NJ Cops July18 | Page 10

Supreme Court issues blow to public-sector unions The other shoe has finally dropped. The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a blow to the ability of public-sector unions to collect agency fees from non-members. In Janus v. AFSCME, the Court, in a 5-4 decision on June 27, concluded that requiring unionized public employees to at least pay agency fees if they choose not to become members of the union “violates the free speech rights of non-members by compelling them to subsi- dize private speech on matters of public con- cern.” In several previous NJ Cops Magazine articles and in reports at the monthly NJ State PBA Board of Delegates meetings, we have anticipated the decision, but its p