News

In light of last week’s unfortunate, yet anticipated, Supreme Court ruling in favor of Janus v. AFSCME,  CLC-AFO needs to warn you that there is a well orchestrated  machine funded by anti-union people like Governor Rauner, the Koch Brothers, the Illinois Policy Institute, etc. reaching out to members of public sector unions.  These groups have been preparing for the Janus decision and are now reaching out to union members and encouraging them to leave the union. Please be advised that these groups have had a plan in place for nearly a year in anticipation of a Janus decision.

 

Many members of school districts in Lake County have already been emailed (at school) by the anti-union organization (MY PAY-MY SAY) and already had  robo-calls by these aforementioned organizations reminding them how the Janus decision is a great day for the return of freedom of speech.  Many right to work/anti-labor organizations are going to be misinterpreting the Janus decision by saying that labor is dead, collective bargaining is dead, your pensions are dead, etc.  Ignore that.  The only thing the Janus case settled is that declared fair share employees do not have to pay agency fees.  Fair share adjuncts, now really “free-riders,” get all our hard fought for benefits without paying for the benefits they receive.

 

Our Union is strong but needs to get stronger.   Our membership drives last fall and this spring made a huge statement to our Board of Trustees and Administration.   As we begin to negotiate our contract, knowing that we have your voice and solidarity at the table is the single most influential tool we use to obtain a fair contract.  Please remember, CLC-AFO gives us a voice in everything we do that impacts our jobs.  If we lose that voice, we lose everything we’ve come to enjoy and everything we seek to gain in the future.

 

Ignore the rhetoric and “spin” you may hear from anti-union organizations.  Communicate or forward any encounters you experience and feel free to respond to these individuals as you see fit.  You are the Union.  Tell them about the benefits that the CLC-AFO has given you and how you believe in worker’s rights.  Remind them that the Union has given you a fair contract, GFO status, PTO and other benefits.  CLC-AFO stands for freedom and democracy, as your voice and your vote matters in the workplace.  If you receive an email or a robo-call, respond to them by saying what you want and in anyway you want. But please let us know that you are receiving these calls.

 

More to come on this.  Enjoy your summer and stay strong.

 

– Brian, Karen, Debbie and Mary

The Supreme Court’s Janus decision, which will come down this Spring or Summer, will have major, long-term implications for CLC-AFO and could very well cost us our union and all its benefits.

WHAT IS THE JANUS DECISION?

• Janus is short for Janus vs AFSCME Council 31, a case pending before the Supreme Court of the United States.
• The Janus case asks the Supreme Court to rule that paying union dues for non-members (called “fair share fees”) is unconstitutional.

Fair share fees are fees paid for by people who don’t want to be a member of a union,  but it is believed that they should pay their fair share of the costs of bargaining and maintaining a contract.

• If SCOTUS decides in favor of Janus, current fair share folks would not have to pay dues, BUT WOULD RECEIVE ALL THE BENEFITS AND PROTECTIONS of the CLC-AFO contract (raises, protection, professional growth money, GFO status, etc.).
• They would essentially become “FREELOADERS.”

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLC-AFO

• Currently approximately 50% of our adjunct union are members and 50% are fair share non-members.
• If current members decide to drop their membership and get “free benefits” (which happened in Indiana and Michigan when this passed) CLC-AFO membership will drop below 50% of adjuncts.
• CLC then can and will file an “RM Petition” with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board to decertify CLC-AFO claiming that we no longer represent the majority of adjunct faculty.
• This would nullify our contract.
• We Will Lose:
  • Regular raises, let alone any raises at all
  • Personal Days – Paid Time Off
  • Advocacy and Job Protection
  • There are people with us today because the union was able to advocate for them
  • GFO status
  • Professional Growth Money
  • All the benefits of the contract.
  • Our Field Rep Matt LaPierre
• Even if CLC does not petition to decertify CLC-AFO

We will enter negotiations 2019 severely weakened.

 

What can you do

• If you are fair share join now.
• Talk to other adjuncts and encourage them to join. Tell them why you are a member.
• Refer them to our webpage that will answer many questions or have them contact an officer.
• Brian Smith com652@clcillinois.edu
• Karen Florian KFlorian@CLCILLINOIS.EDU
• Debbie Jasnoch DJasnoch@CLCILLINOIS.EDU
• Mary Turley MTurley@clcillinois.edu

 

Please follow this link for more information on the Janus Decision.

What is this case really about? 

This case is really about taking away the freedom of working people to join together in strong unions to improve our lives and sustain our families. Real freedom is about more than making a living; it’s also about safety on the job, affordable health benefits, having time to care for a loved one who’s ill and dignity in retirement. The wealthy corporate special interests behind this case want to take away our freedom to join together in a union because they simply do not believe that working people should have the same freedoms as they do to negotiate a fair return on our work.

Who is behind this case? 

Bruce Rauner originated this case in a lawsuit he filed against AFSCME Council 31 to try to weaken the union by banning Fair Share fees in state government. When the federal court said Rauner didn’t have standing to bring such a suit, he found a lone state employee—Mark Janus—to allow the legal challenge to proceed in his name.

The suit is backed by the Liberty Justice Center (an arm of the Illinois Policy Institute) and the National Right to Work Foundation which is part of a network funded by corporate billionaires to use the U.S. legal system to rig the rules against the rights of everyday working people. For decades, the super-rich have used their massive fortunes to gain outsized influence in politics, chipping away at the progress people in unions have won for all working families. Now they want the highest court in the land to take away our freedom to come together to protect things our families need like a living wage, retirement security, health benefits and the ability to care for loved ones.

What are Fair Share fees?

When employees (in a legally defined bargaining unit) at a particular workplace have chosen to be represented by a union, the union becomes the legal representative for collective bargaining matters. The union is required by law to represent and negotiate on behalf of all of these workers—and all the workers receive the wage increases, benefits and workplace rights that the union is able to achieve.

Some workers may not want to be a member of the union—and they are not required to do so—but all workers are required to contribute to the cost of representation, whether through membership dues or a “fair share” fee. Because all the workers enjoy the benefits, job security and other protections that the union negotiates, it’s only fair that everyone chip in for the cost of that representation.

Is anyone ever forced to join a union or pay dues or fees that go to political candidates? 

No. The simple truth is that no one is required to join a union and no one is required to pay any fees that go to political candidates. A bargaining unit employee who does not want to be a union member or does not want to contribute toward electing candidates who support working families can choose to be a Fair Share feepayer—and pay a fee that is calculated to exclude any political expenditures. This is already the law of the land—and nothing in this case will change that.

What is the real impact of the Janus case? 

By outlawing Fair Share fees, employees who benefit from the gains that the union makes will not have to pay anything toward the cost of union representation. The wealthy elite behind this case want to drain unions of resources so that working people will not have a powerful voice. When working people have the freedom to speak up together through unions, we make progress together that benefits everyone. We are a nation of people that stand up for our rights, but if the billionaires and corporate CEOs behind this case get their way, they will take away the freedom of working people to come together in a strong union and build power to fight for a better future for ourselves, our families, our communities and our country.