{"id":1433,"date":"2019-05-14T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T06:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=1433"},"modified":"2019-05-13T22:46:12","modified_gmt":"2019-05-13T22:46:12","slug":"aftermath-of-janus-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/aftermath-of-janus-ruling","title":{"rendered":"Public-Sector Unions Hold Strong in the Aftermath of the Janus Ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ken Green
\nCEO\/Founder
\nUnionTrack, Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Supreme Court\u2019s ruling on the Janus case is one of the most pivotal legislative moments in modern labor history \u2014 so much so that many predicted it would be the end of some public-sector unions because of the potential catastrophic damage in membership and financial security.<\/p>\n

Because the ruling allows public-sector employees around the nation to opt out of paying agency fees, even if they are represented by collective bargaining, most people assumed there would be a mass exodus from public-sector unions. Workers would now be able to enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining without having to contribute financially. <\/p>\n

While the decision was certainly a blow, it has not had the expected dire consequences to the public-sector unions that most anticipated. In fact, some public-sector unions saw an increase in membership, note Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene<\/a>, government researchers and correspondents for Governing Magazine.<\/p>\n

As Kim Cook<\/a>, extension faculty at the Cornell University Worker Institute, emphasizes to Barrett and Greene, \u201cI think the right wing thought this would decimate public-sector unions, and they were clearly wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

True, the ruling has hurt unions financially by denying them the cash flow. But what it did not do was eliminate the incentives for workers to join unions, explains New York Magazine journalist Sarah Jones<\/a>. Most members have stood by their unions, demonstrating a united front to support the work that unions do for public-sector workers. <\/p>\n

A Peek at Janus\u2019 Impact on Public-Sector Union Membership<\/h2>\n

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, the number of public-sector workers represented by a union declined by 83,000 in 2018, which represents a drop in member of less than 1 percent.<\/p>\n

Lee Saunders<\/a>, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), says the membership numbers prove that \u201cpublic service workers are resilient and see the value of union membership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not all unions are required to release their membership numbers, but here\u2019s a look at the impact the Janus ruling had on some <\/em>states and unions that did release some of that data.<\/p>\n