Quad City Times Editorial Board, February 28, 2018
Public employee unions might be all but toast in the U.S. Supreme Court. And it couldn’t happen soon enough for Illinois, its schools and its local governments.
On Monday, justices heard arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a potentially landmark case pitting an Illinois public employee against the state’s most powerful union. The case revolves around the concept of “fair share” fees, which require public employees such as Mark Janus to pay into unions even if they don’t join.
In essence, Janus could convert the entire country into right-to-work. In so doing, it could finally weaken the political choke-hold that permits unions to single-handedly drive strong-union states, such as Illinois, off a fiscal cliff. It could stifle the absurd opposition to even the most necessary roll-backs on anachronistic, budget-busting benefits that haven’t been accessible to the taxpaying private sector for decades, namely pension and health care benefits for retirees.
