Janus claimed that in lieu of paying his dues, contributing even a reduced percentage, a fair share, to his union to defray the cost of bargaining his wages and benefits, and protecting his rights, violated his right to free speech.
Unions keep dues strictly separate from funds collected specifically for political donations. This was not a case about the contributions that unions make to political candidates who are committed to the rights of workers. Janus’ suit was part of a concerted effort by anti-union groups with very deep pockets to weaken unions and diminish the power that individuals can access when they experience wrongful treatment on the job. It shifts the very understanding of union work from advocacy in the workplace into the realm of actual politics. This is a direct attack on workers and their unions.
Now that Janus has been decided, many locals, state and national federations will see a decrease in financial resources. Our state and national affiliates, the AFTPA and AFT, will be affected. We often rely on them for assistance in legal and legislative issues, strategic advice, training, and building our data handling capacity. They have offered great support for our ongoing organizing, and without their help, TAUP would not have been able to grow in size and force by bringing adjuncts into the union.
TAUP does not have fair share–that is, if you choose not to pay dues, you don’t have to pay anything. Even though no member of the TAUP bargaining unit pays fair share, the Janus ruling against AFSCME will affect you. There will likely be aggressive outreach from anti-union activists, and it is very possible that you will be contacted. Anti-union groups have been preparing to contact union members to encourage them to quit their union: “Give yourself a raise!” You don’t have to pay anything!” They may also make offers to provide services like basic legal support and health insurance, though the benefits they offer are inferior.
We want to reiterate the differences between these types of outside groups and TAUP. TAUP bargains for more than an outside business is able to. We have the right to negotiate workplace policies, for example. Outside entities have no say in the majority of issues that affect the quality of your work or your life. Only TAUP can negotiate over job security, workload, tenure, merit or promotion. In contrast to these businesses, TAUP is a collective of your colleagues who work here at Temple. Officers, Executive Committee and Constituency Council members are elected by you, and they are not here to financially profit from this work. We work simultaneously on behalf of ourselves and our colleagues, because we are all in the same boat. We are in solidarity with each other. That is what makes us strong.
Like the rest of the labor movement, TAUP will rise to the challenge of Janus by working harder to organize and to demonstrate the value of belonging to the union in your workplace. If you are not a dues-paying member of TAUP and you appreciate that you are working in a unionized workplace, it’s time to join. It’s never been more important.
If you have any questions or would like to work with TAUP in protecting workplace rights at this critical time, reach out to a TAUP officer, Constituency Council Chair or Member at Large to talk about your interests, skills, and availability.
Officers:
President: Steve Newman stevenewma
Vice Pres.: Jennie Shanker jshanker1@g
Treasurer: Norma Corrales-Martin taup.treasurer@gmail.com
Tenured/Tenure Track Constituency Council:
Chair: Karen Palter kpalter@gmail.com
At Large: Jeffrey Solow solowcello@gmail.com
NTT Constituency Council:
Chair: Andrew Mossin amossin@gmail.com
At Large: Kolson Schlosser kolslaw@hotmail.com
Adjunct Constituency Council:
Chair: Zoe Cohen zoeart@gmail.com
At Large: Sam Allingham sallingh@gmail.com