seeking Retroactive Refunds

February 2020

Some proponents of the right-to-work movement now argue in court that laws requiring government workers to either join a union or pay “fair-share” fees as nonmembers were illegal from the start.

After Years of Paying Illegal Union Fees, Government Workers Seek Refunds – The Daily Signal

After successfully leading a nationwide charge against government-sanctioned union mandates, Mark Janus could end up back before the Supreme Court. In a continuation of his legal case, the former child support specialist for the Illinois government asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to...

Full Measure interview: Forced to pay

December 2019

The federal class-action lawsuit, Mattos v. AFSCME Council 3, seeks to recoup “agency” fees paid by Maryland state employees before the US Supreme Court ruled the mandatory fees were unconstitutional. This interview first appeared December 15, 2019 on Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson A Supreme Court decision...

Chicago Tribune: Illinois lawmakers try to skirt the impact of Janus. Why Gov. Pritzker should say no.

November 2019

This editorial first appeared November 25, 2019 in the Chicago Tribune. Since June 27, 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court limited the ability of public employees unions to collect mandatory dues, Mark Janus has been traveling the country on an information campaign. Janus is the Springfield plaintiff who...

Mark Janus files motion seeking entire Seventh Circuit Appeals Court to rehear ruling on union fees refund

(Nov. 19, 2019) Attorneys representing Janus are petitioning the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals for rehearing en banc in the continuation of Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Council 31.

Lawsuit Seeks Return of ‘Fair-Share’ Fees Paid by Pennsylvania State Workers Who Never Joined Unions – The Center Square

Filed on behalf of Pennsylvania state employees, the federal class-action lawsuit, Schaszberger v. AFSCME Council 13, demands a refund of the nonmember fees employees. These fees were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME in June 2018. This article first appeared...

ABC 27: State workers sue union over ‘fair share’ fees

November 2019

WITF Public Radio: Seven Pa. workers want their union dues back

November 2019

Non-Union Pa. State Workers File Class-Action Lawsuit to Recoup Money Paid to AFSCME 13 – Penn Live

CBS 21: Lawsuit: PA union owes government workers refund of ‘illegal’ dues

Pennsylvania state employees file class-action lawsuit against AFSCME, seeking refund of approximately $3 million in illegal union fees

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Nov. 7, 2019) – Today, a group of Pennsylvania state employees sued AFSCME, one of the Commonwealth’s largest public sector unions. The U.S. Supreme Court says it is illegal to require public employees to pay union fees as a condition of employment. Pennsylvania...

Schaszberger v. AFSCME Council 13

David Schaszberger worked for the state of Pennsylvania as a statistical analyst with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for ten years. During his time as a state employee, he was never a member of the government union, yet he was forced to pay...

Law Firm That Won Janus Case Suing for Access to State Workers’ ZIP Codes – New York Law Journal

The law firm that brought the landmark case Janus v. AFSCME before the U.S. Supreme Court last year sued Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday over an executive order he signed to block union foes from seeking the contact information of state employees.

Bloomberg Law: New York Sued for Blocking Government Worker ZIP Codes

October 2019

A public interest law firm is suing New York state, alleging an executive order issued following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision prevents government employees from learning about their union rights. The Liberty Justice Center filed a petition this week in the New York Supreme Court in...

Janus v. AFSCME attorneys challenge New York executive order aimed at keeping government employees in the dark about their rights

NEW YORK (Oct. 31, 2019) – The public interest law firm that brought the U.S. Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME has filed a lawsuit challenging an executive order issued in 2018 by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The governor’s order, issued the day of...

Suhr v. New York State Department of Public Service

In April 2019, Daniel Suhr, an associate senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, submitted a request to the New York Department of Civil Service for basic payroll information for public employees. In his role as an attorney at a public-interest law firm, Suhr sought...

Union Pressured Inver Hills College Clerk to Join, Lawsuit Says – Star Tribune

Sue Halloran is a community college employee in Minnesota who faced pressure to join AFSCME Council 5 with misleading information about union membership. She has filed a federal lawsuit for this violation of her First Amendment rights with the help of attorneys from the Liberty Justice...

Appeals Court to Decide if Unions Should Refund Illegal Fees – Cook County Record

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is unconstitutional to require non-union state workers in Illinois to pay "fair share" fees to a union, but a Chicago federal appeals panel is considering whether a union must refund millions of dollars in fees already collected.

Janus Seeks Refund of Fair Share Fees That Were Declared Illegal – Law 360

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that mandatory government union fees are illegal. Mark Janus is arguing AFSCME should refund the illegal dues he was forced to pay before the decision.

Mark Janus returns to federal court to request refund of forced union fees outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court

Chicago, IL (September 20, 2019) – Mark Janus, plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME, accompanied by his attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center and National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation will be arguing today before the 7th Circuit Court why he should...

Minnesota community college employee sues over coerced union membership, illegal dues deduction

MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 17, 2019) – An Inver Grove Heights woman is suing AFSCME Council 5 for pressuring her to sign a union card, providing her with misleading information about union membership and violating her First Amendment rights. She has filed a federal lawsuit with the...

Halloran v. AFSCME Council 5

Susan Halloran became a senior account clerk in the business office of Inver Hills Community College in October 2018. In the months that followed, she was approached multiple times at her workplace by an AFSCME Council 5 representative. In April 2019, she was pulled out...

Lawsuit – Pennsylvania Workers Forced to Pay Union Dues – CBS Local 21

This article first appeared September 6, 2019 on local21news.com. HARRISBURG, Pa. — A class-action lawsuit filed in Harrisburg federal court is seeking as much as $1 million for Pennsylvania social service employees. The worker at the center of this lawsuit is a York County woman named...

California Workers Have Constitutional Rights – Even If Unions Think They Don’t Matter – The Hill

This article first appeared September 9, 2019 on The Hill. Years ago, when Mike Jackson and Tory Smith started working in the Parking Department at the University of California, San Diego, they assumed they were required to join the public employees’ union. Not that it made...

Federal Lawsuit Claims MD State Workers Were Forced to Pay Union Fees, Demands Refund – Fox 45 News

A Federal lawsuit is seeking a refund of nearly $7 million on behalf of state workers in Maryland who claim they were forced to pay Union fees as a condition of employment.

Washington County Man Lead Plaintiff in Union-Fee Lawsuit Against AFSCME – Herald Mail Media

A Washington County man is leading a class-action lawsuit which aims to return roughly $7 million in union fees Maryland state employees were forced to pay.

Maryland State Employees File Lawsuit Against AFSCME to Recoup Union Fees that Supreme Court Found Illegal – Baltimore Sun

The federal class-action lawsuit, Mattos v. AFSCME Council 3, seeks to recoup “agency” fees paid by Maryland state employees before the US Supreme Court ruled the mandatory fees were unconstitutional. This article originally appeared September 4, 2019, on Baltimore Sun. A group of Maryland state employees has...

Maryland Govt. Workers Sue AFSCME Union, Demand Refunds of Illegally Collected Dues – Washington Times

Nineteen public sector employees in Maryland filed a class action against their labor union this week, demanding a refund for dues they were forced to pay before the Supreme Court outlawed the mandatory fees last year.

Aided by Conservative Legal Groups, State Workers Sue to Recoup Union Dues – Maryland Matters

A group of state government workers on Wednesday sued a public employee union, saying the union improperly collected dues from them even though they never became members.

Maryland State Workers Sue Union, Alleging It Defied Janus Ruling and Coerced Dues – Washington Examiner

19 Maryland state employees have filed a class action suit against their union, AFSCME Council 3, seeking $7 million in dues they claim was illegally taken from them.

Baltimore Sun: Maryland state employees file lawsuit against AFSCME to recoup union fees that Supreme Court found illegal

September 2019

A group of Maryland state employees has filed a federal lawsuit against their labor union to recoup union fees the U.S. Supreme Court found to be illegal in a ruling last year. In a class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in Baltimore against the American Federation of...

Mattos v. AFSCME Council 3

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it is illegal to require public employees to pay union fees as a condition of employment. In September 2019, Maryland state employees forced to pay these fees prior to the Court’s decision filed a lawsuit, Mattos et al.,...

Maryland state employees file class action lawsuit against AFSCME, seeking refund of approximately $7 million in illegal union fees

BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 4, 2019) – The U.S. Supreme Court says it is illegal to require public employees to pay union fees as a condition of employment. Now, a group of Maryland state employees who were forced to pay these fees prior to the Court’s...

New class action lawsuit demands refunds from SEIU Local 668 for illegal fees taken from Pennsylvania social services workers

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Aug. 12, 2019) – A new class action lawsuit filed against a Pennsylvania union demands illegal union fees be refunded to social services employees for the Commonwealth. If successful, approximately 2,000 employees could recoup as much as $1 million in illegal union fees...

Wenzig v. SEIU Local 668

For decades, Pennsylvania required state employees who were not union members to pay hundreds of dollars a year in “agency fees” to government unions. However, in 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME ended the practice of requiring government employees to fund...

Stroeder v. SEIU Local 503

Colleen Stroeder has worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as an executive support specialist since 2008. Upon starting her position, Stroeder’s supervisor led her to believe that she was required to join SEIU Local 503 and pay union dues. After the Supreme Court’s...

File v. Kastner

Schuyler File is a private attorney who works and resides in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Since he began practicing there in December 2017, the State Bar Association of Wisconsin has required him to be a member and pay mandatory membership dues. File previously practiced in Indiana,...

Jackson v. Napolitano

Mike Jackson and Tory Smith are transportation services workers at the University of California, San Diego. They work on the parking staff to support school events and maintain safety on campus. As new hires at the University – Tory in 2006 and Mike in 2013...

California, Teamsters ignore landmark Supreme Court Case — New lawsuit targets forced union support and denial of information

SAN DIEGO (July 30, 2019) – Employees can’t be forced to pay a union to work in public service, and the state can’t withhold information from employees about their constitutional rights. That’s what two University of California employees argue in a lawsuit filed today in...

Still Paying Coerced Labor Dues, Even After Janus – The Wall Street Journal

Dozens of workers have crashed into obstacles set by unions and their allies in state government. Many are turning to lawsuits.

New class action lawsuit demands millions of dollars in refunds from AFSCME District Council 37, New York City’s top employee union

NEW YORK (July 24, 2019) – A class action lawsuit filed against New York City’s largest municipal union is demanding millions of dollars in illegal union fees be returned to city employees. If successful, approximately 7,000 city employees could recoup as much as $7 million...

Solomon v. AFSCME DC 37

The Liberty Justice Center filed a class action lawsuit on July 23, 2019, against AFSCME District Council 37 seeking a refund of illegal union fees plaintiff Scott Solomon and other city employees paid from July 23, 2016, through June 27, 2018. If successful, approximately 7,000...

A year after the Supreme Court’s Janus decision, government workers face steep obstacles exercising their rights

This week marks one year since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that government employees cannot be required to pay fees to government unions at their workplace. The ruling was a major victory for workers’ rights, free speech and freedom of choice.

Wolf v. UPTE

In May 2019, Isaac Wolf filed a federal lawsuit against his employer, the Regents of the University of California, and University Professional & Technical Employees Communications Workers of America Local 9119 for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of association. Wolf...

VIDEO: If you paid money to a government union, you may be entitled to your money back

May 2019

For decades, teachers, first responders, social workers and other government employees across the U.S. were forced to give part of every paycheck to a government union even if they weren’t union members. These payroll deductions are called “fair share” fees, or “agency fees.” In June...

Special Ed Teacher Suing to Leave California Union – Fox News

May 7 — 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...

Free Beacon: Employee sues Illinois school district, union over dues

May 2019

May 5, 2019 — Cole Lauterbach, Watchdog.org A school employee in Illinois filed a federal lawsuit against a local school district and the state’s largest public sector union, claiming both refused to stop deducting union dues from her paycheck months after she left the union....

Kent State Custodians Sue to Stop University from Withholding Union Dues from Paychecks

CLEVELAND, Ohio — 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...

Special Ed Teacher Suing California Union in Case that Could Cost Labor Big – Fox News

Dozens of workers have crashed into obstacles set by unions and their allies in state government. Many are turning to lawsuits.

Sweeping Class-Action Lawsuit Could Force Unions Nationwide to Refund Millions in Fees – Fox News

May 2, 2019 — 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...

State Workers Ask to be Repaid for Past “Fair Share” Fees – The Chicago Tribune

May 1, 2019 — Continuing a fight against public employee unions initially spearheaded by former Gov. Bruce Rauner, nine state workers who say they have opted out of union membership are asking to be repaid for past “fair share” fees in a proposed class-action lawsuit....

Illinois state employees file class action lawsuit against AFSCME, seeking refund of approximately $2 million in illegal union fees

CHICAGO (May 1, 2019) – The U.S. Supreme Court says it is illegal to require government workers to pay union fees as a condition of employment. Now, a group of Illinois workers forced to pay these fees prior to the Court’s decision is demanding a...

Leitch v. AFSCME

On May 1, 2019, nine workers in Illinois government filed a federal class action lawsuit against AFSCME, demanding the union return money taken from their paychecks for union “agency” or “fair share” fees before the Court’s June 2018 ruling in Janus v. AFSCME. If successful,...

Kent State Custodians Sue to Stop University from Withholding Union Dues from Paychecks – Cleveland.com

April 30, 2019 — 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,...

Moline-Coal Valley School District Employee Sues Over Union Dues Deductions – The Neighbor

April 30, 2019 — An employee of the Moline-Coal Valley School District has filed a federal lawsuit against the district and the state’s largest public sector union, claiming both refused to stop deducting union dues from her paycheck months after she left the union. Susan...

Kent State employees sue over illegal union dues

COLUMBUS, OHIO (APRIL 29, 2019) – Three Kent State University workers have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that union dues were illegally deducted from their paychecks. Annamarie Hannay and Adda Gape are custodians for student residence halls at Kent State University. Since they started working...

Hannay v. Kent State

Annamarie Hannay, Adda Gape and John Kohl are custodians for student residence halls at Kent State University. Since they started working at the university, they were required to pay money to AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Several months after the Supreme...

Moline-Coal Valley School District employee sues over illegal union dues deductions

MOLINE, Ill. (April 29, 2019) – A custodian for the Moline-Coal Valley School District has filed a federal lawsuit after her employer and union refused to stop deducting money from her paycheck for union dues and contributions to a union political action fund. Susan Bennett...

Bennett v. AFSCME

Susan Bennett has worked for the Moline-Coal Valley School District since 2009. Since then, she has been required to pay either membership dues or non-member fees to AFSCME Local 672. But in June 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Janus v....

Even after Janus Ruling, Issues with Organized Labor Persist – Philadelphia Inquirer

This op-ed was published on April 18, 2019, in the Philadelphia Inquirer and was written by Shalea Oliver, plaintiff in the Liberty Justice Center’s case Oliver v. SEIU. The original article can be found here. I recently sued my union. It’s not something I ever...

Illinois Man at Heart of Supreme Court Case Continues Fight – The News Gazette

April 16, 2019 — 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...

Sweet v. California Association of Psychiatric Technicians

Alfred Sweet is a psychiatric technician at Atascadero State Hospital in Paso Robles. Sweet joined the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians when he started working at the hospital in 2011 and began making requests to resign and become an agency fee payer in 2014. Those...

MyNewsLA.com: University of California Employees Sue Over Union Dues

March 2019

Two University of California employees filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles, alleging union dues were illegally deducted from their paychecks despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that public workers are not required to pay fees to the unions representing them, it was announced Thursday....

Fox News: California workers sue union for holding them ‘against their will,’ despite landmark ruling

The article by Gregg Re was published March 28, 2019 on foxnews.com. Two University of California system employees claim they are effectively being held “against their will” and forced to pay monthly union dues, despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling last summer barring public-sector unions from requiring nonmembers to...

University of California employees sue over illegal union dues

LOS ANGELES (March 28, 2019) – Two University of California system workers have filed a federal lawsuit alleging union dues were illegally deducted from their paychecks. Cara O’Callaghan has worked as the finance manager of the Sport Club program at the University of California, Santa...

O’Callaghan v. Napolitano

Two University of California workers filed a federal lawsuit, O’Callaghan v. Napolitano, alleging union dues were illegally deducted from their paychecks. Cara O’Callaghan has worked as the finance manager of the Sport Club program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, since 2009. Jenée Misraje...

Press Release: Mark Janus Asks Appeals Court to Order Refund of Forced Union Fees Outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court

Janus v. AFSCME case continues after union officials refuse to return forced fees ruled unconstitutional in landmark decision

Pennsylvania is Hub for Post-Janus 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...

Unions Kept Collecting Dues After Workers Resigned – Pennsylvania Watchdog

March 3, 2019 — 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...

Mark Janus, the Man Who Ended Compulsory Union Dues – National Review

March 7, 2019 — He asked the Supreme Court to acknowledge his First Amendment rights, and it did. 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...

County Faces Lawsuit over Alleged Unauthorized Deduction of Union Dues – LebTown

March 7, 2019 — 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...

4 Lebanon County Employees Sue Over Forced Union Dues – Lebanon Daily News

March 7, 2019 — 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...

‘Like it was a blood contract’: State worker suing SEIU 668 details long road to exit union

March 5, 2019 — Since 2014, Shalea Oliver has seen thousands of dollars removed from her paycheck to fund an organization and political efforts that she does not support. When she tried to push back against those deductions, she faced indifference and a refusal to...

Press Release: Philadelphia and Lebanon County workers sue unions over illegal dues

A caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and four Lebanon County mental health workers are suing their employers and unions for illegally deducting thousands of dollars in union dues from their paychecks.

Oliver v. SEIU

Shalea Oliver has worked as an income maintenance caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services since 2014. In her position, she helps a variety of people, including the under or unemployed, disabled and other vulnerable populations in Philadelphia. As a Philadelphia native, service to...

Adams, et al v. Teamsters

Four mental health workers in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, tried for months to quit their government union, Teamsters Local 429, with no success. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that it is unconstitutional to require government workers to pay dues or fees to...

Janus Supports New Mexico Workers’ Right to Work – Albuquerque Journal

February 22 — The state House late Friday approved a bill that would bar counties in New Mexico from enforcing local “right-to-work” ordinances. The proposal, House Bill 85, now heads to the Senate for consideration. Democratic Reps. Daymon Ely of Corrales and Andrea Romero of Santa...

Press Release: Mark Janus to receive National Review Institute’s 2019 Whittaker Chambers Award

CHICAGO (Feb. 21, 2019) –– Mark Janus, senior fellow at the Liberty Justice Center and plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME, will be recognized with the National Review Institute’s 2019 Whittaker Chambers Award. The Whittaker Chambers Award honors a “profile...

Illinois School Employee Sues for Refund of Union Dues – Daily Herald

February 12 — 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...

LJC One of 21 Policy Groups Backing Lawsuit to End Forced Union Representation – Marietta Daily Journal

January 11 — 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...

Press Release: University of Hawaii employee files lawsuit against HGEA and University for constitutional violations

HILO, HAWAII (Jan. 10, 2019) –– Patricia Grossman, an employee of the University of Hawaii at Hilo for over 30 years, filed a lawsuit against the University and the Hawaii Government Employees Association for violating her First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of...

Grossman v. HGEA

In January 2019, the Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Patricia Grossman, an employee of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, against the University and the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) for refusing to allow her to resign union membership. Ms. Grossman...

Janus Didn’t Settle Union Dues Question After All, LJC Attorney Says – North Cook News

January 10–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...

LJC Represents IL Worker Forced to Pay Dues Despite Supreme Court Ruling that Bars Practice – The Chicago Tribune

January 6 — 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...

Press Release: Illinois school district employee files lawsuit against SEIU and District 15 for constitutional violations

CHICAGO (Jan. 3, 2019) –– Illinois school district employee Erich Mandel has filed a lawsuit against his government union, SEIU Local 73 and Community Consolidated School District 15 for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of association. Mandel is represented by...

Mandel v. SEIU

In December 2018, the Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Illinois school district employee Erich Mandel against his government union, SEIU Local 73, and his employer, Community Consolidated School District 15, for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom...

New Mexico state employee files lawsuit against AFSCME and State for constitutional violations

New Mexico state employee files lawsuit against AFSCME and State for constitutional violations ALBUQUERQUE, NM (Dec. 7, 2018) –– New Mexico state employee Brett Hendrickson has filed a lawsuit against his government union, AFSCME, and the state of New Mexico for violating his First Amendment...

Hendrickson v. AFSCME

In November 2018, the Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit, Hendrickson v. AFSCME, on behalf of New Mexico state employee Brett Hendrickson against his government union, AFSCME, and the state of New Mexico for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of...

LJC Launches Lawsuit in New Mexico to Help Workers Leave their Union – Santa Fe New Mexican

This article first appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican December 3, 2018 — A conservative nonprofit group is suing the state of New Mexico on behalf of a government employee who wants out of his labor union. The case, filed by the Liberty Justice...

California Teacher Alleges Constitutional Rights Have Been Violated by Union, School District – Legal NewsLine

November 27, 2018 – A special education teacher in California alleges his constitutional rights have been violated because a union refused to allow him to withdraw his membership. Thomas Few filed a complaint on Nov. 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District...

LJC Lawsuit in California Aims to Make Unions Respect the Supreme Court’s Authority

November 16, 2018 — The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision from June in Janus v. the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was clear: Public employees no longer are required to pay union dues, even for collective-bargaining purposes. This was no technical or ambiguous point. The court declared it...

California teacher files lawsuit against United Teachers of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Unified School District for constitutional violations

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 13, 2018) – Special education teacher Thomas Few has filed a lawsuit against the United Teachers of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of association. Few is represented...

Few v. UTLA

In November 2018, the Liberty Justice Center and California Policy Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of special education teacher Thomas Few against the United Teachers of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District for violating Few’s First Amendment rights to free speech...

Janus Attorneys Recognized for Policy Impact of Supreme Court Win

CHICAGO (Oct. 11, 2018) – The Liberty Justice Center was recognized this morning for its U.S. Supreme Court victory in the landmark case Janus v. AFSCME at the State Policy Network 26th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. Together with the Illinois Policy Institute,...

Liberty Justice Center threatens to sue governments that obstruct the Janus decision

September 2018

The good news: The U.S. Supreme Court issued a groundbreaking decision in favor of workers’ rights when it ruled that no government worker can be forced to pay a government union as a condition of working in public service. In the months since the ruling,...

The Liberty Justice Center Featured in the Wall Street Journal: Resisting the Supreme Court

September 2018

UNIONS AND POLITICIANS ARE CIRCUMVENTING THE JANUS DECISION. This article by The Editorial Board was published September 17, 2018 on wsj.com. Do unions believe in the rule of law? That’s an urgent question as unions and their political friends try to circumvent the Supreme Court’s...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Minnesota, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 12, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Minnesota, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in New York, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 12, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in New York, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Hawaii, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 12, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Hawaii, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Connecticut, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 12, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Connecticut, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

LJC Threatens Litigation in 11 States Defying the Janus Ruling – Fox News

September 11, 2018 — 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...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Rhode Island, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 4, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Rhode Island, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Alaska, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 4, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Alaska, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Pennsylvania, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 4, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Pennsylvania, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Maryland, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 4, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Maryland, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Ohio, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Sep. 4, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Ohio, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Massachusetts Officials Say the Janus Ruling Doesn’t Apply to Union Membership – Boston Business Journal

This article first appeared in the Springfield Republican. 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...

LJC Sends “Cease and Desist” Letters to Four States – The Salem News

BOSTON — 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...

LJC Threatens to Sue Oregon Officials if They Don’t Stop Collecting Dues – Chicago Sun Times

PORTLAND, Ore. — 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...

LJC Notifies States They’re Violating the Janus Decision – Portland Tribune

August 28, 2018 — The Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center asserts that public employers are required to obtain written affirmation from union members that they wish to continue paying union dues. The law firm that represented the plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned mandatory...

Janus Lawyers Threaten Lawsuit Over Union Dues in Oregon – The Oregonian

(August 28, 2018) An Illinois legal nonprofit has sent cease and desist letters to state and local officials threatening to sue the state of Oregon, the City of Portland and Portland Public Schools if they don’t stop collecting union dues and agency fees from workers’ paychecks. The Liberty Justice...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Washington, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Aug. 28, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Washington, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Oregon, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Aug. 28, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Oregon, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in Masschusetts, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Aug. 28, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in Massachusetts, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice Center...

Press Release: Janus attorneys send cease and desist letters to government officials in New Jersey, threaten litigation if employers don’t stop collecting union dues and fees

CHICAGO (Aug. 28, 2018) – Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have sent cease and desist letters to government officials in New Jersey, demanding that state and local government employers immediately stop deducting union member dues and “agency fees” from employee paychecks. The Liberty Justice...

Press Release: Supreme Court plaintiff Mark Janus to join Liberty Justice Center as advocate, spokesperson for workers’ rights

CHICAGO (July 25, 2018) – Mark Janus, plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME, will be joining the Liberty Justice Center and Illinois Policy Institute as an advocate and spokesperson for workers’ rights. Janus worked as a child support specialist for state government...

Supreme Court’s Janus v AFSCME Ruling Will Force Unions To Be More Accountable – USA Today

Teacher op-ed: Unions can be great for workers. But supporting workers’ rights isn’t political, and it doesn’t make you anti-union. As a Minnesota teacher, I didn’t have a choice about

Why I Took My Case Over Forced Union Dues to the Supreme Court – Washington Post

By Mark Janus — July 1, 2018 Mark Janus was the plaintiff in Janus v. AFSCME. My home state of Illinois is in financial free fall. The state has billions of dollars in unpaid bills, has unbalanced budgets and is bleeding people and money. A state doesn’t get into...

The Lawyers Who Beat the Unions – Wall Street Journal

Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center and National Right to Work Legal Foundation represented Illinois state employee Mark Janus in an historic U.S. Supreme Court victory for workers’ rights in Janus v. AFSCME. The excerpt below is from an opinion piece by James Taranto of...

In Janus Ruling, Supreme Court Restores Free Speech Rights to Public Workers Like Me – Fox News

Teacher Op-ed: In my home state of Alaska, teachers and other public employees are forced to pay fees to unions they didn’t choose to represent them, in order to hold the jobs they love.

Janus Ruling Empowers Public Employees – Seattle Times

Now 5.5 million employees in 22 states have their First Amendment freedom of association rights restored — including employees right here in Washington.

Press Release: Supreme Court grants victory for workers’ First Amendment rights in Janus v. AFSCME

U.S. Supreme Court rules 5-4 that non-union government workers cannot be forced to pay union fees. In a major victory for First Amendment rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in Janus v. AFSCME that non-union government workers cannot be required to pay union fees as a condition...

Illinois State Government Stops Collecting “Fair Share” Fees for AFSCME, Other Government Worker Unions

The state will stop deducting agency fees from workers who have opted out of the union, effective immediately. As of June 27, the state of Illinois will no longer deduct union agency fees from the paychecks of nonmember public employees. Previously, Illinois workers were forced...

What the Janus Decision Means in New York, the Nation’s Most Unionized State – Democrat and Chronicle

ALBANY – The Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that unions cannot collect fees from non-members could have wide implications across New York, which has the nation’s most heavily unionized public sector. Unions in New York derided the groundbreaking decision by the closely divided Supreme Court as it may weaken...

Supreme Court Strikes Down Mandatory Union Fees for Government Employees – Daily Signal

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Wednesday that nonunion government workers can’t be forced to pay dues or other fees to support a union, further diminishing the power of organized labor and setting up what right-to-work proponents called the “hard work” of protecting free speech rights...

With Janus, California Public Employees Are Free From Union Shakedowns, Finally – Sacramento Bee

June 27, 2018 — Will Swaim, president of the California Policy Center Just in time for Independence Day, the U.S. Supreme Court has delivered millions into greater liberty – and a day of reckoning for public-sector union leaders. The court struck down as unconstitutional the...

Supreme Court Rules Public Employees Are Not Required to Fund Unions in Big Win for First Amendment Rights

In a landmark decision for First Amendment rights, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that public employees cannot be compelled to pay union fees as a condition of employment. The 5-4 ruling in Janus v. AFSCME restores the First Amendment rights of freedom of association and free speech to...

Supreme Court’s Janus Decision is a Win for Government Workers (And All Americans) – Fox News

In its 5-4 ruling Wednesday in Janus vs. AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), the Supreme Court overturned decades-old precedent that allowed government unions to require public employees to pay union fees or risk being fired. Now millions of teachers, police officers,...

Supreme Court Rules Nonunion Workers Cannot Be Forced to Pay Fees to Public Sector Unions – CNBC

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Wednesday in Janus v. AFSCME that nonunion workers cannot be forced to pay fees to public sector unions. The case, one of the most hotly anticipated of the term, is the second in two days to hand a major...

Mark Janus on Supreme Court Ruling – Fox Business

Jun. 27, 2018 Janus v. AFSCME plaintiff Mark Janus and attorney Jacob Huebert appeared on Fox Business News to discuss the Supreme Court ruling on public sector unions. Watch the latest video at foxbusiness.com

Supreme Court Decision Puts Workers in Driver’s Seat – Washington Examiner

Op-ed: What could you do with an extra $14,000? I had no choice but to hand it over to a union simply because I’m a public school teacher in Ohio, where people can be fired for not paying money to a union.

How AFSCME’s Demands Invited the Janus Case – The Chicago Tribune

June 25, 2018 — Kristen McQueary, Tribune Editorial Board It’s fitting that Mark Janus, the plaintiff behind a highly anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week, works for Illinois government. The union he sued is particularly influential in politics and policy here — with perilous outcomes...

Teacher Who Challenged Union Speaks Out About U.S. Supreme Court Case – Capital Public Radio

This month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hand down a major decision in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, impacting teachers and other public employee unions. Rebecca Friedrichs is a teacher and was the lead plaintiff challenging the California Teachers Association’s “agency shop” arrangement, which requires non-union member...

WATCH: Meet the Liberty Justice Center | Janus v. AFSCME

June 2018

Six things to know about Janus v. AFSCME

June 2018

Here are six things you should know about Janus v. AFSCME and the impact it has had on government workers in the U.S. What is Janus v. AFSCME about? Janus v. AFSCME isn’t about whether unions are good or bad. This case is about First...

President of AFSCME Local: Supreme Court May Give Workers a Choice, but Unions Still Have a Critical Choice As Well – The Hill

June 6, 2018 — Michael Thulen, president of AFSCME Local 3790 and contributor to My Pay My Say As president of AFSCME Local 3790 in New Jersey, I empathize with Phillip’s difficult position of being pitted between his personal principles and the coerced nature of the law....

Union Activity Ramps Up in Advance of Supreme Court Decision – Wall Street Journal

As organized labor braces for a Supreme Court ruling that could make it easy for public-sector workers to stop paying some dues, unions across the country are reaching out to hundreds of thousands of members to persuade them to keep paying dues. The Service Employees International Union...

Let’s Support Teachers By Backing Their Freedom To Choose Whether Or Not To Join a Union – The Hill

May 11, 2018 — Colin Sharkey, Association of American Educators As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week this week, teachers across the nation remain remarkably underappreciated. In at least five states so far this year, educators are voicing their discontent by organizing walkouts and strikes to protest...

Ruling for Janus Would Reduce Conflict in Washington State Schools – Real Clear Education

April 3, 2018 — Liv Finne, Center for Education at the Washington Policy Center On February 26th, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Mark Janus, a child support specialist working for the Illinois state...

Teacher: Agency Fees Are 100 Percent Political – And Unions Know It – The Hill

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case involving “agency fees” that unions impose on workers who aren’t members to cover union activities with the exception of political action. Since the oral arguments took place, most news outlets, court watchers and even...

IC Alum Central in Supreme Court Case – Journal Courier

To Illinois College alum Mark Janus, who is at the center of a history-making Supreme Court case, it’s about standing up for what he believes is right. It’s that belief that resulted in his fight against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees...

Forced Public Employee Union Fees Violate the Nation’s Constitution – Monticello Times

March 12, 2018 –Kim Crockett, Center of the American Experiment On Monday morning in the nation’s capital, Americans exercised their right to demonstrate peacefully on the steps of the Supreme Court. Hundreds of public employees, unions officials, and lawyers like me from all over the...

Worker Files Opening Brief in Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court Case Seeking to Strike Down Forced Union Fees

November 2017

Worker Advocate: It is time for the Court to recognize that the First Amendment protects public employees from being forced to subsidize union speech Washington, DC (November 29, 2017) – Today, attorneys for Illinois public servant Mark Janus filed the first merits brief in the Supreme...

Mandatory Union Fees Return to the Supreme Court – CATO Daily Podcast

Oct. 5, 2017 LJC Director of Litigation Jacob Huebert spoke with the Cato Institute’s Caleb Brown about Janus v. AFSCME, our Supreme Court case challenging laws that force government workers to pay union fees.

Unions Act As If They’ve Already Lost – Wall Street Journal

Kim Crockett writes about what government unions are doing to prepare for a loss in Janus v. AFSCME.

Supreme Court Set for Historic New Term – The Hill

Janus v. AFSCME highlighted as one of the most important cases of the Supreme Court's new term.

Workers Should Have the Right to Choose on Union Fees – State Journal Register

Our client Mark Janus writes about public service and why he's fighting for freedom.

Supreme Court Adds Union Fee Case to Blockbuster Docket – CNN

Sept. 28, 2017 Washington (CNN) – A week before the Supreme Court is set to begin the new term, justices announced Thursday that they are adding a big public sector union fees case to an already blockbuster docket. The issue concerns something that deeply divided...

Meet Mark Janus, the man who could end forced union fees for government workers

September 2017

Mark Janus learned about public service from a young age, growing up as a Boy Scout in Springfield, Illinois. He eventually became an Eagle Scout. And he’s passed along his knowledge to young men and women from the state’s capital while leading Scouting trips to...

No Government Worker Should Be Forced to Pay Union Fees – National Review

by Jacob Huebert Sept. 27, 2017 The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce this week whether it will hear a landmark labor case, Janus v. AFSCME. At the heart of the case is this question: Should government workers be forced to pay money to...

State Workers Should Be Free to Choose Who They Support – State Journal Register

by Jacob Huebert June 29, 2017 As a child support specialist at the Department of Health and Family Services, Mark Janus advocates for children who are caught in the crossfire of their parents’ divorce. Every day he goes to work, hoping to smooth a difficult...

Unions Come Into the Justices’ Cross Hairs, Again – New York Times

June 12, 2017 Last year, the Supreme Court seemed poised to deal a sharp blow to public sector unions. Then Justice Antonin Scalia died and the court deadlocked, granting the unions a reprieve. It may not last long. Last week, a new case raising the same legal question arrived at the...

Will The Third Time Be The Charm For Challenge To Public-Sector Union Fees? – SCOTUSblog

June 7, 2017 It is settled law that public employees who do not belong to the union that represents them cannot be required to pay fees that the union would use for political activity like union organizing. But in 1977, the Supreme Court ruled that public...

Justices Will Decide Whether to Take a Critical Case to Public-Sector Unions’ Future – Washington Examiner

June 6, 2017 With Trump tweets, British elections, and new terrorist attacks filling most of the cable news minutes and hours this week, it could easily go unnoticed that a child support specialist named Mark Janus has formally filed the request that his case, Janus v....

New High Court Challenge to Labor Unions Follows 4-4 Split – Associated Press

June 6, 2017 WASHINGTON – Conservative groups are wasting little time in trying to deal a crippling blow to labor unions now that Justice Neil Gorsuch has joined the Supreme Court. A First Amendment clash over public sector unions left the justices deadlocked last year after the...

Right-to-Work Court Case Could Have National Impact on Unions – Fox News

Feb. 10, 2017 A landmark right-to-work lawsuit playing out in Illinois has captured widespread attention amid expectations the case could land before the Supreme Court – and potentially have national implications for an estimated 20 million government workers. Pat Hughes, who’s representing the three plaintiffs...

Tuesday’s Election Will Set Unhappy Union Workers Free – Wall Street Journal

Nov. 14, 2016 One of the most intriguing political shifts Tuesday was Donald Trump’s relative popularity with union members. Exit polls show that Hillary Clinton did not win union households in nearly the numbers that President Obama did in 2012. Although major unions like the...

Defending Local Right-to-Work Laws

In December 2015, the village of Lincolnshire, Illinois, sought to protect worker freedom and boost the local economy by becoming the first municipality in the state – and one of the first local governments in the U.S. – to enact a local "Right-to-Work" ordinance. The...

Why I Don’t Want to Pay Union Dues – The Chicago Tribune

Mark Janus is the lead plaintiff in Janus v. AFSCME. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Janus v. AFSCME that mandatory government union fees are illegal. Mark Janus is arguing AFSCME should refund the illegal dues he was forced to pay. The article...

Lincolnshire May Have to Fight for “Right-to-Work” Ordinance – The Chicago Tribune

The excerpt below is from an article by Ronnie Wachter that appeared December 30, 2015, in the Chicago Tribune. Officials in Lincolnshire are aware of the possibility that a new union ordinance could soon face a legal challenge, and both sides are gearing up for a fight. The...

Lawsuit Filed over SEIU Representation – State Journal Register

In Hill v. SEIU, the Liberty Justice Center represented personal assistants and child care providers to end SEIU’s exclusive representation. The government’s appointment of an exclusive representative to speak on the behalf of all personal assistants and child care providers violates their First Amendment right...

Home Care Workers Sue State, Union – Alton Daily News

In-Home Care Workers Sue State, Union – The Chicago Tribune

Caregivers Sue to Block Union Bond – Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Hill v. SEIU

Can the state appoint an "Exclusive Representative" to speak to the government on your behalf, whether you like it or not, just because you benefit from a government program?

Unions Battle for Survival in Key Strongholds as Court Cases Challenge Forced Dues – Fox News

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com The U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Janus v. AFSCME that mandatory government union fees are illegal. Mark Janus is arguing AFSCME should refund the illegal dues he was forced to pay. The excerpt below is from...

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