Liberty Justice Center

Mark Janus and Rebecca Friedrichs? And why did I write about them in The Wall Street Journal today?

Mark Janus works as a child support specialist with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, advocating for kids when their parents aren’t together anymore. He didn’t find out he was required to pay union fees until he saw fees deducted from his first paycheck. Mark loves his job, but he doesn’t see the union that he is forced to support working for the good of Illinois.  He doesn’t want to have to give money to a union to keep his job. And he’s not alone.

Rebecca Friedrichs, whose name may sound familiar, is a California school teacher who loves teaching children to read and write by introducing them to a lifelong passion for learning.

The Supreme Court has only just announced it will hear Mark Janus’s case, but labor unions are already acting as if they’ve lost. Mr. Janus, a state employee in Illinois, wants to stop paying union “fair share” fees, which ostensibly cover the cost of collective bargaining. If he wins, public workers in states like Illinois, California and Minnesota—which don’t have “right to work” laws—could be freed to keep their money if their union isn’t delivering value.