For months, our union was preparing for the Janus v. AFSCME case by taking steps to ensure we grow stronger despite the setback we anticipated.
So when the ruling finally came out at the end of June, it was no surprise that corporate CEOs, right-wing billionaires and wealthy special interests would try to get workers to celebrate the end of so-called fair share fees.
The Janus case was ultimately meant to strip away the power of public service unions such as AFSCME. But we know that no matter what attack comes our way, our union will continue to fight for working people to have the freedom to join together in unions.
AFSCME Local 146 member Claudia McFarland is an example of how AFSCME members never quit fighting for working people. She explained in a Sacramento Bee article that, even though the Janus case now allows workers to have a choice whether to support the union with some of their wages, she will continue to focus on giving her coworkers the choice to stick with our union.
Here's an excerpt from the article:
"'We have to sell it to employees. We have to educate our members on what unions do,' said Claudia McFarland, 53, a Sacramento County mental health counselor who credits the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees for negotiating a contract that helped her keep a job through the recession."
While union membership has dropped significantly in other states after Right-to-Work laws similar to the Supreme Court ruling have been enacted, it remains to be seen how things will play out in California, which historically has a strong record of supporting working people.
Here's another excerpt from the Sacramento Bee article:
"Last year, (California) enacted a law that guarantees unions access to new public employees. This year, it adopted a law that compels public agencies to defer to union policies if workers ask to quit paying dues."
The Sacramento Bee also reported that the state government's largest union, SEIU 1000, reported that it received an uptick in membership immediately after the Janus decision, which should give us hope for what's to come.
