July 6: Civil rights and workers' rights are linked in Janus case
- As analysis of the Janus decision continues, nowhere is its impact more evident than in the black community. Twenty percent of black people hold jobs in the public sector, where union work is being targeted, and the largest share of public sector positions is held by black people. The NAACP has decried the decision as a civil rights issue. "For many of us, and our parents and family members, public sector work has also been a vehicle of social mobility," explains Baltimore Teachers Union and AFT-Maryland President Marietta English. "If you care about black people, you should care about Janus." Strong pushback since the decision is defying anti-union forces and proving the strength of those who support good jobs and workers' rights for all people.
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Post-Janus advice: ‘Don’t count us out’
Right-wing groups have been waging war against public sector unions for many years, so last week’s Janus decision came as no surprise. In her monthly column, AFT President Randi Weingarten describes why Janus was such a “prized goal” for the right wing: Without unions in the way, it’s easier for wealthy conservatives to “win elections, maintain economic dominance and disempower workers.” But unions are not going away, she says. Instead, new members are signing up, recognizing that unions, which negotiate everything from manageable class sizes to safety equipment for emergency personnel, are still the best vehicle working people have to make a difference in their lives and workplaces.
July 5: Members reject wave of anti-union messaging
- Corporate interests have begun their long-anticipated escalation against unions, using the recent Janus decision to urge members to stop paying their dues. For example in Rochester, N.Y., the Michigan-based anti-union Mackinac Center sent an email to public school teachers the day after the decision in Janus was announced, "informing" them they no longer had to pay dues and linking to an opt-out form. The AFT has been preparing for "opt-out" messages with its "All In" movement: More than 500,000 members have re-committed to the union to date. "We have prepared for this case since February of 2015, and it has been transformative for our union," says AFT President Randi Weingarten in Splinter News. "Don't count us out." Members can learn more about the billionaires behind the anti-union messaging and report union busting at ReportAUnionBuster.com.
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July 3: Union growth defies Janus decision
- As the Financial Times suggests, the anti-union Janus decision may backfire, strengthening rather than weakening unions. At 1.7 million members, the AFT is bigger than ever. We recently welcomed 2,400 new members from Oregon State University, and last year added 2,500 University of Chicago graduate student employees, 600 PSRPs in Minnesota and 350 healthcare professionals in Oregon. California is experiencing a groundswell of support, and in New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently passed an executive order to protect them from attack, members are rallying. "People want to be in the union and they want to be active," Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery says.
- Spread the word on Twitter and on Facebook: Don't count us out.
July 2: Post-Janus advice: 'Don't count us out'
- Right-wing groups have been waging war against public sector unions for many years, so last week's Janus decision came as no surprise. In her monthly column, AFT President Randi Weingarten describes why Janus was such a "prized goal" for the right wing: Without unions in the way, it's easier for many wealthy conservatives to "win elections, maintain economic dominance and disempower workers." But unions are not going away, she says: Instead, new members are signing up, recognizing that unions, which negotiate everything from manageable class sizes to safety equipment for emergency personnel, are still the best vehicle working people have to make a difference in their lives and workplaces.
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June 29: Post-Janus: Why members are sticking with the union
- AFT members across the country are declaring their commitment to their union locals, describing the important role unions play in supporting their work and their communities. Their stories are all different, but the bottom line is the same: The union fights for its members and the people they serve. In Massena, N.Y., the union is working to boost a community facing deep economic struggle; in Douglas County, Colo., it helped protect schools from a corporate takeover of the school board; and in Genoa, Ohio, it reclaimed the pay teachers had sacrificed to rescue arts programming for their students.
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