Remembering the Janus v. AFSCME Decision: Teachers Have a Right to Choose Union Affiliation Status

Next Tuesday, June 27th, marks the five year anniversary of the Janus v. AFSCME decision ruling that employees cannot be forced to join or pay dues to a union in order to get or keep their job.

This changed the world of education, giving teachers back freedoms, despite whether they work in a Forced Unionism or Right to Work state. Yet, many teachers are still under the assumption that they have no choice but to join a union. This is especially problematic when unions use the funds they’ve collected to support political movements that teachers may not agree with. Union bosses do all they can to keep them in the dark, making them believe that joining the union is the only option.

In The Baltimore Sun, Vann Prime, a public school teacher himself, relays his experience as a union member when the Janus v. AFSCME court case came to an end:

After the decision, teachers’ unions did their best to make it difficult for their paying members to leave in my experience. For example, after Janus, my state teachers’ union required educators expressly to write formal letters demanding the cancellation of their membership. Although this seems trivial, the unions realized that most teachers would not take the initiative to draft a letter.

VANN PRIME, THE BALTIMORE SUN

So as we come up on the 5th anniversary of the Janus decision, let’s remember our rights as American workers and spread the word so others can know their rights and take advantage of them. Share this post with your coworkers, family, and even friends.