The Fallacy of Janus at The Supreme Court (employment, generations, school)

[roseba]

My union, the United Federation of Teachers, has a political fund called COPE, and I contribute. I frequently disagree with UFT candidate endorsements and decisions, but I believe it’s important to empower our union. Not all of my friends believe that, but contributions to the political fund are strictly voluntary.

Union does, however, help press for things like higher pay, better working conditions, and increased benefits. We teachers and our union are frequently criticized for those demands. I see our working conditions as student learning conditions. I see our profession as a pathway to the middle class. At least two of my former students are now my colleagues, something I’m proud of. I think it’s our responsibility to leave our profession better for future generations. Of course, others may disagree with what we strive for.

It’s entirely possible there may be a class of teachers who want more work, less pay, and fewer benefits. A ruling for Janus, which would certainly weaken unions, could help achieve that.

Why should New Yorkers have to do that? If other states don’t wish to tax their citizens, it shouldn’t be up to us to build their roads or pay for their services. Maybe, like the union members who want more work for less pay, those states have residents who don’t want roads or services. They should have the absolute right to live without them, and we ought not to get in their way.

Like a state or country, a union is a group of people who share an interest. Together we try to make things better for our group. We work together to advance our interests, and that’s why we have collective bargaining. I understand that, in a large union and in a democracy, I may not always agree with the direction in which we’re moving, but I have to do my part. And more broadly, I understand, as a citizen, that I have to do my part.

However, if union activity is inherently political, so is government activity. If people are permitted to opt out of union dues, we ought to also be able to opt out of taxes. As soon as we can do that, I will consider supporting Janus.

The Fallacy of Janus at The Supreme Court

[Gantz]

The author seems to be confusing local taxes and federal taxes.

Low tax states pay the same amount of taxes as high tax states, in percentage terms, so they should receive the same federal services.
The extra taxes paid in high tax states are state/local taxes, and they do not go to building roads in other states. These taxes go towards people like the author who want to get high pay and good benefits for less work.

[prospectheightsresident]

There is no "fallacy." The government advocacy the UFT and others engage in are almost exclusively anti Republican and pro Democrat positions. No one would disagree that government activity is political. The only question is whether government is allowed to compel citizens to support such activity as a condition of employment.

[Will0914]

...

[BentBow]

IN SHORT,
The American citizen has no endowed right to life, nor liberty, nor absolute ownership because, as a subject, he can be ordered to train, fight, and die, on command (militia duty), and was obligated to give up a portion of his property (taxes, etc).
However, that does not negate the endowed rights of the American people (noncitizens) who did not consent to be governed.

BUT if you consented, shut up, sit down, pay and obey.

[Will0914]

I am starting to agree with Janus. I have been paying @UFT union dues from the day I started, so that is 25 years now. I stand by my union and I volunteer at least 30 hours a year of my time for my union. Why doesn't our Union stand by us. I have a co-worker who is the most wonderful person and he was terminated. He explained the situation to me and I was totally shocked how the Union let it advance to this point. A lot of us at P.S. / I.S. 109 are so afraid of this principal that we are so scared to help another union brother or sister. That is the reason why I am writing from a different account due to the fact I am scared of losing my job as well. Others have been put through the ringer and have been forced to look for other places to work and some as my co-worker has been wrongfully terminated. My co-worker explained everything in detail and from what I heard this should have been taken care of and he should have been back to work already. He also told me his rep called him not to check in on him but to tell him there is a sign in a window that says help wanted. This co-worker is in need of medical and because of this principal my friend not only has a job he has no benefits. This principal also not only told the Department of labor a story he had the nerve a month later to change his story. How do I know that is because I was with him when the DOL called him. So what kind of system do we have ? Was Janus right when he said why pay my union dues? Is this just a show or does our union stand by us. I as well as other teachers are losing faith and my friend Mr. T does not deserve what is going on. He is the most kind person, always with a smile, he helps me when ever I need help even if it is on his time he is always there. He has even done work on my house in the summer and at times slept over because it was late when he finished. He has been over my house numerous times to spend holiday dinners with my children and the rest of my family. Not one person ever had a bad thing to say about him. I think he has suffered enough and deserves his job back so he can move on with his life. I have at least 20 other teachers that are with me and each one is telling a friend and so on. We are at the point where we are ready to hold a walk out because of this. A principal is there to be a team leader, educate us to further success of the school not have everyone running around like chickens without a head. Stand up for this man because he deserves it. I keep offering him food but he refuses, he always says he is not hungry I think it is more pride than anything. @UFT

[Spartacus713]

We need to protect the rights of unions to represent workers. Unions are not currently the critical tool in protecting workers that they were a hundred years ago. But mark it down, there will come a day again in the future where they will be again.

Unions have sadly become enormously corrupt and self serving. Currently unions are more about the members serving and funding the unions and the elites that run them than they are about the unions serving the members and their needs.

As a result, it is critical that workers be free to choose whether they want to participate in a union or not, including the funding of those organizations. Too often these days, unions have become these massive bureaucratic shake-down operations. That sort of a role should not be defended or protected.

There will come a day when unions are critical to workers again and the right to unionize must be protected. But they must also have the right to not unionize. And that is what Janus effectively achieved.