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Posted on 08/03/2018 9:22:02 AM PDT by jazusamo
Several Washington state employees are suing for the right to break ties with their union, claiming the Supreme Court's landmark Janus decision should allow them to cancel their membership immediately.
That June ruling said state government workers could not be forced to pay so-called “fair share” fees to support collective bargaining and other union activities. The decision delivered a blow to public-employee unions.
But the lawsuit filed Thursday, if successful, could point to further repercussions.
The six plaintiffs have all attempted to leave the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) since the Supreme Court decision, but say they've been told they have to wait until an “escape period” next year.
The government agency employees signed membership agreements – meaning they were part of a union as opposed to nonmembers forced to pay fees – but the lawsuit said the employees did so when “the right to not fund union advocacy was yet to be recognized.” Before the Supreme Court ruling, Washington was one state where certain public employees were required to pay agency fees.
“Neither an agency fee nor any other payment to the union may be deducted from a nonmember’s wages, nor may any other attempt be made to collect such a payment, unless the employee affirmatively consents to pay,” Justice Samuel Alito said in writing the majority opinion.
The Freedom Foundation, the conservative Washington-based think tank that filed the suit on behalf of the employees, argues union membership cards signed before that decision should now be invalidated because “it’s impossible for a worker to have knowingly waived a right that wasn’t recognized by the court until the Janus ruling was issued.” The workers argue they only joined because they presumed they'd have to pay fees anyway or were given bad information.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Thought of you when posting this piece, it’s the first I’ve seen of the fallout from the SCOTUS Janus ruling.
Sounds a lot like SLAVERY........................
The dam is starting to leak. Here’s hoping for a quick colapse.
It’s getting even worse for the unions, not only are employees suing to stop current dues, there was a story a few days ago about a group that is suing to have ALL dues ever collected from them going back in some cases 20 years or more refunded with interest. Talk about hitting the union’s where it hurts...
Amen to that, the sooner the better.
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Democrats have always loved and defended slave labor. If they can’t have American slaves, they’ll bring in low wage foreign immigrants, especially illegal immigrants. If they can’t get enough of that, they’ll have their products made in China, Vietnam, Mexico, etc, by communist/socialist slave labor.
the issue will be mooted before it reaches court when the annual escape periods arrive for the various public employees’ unions ...
REPARATIONS
The University of California is one of, if not the largest employer in the state. The blue collar class UC employees had to pay union dues thanks to Governor Gray Davis. Now the UC employees that weren’t union members should sue the SEIU to return all of their forced dues payments that the University automatically deducted from their pay.
That’s why they want to remove all references to slavery from the culture of America.
Once that is done, we will ALL be slaves............
Or, sue the union for retroactive reimbursement for the current period
True, but then the unions should be facing reimbursement of members who wanted out.
Look for the unions to start supporting independents in the next election cycle.
Thanks! Figured this was coming—have to sue to be allowed to drop even though the court ruling is very clear. Existing union members are not being given an immediate—stay or drop. Too bad. They should have been dropped immediately, then asked if they wanted to Opt-In as they court says (but seems easier for new employees).
You’re most welcome and I agree with you.
These unions have been raping unwilling participants of their hard earned dollars for decades.
I want to see them bankrupted with all leaders behind bars.
Has to be a tough decision to request a split from a union, knowing that union will use every intimidation device it against that employee, including physical harm.
“True, but then the unions should be facing reimbursement of members who wanted out.”
I think a lawsuit to that effect is likely to go nowhere. The SCOTUS ruling applied only to the “fair share” fees stolen from non-union members, and there is in fact a class action lawsuit attempting repayment of “fair share” fees under the theory that they’ve been declared to be unconstitutional by SCOTUS and were therefore were unconstitutionally collected in the first place ...
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