Posted on 04/05/2019 5:08:48 PM PDT by LS
Two major public sector unions lost nearly 210,000 agency fee payers combined in 2018, according to recently filed reports showing the impact of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prohibits forcing nonmembers to pay for collective bargaining and other nonpolitical expenses.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees saw a 98 percent drop from the prior year, leaving 2,200 agency fee payers. The Service Employees International Union lost 94 percent of their agency fee payers, reducing the number of agency fee payers to 5,800.
The disclosure reports filed with the Labor Department last week provide an early snapshot of ramifications of the high court’s June 2018 ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, which said mandatory agency fees in the public sector violate nonmembers’ First Amendment rights. Agency fees typically amount to 75 to 85 percent of full union dues.
The two main public teachers unions similarly lost their fee payers following the ruling, according to government reports and union representatives.
While the immediate and near total exodus of fee payers from public sector unions was expected, the long-term impact of the Janus decision will likely be measured in how many members quit. The ruling allows public employees in unionized workplaces to benefit from collective bargaining without paying anything.
“Most agency fee payers left,” said Patrick Wright, vice president for legal affairs at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a conservative advocacy group. “The big question going forward is how many full members are going to join them.”
The Mackinac Center is one of several conservative groups running campaigns urging public employees to consider dropping out of their unions.
The early returns show little change in AFSCME and SEIU membership numbers. AFSCME gained by more than 9,000 non-retired members in 2018, about a 1 percent gain over the previous year. The SEIU lost nearly 4,500 non-retired members, which represents a 0.3 percent drop. Members Chose to ‘Stick With Their Union’
An SEIU spokesman said in an email that the disclosure report show “members are sticking together despite anti-worker extremists spending millions to divide us.” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said in a press release that “overwhelming numbers” of members chose to “stick with their union.”
The relatively small changes in AFSCME and SEIU’s membership in the immediate aftermath of Janus reflect the robust internal organizing campaigns in public sector unions, said Jeffrey Keefe, a researcher at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute who consults with unions. But some unions may redirect resources away from internal organizing over the next few years, he said.
Unionization rates among teachers are about 24 percent lower in states with collective bargaining that prohibit mandatory agency fees under their so-called right-to-work laws, compared to rates in states that allowed such fees before Janus, Keefe said. Teachers Unions
The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers submitted their disclosure forms to the Labor Department last year, but they cover less time since Janus was decided. While AFSCME and SEIU collect data for each calendar year, NEA uses a September to August schedule and AFT uses a July to June schedule.
The NEA, which had nearly 88,000 agency fee payers in its 2017 report, left that section blank in its latest report because of the Janus ruling, an NEA spokesman said. The report showed that the union’s non-retired membership grew by more than 13,000.
The AFT’s reporting period for its 2018 submission closed days after Janus was decided, but a union spokesman told Bloomberg Law that it lost 84,600 agency fee payers as a result of the ruling. Nevertheless, the AFT added 100,000 members from February 2018 to February 2019, more than offsetting the departure of fee payers, the spokesman said. Dollars and Cents
The reports are less clear about the financial impact of Janus than its effect on agency fee payers.
The SEIU, for example, reported an $8.6 million gain in revenue from fees and dues despite losing members and fee payers, but accounting lags result in 2017 funds getting reported for 2018. AFSCME reported a $4.2 million drop in revenue from fees and dues.
Outside of funds taken in, public sector unions have had to dish money out to defend against a slew of Janus-related lawsuits seeking fee refunds, and challenging unions’ power to represent nonmembers and their ability to limit when former members stop paying dues.
If public sector unions start to go belly up the DNC is in for problems.
*Happy Dance!*
JFK thank you for your executive order for letting government employees to unionize. I wonder why no one has challenged that for constitutionality in the courts.
Oregon Dem legislature is working on a work around this law
“Oregon Dem legislature is working on a work around this law”
sounds like whatever they try to do is going to necessarily be unconstitutional ...
This court decision was a victory for the National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation, which I have supported for many years.
It will take decades to undo Government Employee Union damage to the American Economy and American Freedom, and still we may never get it done.
Union money is a big factor in Democrat victories. Union campaign workers are a bigger factor. Anything which reduces union power, reduces the left.
if you can no longer ‘buy’ the votes, you can try to steal them. perhaps they can try to allow their electoral votes to be given to the national majority vote winner.
Wake up, America!
Public unions must be outlawed. The taxpayer is NOT represented!
I think Bloomburg is on FR’s excerpt list.
Awfully good news!
Not a big difference in membership, but very good trend.
Comparing rate of growth instead of membership would be an eye-opener.
There would be even more of an exodus were it not for the NEA affiliates who forbid their members to leave except during a very narrow window (about two weeks or less) at the time of ratifying a new contract.
Otherwise, you’re trapped for three to five years.
Praise God (YHVH)!!!!!!!
There should never have been _public_ unions.
Public servants serve We-The-People or get a real job.
Period.
Terminate _public_ unions.
WINNING. Wonder how many National Education Association members left.
The California cycle of corruption
Union charges dues more than necessary to do business for “political action.”
Union uses political action funds to brine state politicians who they negotiate and who must approve their pay and benefits.
The bribed officials agree to contracts with great increases.
When increases come the union increases dues and builds up more paolical action funds; more bribes.
More bribes more bennies and so on and so firth.
I was a manager in that system. We hand no power to negotiate. The state office off labor relations did that, directed by the governor.
So we were glad when the union got a hick bump because managers got a nice bump too. No one represents the taxpayer when the pols are on the dole. When Gay Davis was governor it costs 100,000 to talk to him. The corretcions union was in there once month. Our director couldn’t talk to the governor, had to go to the agency secretary
Or, why no President since has had the ‘nads to rescind that EO.
YES!!
It’s karmalicious !
>
JFK thank you for your executive order for letting government employees to unionize. I wonder why no one has challenged that for constitutionality in the courts.
>
A:
1) ‘Cuz lawyers\courts (I repeat myself) don’t bother to base their case/decisions VS. the Constitution. Just look at the Heller decision, “Sure the 2nd says ‘shall NOT be infringed’, BUT....”
2) If they DID #1, the whole ‘house of cards’ would be in jeopardy.
Schools reason for a separate court challenge. Since January is in effect all Union members should immediately be eligible to quit... Not having to wait for a window.
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