Dan DiClemente, President of AFSCME Council 66, issued this response to the US Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31:
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned decades of legal precedent by declaring that fair share fees to public service unions are no longer constitutional. Rather than decide this case based on the law, activist judges have taken the extraordinary step of siding with corporations that are undermining workers’ rights across the country.
Members are more committed than ever to the Union because we all know our rights to join together to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions are at stake. This Supreme Court case will only reinforce our resolve and determination to move forward, and our union is in the strongest and best position to overcome any challenge that comes our way. The New York State Constitutional Convention referendum last year showed that when we fight to protect workers’ rights, we win.
Americans need strong unions now more than ever to unrig an economy skewed to benefit the ultra-wealthy. Unions uplift our families and make our communities stronger. Being in a labor union gives us the freedom to provide for our families, care for our loved ones, and retire with dignity. We will never quit on our union, and we will never quit on the communities we are all here to serve.