Public Sector Union Death-Grip in Crosshairs?

These postal workers have the right to support a fascistic mail delivery model, but not to compel the financial support of others to do so. (Image via Wikipedia.)

Both John Stossel and George Will recently commented on Janus v. AFSCME, a case before the Supreme Court that could reverse a very bad past ruling regarding public sector unions. According to that ruling, those who didn't want to join a public sector union couldn't be forced to do so. However, they could be made to pay whatever portion of the dues were deemed to be the cost of that union representing them, to prevent "freeloading." Quoting FDR (!), Will notes, "The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service," since it amounts to political advocacy. As Will notes, the court seems to be on a path towards reversal on First Amendment grounds, starting even within the text of the original Abood decision in 1977.

In that vein, Will ends on the following humorous note:

Many Democrats are, or say they are, distraught about "big money" and there being "too much" money in political campaigns. They will, however, be seriously distraught if help arrives by June with Janus winning. This will stop the coerced flow of money to government workers' unions, which in the 2016 election cycle spent $63.9 million on politics, 90 percent supporting Democratic candidates and causes.

I hope for the sake of freedom of speech that the upcoming decision is indeed a reversal, not that the reduced political power of public sector unions wouldn't be a fine extra.

-- CAV