Janus v. AFSCME brought an end to fair share fees and forced unionization for five million government workers across the country. It was a huge victory, but it didn’t help everyone.
Workers for private companies in 23 states can still be forced to pay union dues or fees in order to keep their jobs.
This isn’t right.
Last week, Mark Janus traveled to New Mexico to support communities that are taking action to protect workers’ rights. Nearly one-third of New Mexico’s 33 counties have adopted local “right-to-work” measures that end forced unionization at private companies.
These local, grassroots initiatives put the choice about how to spend hard-earned money back in the hands of the workers themselves.
We were proud to stand with activists, the Rio Grande Foundation (our partners in New Mexico), and the Americans for Prosperity in support of workers’ First Amendment rights. Unfortunately, the New Mexico state legislature is considering legislation that would limit the ability of local communities to defend worker freedom.
What’s happening in New Mexico is important. People are taking their rights into their own hands at the local level. They are protecting the ability to hold a job free from paying union fees and free from an obligation to support an organization you disagree with in order to earn a living.
This is a right every American should be able to easily exercise. We are seeing this through. We fought all the way to the Supreme Court to guarantee this choice for government workers and we won’t stop now.
