Fuck yeah:
A local labor leader Monday conceded that, in the wake of the Janus v. AFSCME ruling, it was unlikely that state laws could be changed in the near future to minimize the impact of the ruling.
Roberta Lynch, the executive director of AFSCME Council 31 and the defendant in the Janus lawsuit, was asked if she’d support legislation on the state level that would remove the requirement that unions collectively bargain on behalf of employees not in the union.
“We don’t have a very favorable governor right now, and I’m giving an understatement,” Lynch said. “We’re not anticipating that there will be any union-friendly, worker-friendly legislation in the state with the current governor that we have, who spearheaded this effort to take rights away from workers.”
The Janus case was started by Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Lynch added, though, that AFSCME believes a host of state-level legislators are prepared to side with unions.
“No doubt, there will be legislators who want to work with us,” she said. “It very well could be a different governor.”
U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the Democratic Whip in the U.S. House, and three Illinois Democrats Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Brad Schneider took part in a meeting with members and leaders of AFSCME, the Chicago Federation of Labor, the Illinois Education Association, SEIU and other unions.
Meanwhile, Governor Asshole is working to get workers to quit their unions:
Unions vowed to unite, “stand up against the billionaire bullies” and recruit even more members in light of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that might strip them of cash and power.
At the same time, the state of Illinois quickly launched a government website where workers in public-sector unions could learn about how to change their union status and avoid paying dues. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees responded with an email to state workers that blasted Gov. Bruce Rauner for launching that site and accusing him of “misleading” state employees.
Welcome to the reality of the post-Janus-v.-AFSCME era.
Anti-union groups that helped propel the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 against public-sector unions, are expected to pour big money into campaigns to convince workers to leave them. Unions already are peppering workers with information to counter that.
The Supreme Court ruled that government workers can’t be forced to contribute “fair share” fees to labor unions that represent them in collective bargaining, potentially dealing those unions a serious financial blow. State laws that required workers to pay such fees — including a law in Illinois — violate workers’ First Amendment free-speech rights, the high court ruled.
Unions have had years to prepare for the ruling. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said there are about 800,000 members in states affected by the fair-share case. She said more than 500,000 of those members “said they’re sticking with the union” in recommitment campaigns the union has launched.
“Don’t count us out for the right wing thirst and extremism or the right thirst for power,” Weingarten said in a conference call with reporters. ”
By the way, Trump’s billionaire backers are helping bail out union-busting Rauner:
On Tuesday, Economic Freedom Alliance is set to begin running television ads attacking Rauner’s opponent, Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker. Sources tell WGN the advertising campaign will total more than half a million dollars.
Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz was the chairman of the Economic Freedom Alliance until the end of May, stepping down shortly after President Donald Trump nominated him to serve as U.S. ambassador to Belgium.
According to state records, Gidwitz’s brother James now serves as chairman of the group.
During the 2016 presidential race, Ron and James Gidwitz both donated to Donald Trump’s bid to win the White House. FEC records show the brothers gave a combined $60,000 to the Trump Victory Committee, and thousands more directly to Trump’s campaign.
Ron Gidwitz previously co-chaired Bruce Rauner’s 2014 campaign for Governor. Records show he also gave more than $50,000 to that effort.
Governor Bruce Rauner frequently avoids weighing in on national issues and rarely mentions President Trump by name.
But, while in Washington, D.C. last week awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on Janus vs. AFSCME, Rauner said he did meet with Vice President Mike Pence.
We need to make Rauner pay big time for playing a big role in this Supreme Court ruling. Click below to donate and get involved With J.B. Pritzker (D. IL) and Attorney General candidate, Kwame Raoul’s (D. IL) campaigns:
J.B. Pritzker for Governor
Kwame Raoul for Attorney General