CEI Hopeful Supreme Court Will Strike a Victory for Worker Freedom and First Amendment in Janus Case

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) argued in an amicus brief in support of Mark Janus that forced union dues go to political activities, and therefore violate the First Amendment rights of public-sector workers who don’t agree with the union position or don’t want to be a part of a union. 

CEI policy analyst Trey Kovacs said: 

“No worker who wants to serve the public should be forced to pay union fees against their will at the risk of losing his or her job. Since collective bargaining in the public sector is inherently political, it is a blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of public-sector workers. Everyone deserves the freedom to choose how they are represented at work and where their money goes.”

Andrew Grossman, partner at BakerHostetler, and author of CEI’s amicus brief said:

“Even the lawyers defending compulsory unionism recognized that current law violates public workers’ First Amendment rights by compelling them to subsidize unions’ political speech. But, as Justice Kennedy observed, even redrawing the line won’t solve the fundamental problem that unions demand financial support so as to increase their political power. As Justice Kennedy’s questioning revealed, the only line that protects workers’ First Amendment rights is to let them choose whether or not to fund union advocacy.”

>> Read more about this case at CEI.org/Janus.