Janus is here

Dear Colleagues,

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Today, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Janus v. AFSCME, the culmination of decades-long right-wing efforts to “defund and defang” unions like ours. This decision means that non-members will no longer have to pay their fair share for union representation; but our union will still be legally obligated to represent them.

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If we don’t stick together this decision will also gravely weaken our ability to negotiate for better wages and benefits. When fair share representation ended in Wisconsin, union members received Koch Brothers-funded letters urging people to drop their union membership. The impact was a devastating drop in union membership, followed by a massive drop in educators’ salaries and benefits.

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Please don’t be fooled by these right-wing attacks on our collective power. We need strong unions. To fully understand why, see the information available from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education: “A Three-Part Series: The Union Effect in California.”

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Our union has had many victories in the last two years:

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• We negotiated a new contract that restored us to be above the Bay 10 median in salaries (you’ll see the results in your July 31 paycheck).

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• We worked with our students and community to save our college from the rogue accreditor, the ACCJC.

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• We led the successful Free City campaign to make our college free! This has led to thousands of San Franciscans recommitting to their education. Our college is growing again after years of declines in enrollment.

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Our ability to continue to win is based on the support of our members. Our membership is at 88%. Hundreds of our colleagues have already pledged, “I’m sticking with our union!” by signing new membership forms. If you haven’t already done so you can make sure to contribute to our union’s success by filling out a new membership form online. Not sure if you’re a member? You can still fill out a new form now or check by contacting our union staff member Athena Waid at awaid@aft2121.org.

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Together we are fighting back to keep our union strong. Let’s remain committed to each other, to our students, and to the community we serve.

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In Unity,

Jenny Worley

The Janus decision is billionaires’ attack on working people. Today we will be joining with our fellow workers and community allies in bringing the Janus protest to the streets. We invite you to come out and join the Jobs With Justice and SF Labor Council contingent!

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