With the decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Supreme Court struck down the long-standing practice of government unions charging nonmembers with “agency fees” — a flat fee charged for the cost of negotiating contracts that reflects the fact that even nonmembers who don’t pay dues still benefit from the improved pay and benefits negotiated by the union.
The case rests on the idea that unions are often politically active and many nonmembers might not want to see their money going to support an organization with political goals different from their own. Despite the fact that the agency fees can’t legally be used in funding political activity, the court still felt that Mark Janus — an Illinois child-support specialist — had his first amendment rights violated by having to pay the union for the services it provides him.
The end result is most likely going to be a major reduction in the funding available to public-sector unions across the country, which will, in turn, most likely ripple out in the form of reduced wages and benefits for those workers.
Click through to read more about sneaky ways employers steal from your paycheck.
