A Case for Banning Forced Union Dues

InsideSources covers CEI’s amicus brief in Janus v. AFSCME.

The U.S. Supreme Court should outlaw forced union dues in the public-sector when it hears the Mark Janus case early next year, argued a legal brief submitted to the court Wednesday.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed the amicus brief in support of Mark Janus who managed to take his fight against forced public-sector union dues to the highest court. Janus and two other Illinois state workers argue in their lawsuit that mandatory union dues violate their constitutional rights.

The U.S. Constitution bans compelled speech – including being forced to fund political activities. The lawsuit argues that public-sector union bargaining is political in nature because it deals with the allocation of taxpayer dollars and government resources.

The CEI brief details several instances in which unions have used compelled dues to engage in political advocacy – in an alleged violation of constitutional law. It specifically points to examples from unions like the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the Service Employees International Union.

“For too long, the government has forced workers to pay for controversial political activities by unions that they do not support and that have nothing to do with union representation,” CEI labor policy expert Trey Kovacs said in a statement provided to InsideSources. “The Supreme Court should provide choice over whether to pay for labor union representation for millions of teachers, firefighters, and other public employees.”

Read the full article at InsideSources.