Will the Supreme Court knock out a major prop supporting big government? Get ready for another big case challenging the power of public employee unions to force public employees to pay union dues. In February, the Supreme Court will hear Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employee. Writes Michael Reitz:
Over time, organized labor has shifted its core function away from serving its members and to consolidating its political power, acting as a financial pipeline for a single political party. As AFSCME 36 of Los Angeles says: “Politics is the union’s business.” Or the Michigan Education Association: “Every education decision is a political decision.”
Political intersectionality led unions, particularly the National Education Association, to embrace causes that have little to do with the workplace.
Labor’s shift to politics is the logical result of relying on government employees to sustain membership rolls. Unions are self-motivated to grow government: More government programs lead to more employees who pay more in union dues.