Several labor unions opposed legislation to ensure public employees’ rights under Janus v. AFSCME was opposed by unions this week and made several false and deceptive claims in the process.
The proposed legislation — Senate Bill 511 — is in response to the United States Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision, in which the Court ruled that it is a violation of public employees’ constitutional rights to compel membership in and payment to a union as a condition of employment. The Court’s opinion is based on its determination that everything a public employee union does is “inherently political.” Private-sector unions are not affected by Janus.
SB 511 would provide that public sector employees such as teachers or firefighters must annually authorize their employer in writing to deduct union dues from their paycheck and that their employer then email the employee in question to verify the authorization. The bill further provides that employees may leave the union at any time and cease withholding of dues upon written request.
Sarah LaFrenz, president of the Kansas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, in written testimony said, “this bill is all about the government telling people how to spend their hard-earned paychecks and mandating anti-union propaganda. So much for giving people the freedom to decide for themselves.”
Nothing in the legislation suggests how teachers should spend their money. SB 511 ensures that public employees have the right to stop paying union...
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