Schakowsky Statement on the Supreme Court's decision in Janus v. AFSCME

“This is a sad day for public employees and all of us who rely on them to provide us with the services we need, from keeping our air and water clean to teaching our children to protecting public health. Janus started with Governor Rauner but it was quickly embraced by all those whose mission is to take away the freedoms of working women and men. Janus is about making it more difficult for state and local workers to join together in unions, to bargain collectively for fair wages and benefits, to promote safe workplaces, to blow the whistle on fraud and abuse, and to stand up for the people they serve. It is part of an aggressive, well-funded attack on federal, state and local, and private sector workers.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. knew that collective bargaining was worth fighting for, which is why he stood arm-in-arm with the Memphis sanitation workers during their strike 50 years ago. Today, collective bargaining for public sector workers is more necessary than ever – look no further than the wildcat teacher strikes from West Virginia to Arizona. It’s a shame the Court has chosen to side with billionaires and corporations over teachers, firefighters, social workers, and emergency medical technicians.

“Janus is a terrible decision but it is not the final word. Those of us who know that unions help working families succeed and communities prosper will not just continue the work to promote workplace democracy – we will fight harder than ever.”