P-4
Janus and Fair Share Fees
Over the last decade, a number of cases attacking the rights of public-sector union members have been quietly working their way through the courts and, finally, up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The most recent of these challenges is Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, which the U.S. Supreme Court will hear on February 26. If the court rules for Janus, it will likely have the most significant impact on workers’ freedom to organize and bargain collectively in 70 years.
Janus is the third case to come before the Supreme Court in five years involving public-sector unions’ ability to collect “fair share” (or “agency”) fees. As this report will show, Janus, and the two fair share cases that preceded it, did not grow from an organic, grassroots challenge to union representation. Rather, the fair share cases are being financed by a small group of foundations with ties to the largest and most powerful corporate lobbies. These organizations and the policymakers they support have succeeded in advancing a policy agenda that weakens the bargaining power of workers. In Janus, these interests have focused their attack on public-sector workers—the workforce with the highest union density.
Janus is the third case to come before the Supreme Court in five years involving public-sector unions’ ability to collect “fair share” (or “agency”) fees. As this report will show, Janus, and the two fair share cases that preceded it, did not grow from an organic, grassroots challenge to union representation. Rather, the fair share cases are being financed by a small group of foundations with ties to the largest and most powerful corporate lobbies. These organizations and the policymakers they support have succeeded in advancing a policy agenda that weakens the bargaining power of workers. In Janus, these interests have focused their attack on public-sector workers—the workforce with the highest union density.
We examine the core group of organizations financing this litigation. By tracing the origins of these legal challenges, and explaining how the challenges target unions, we show that challenging fair share fees in the courts appears to be part of a broader billionaire-financed agenda to weaken unions and shift power away from ordinary workers.
Regular Monthly Meeting Schedule for 2017/2018
CSEA SEIU Local 2001, P4 Council
Monthly meetings are held (normally) the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM at CSEA SEIU Local 2001 located at 760 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, CT. This year’s approved meeting dates are:
January 5, 2017
February 2, 2017
March 2, 2017
April 6, 2017
May 4, 2017
June 1, 2017
July 6, 2017
August 3, 2017
September 7, 2017
October 5, 2017
November 2, 2017
December 7, 2017
January 4, 2018
The agenda and monthly meeting minutes will be available at the P4 ftp site at CSEA SEIU Local 2001 webpage under the Council’s link. We will also email all delegates and alternates a copy of the agenda if we have a home email on file for them. Please contact Mike Nortz (mnortz@csea760.com) if you have questions or difficulty with the ftp site or want to provide an email address or update.
Sept. 8th P-4 Council Meeting Canceled. Please Attend Sept. 8th D.U.E. Justice Event
We have made an executive decision to cancel the upcoming September 8, 2016 P4 Council meeting and have delegates and alternates attend an important call to action at the D.U.E. Justice Coalition’s Take Back Connecticut meeting at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.
The specific details of the event are:
Take Back Connecticut!
D.U.E Justice Coalition Action
Thursday, Sept 8th, 6:30PM
CT Central State University, Welte Auditorium
New Britain, Connecticut
This is an important event in our fight for keeping our SEBAC and P4 Contract secure. We’ll be coming together to fight for good jobs; quality schools; a vibrant and fairly funded public sector; racial, gender, and ethnic justice; and democracy in our state and our workplaces. The entire leadership of the P4 Council looks forward to seeing you at this event. Please direct any specific questions about the event to our CSEA SEIU Local 2001political director Danny Medress (860-951-6614) or P4 President Travis Woodward (twoodwardpe@yahoo.com)
See you there!!! And we will see you on October 6th, 2016 at our next monthly meeting.
P-4 Statewide Seniority List
Disclaimer: This seniority list has been provided by the State for your information. CSEA has not verified the accuracy of the list. If you have any questions or concerns, contact a P4 Steward.
CSEA P-4 Members Soundly Reject UPSEU
The window period during which a petition can be filed with the state labor board to initiate a representational election has now closed and CSEA P-4 members have soundly rejected UPSEU, who failed to garner the minimum support necessary to trigger an election.
This is excellent news for all of P-4; we have shown that we speak with one unified voice and now we will move forward together and concentrate all of our efforts on winning a strong contract.
DOT Emergency Disability Forms now on the Internet
To All DOT Members,
In cases when emergency situations occur outside of normal business hours, the state has made available on DOT’s Internet Site, (under Quick Links http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=1372&q=565834 ) important information, instructions and the necessary forms to be completed to help ensure that employees’ families/beneficiaries receive the benefits they are entitled to. (These forms are also available on the DOT intranet/Human Resources forms/Emergency Disability<http://dot.si.ct.gov/dotsi/cwp/view.asp?a=3568&q=449740>).
During normal business hours, you may contact the state’s retirement office at (860) 594-3108.
These forms are as a result of CSEA pushing for emergency disability efforts for the membership throughout the year as well as successful use of a P-4 labor management committee at DOT).
P-4 Shirts Now Available!
Our order has come in and P-4 Shirts are now available!
- T-shirts: American and Union Made with Screen Printed P-4 Logo, $20 each
- Sweatshirts with Embroidered P-4 Logo, $25 each
- Hoodies with full zipper and embroidered P-4 Logo, $30 each
Proceeds will benefit the McCusker Scholarship Fund.