An Illinois legal nonprofit has sent sent out an advisory after the court decision that said public employers could no longer deduct agency fees from a nonmember’s wages without the employee’s affirmative consent, but that employees paying the agency fees may choose to become members.
Otherwise, the advisory said, the Janus decision “does not impact any agreements to pay union dues between a union and its members to pay union dues. Existing membership cards or other agreements by union members to pay dues should continue to be honored.”
The interpretation is clearly a big deal for unions. According to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, unions collected nearly $21 million in dues from 25,000 state employees who are union members, and another $5 million in fair share fees from 6,000 state workers who opted out of union membership. The state has stopped deducting fair share fees from non-members’ paychecks.
“Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has been clear that ‘The Janus decision does not impact any agreements to pay union dues between a union and its members,” said Melissa Unger, executive director of the Service Employees International Union Local 503, which represents about 17,000 state workers.
“Anti-worker groups like the Liberty Justice Center and the Freedom Foundation will continue to target SEIU 503 and other labor unions in Oregon because they know our members have strength in numbers, and through that strength, will continue to work toward a just and vibrant society.”
The nonprofit group ended its letter: “If you do not comply with this request, we are prepared to pursue litigation both to cease collection of union dues and fees and to recover dues and fees wrongfully taken from workers.”
