In response to the Supreme Court’s 5 to 4 ruling against public-sector unions in the Janus decision, hundreds of union members and demonstrators marched through Foley Square on Wednesday to express their outrage.
The court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME is expected to impact more than 5 million union workers, close to 2 million of which are living and working in New York state.
The court’s decision, based on First Amendment grounds, rules state employees are not obliged to pay fees to a union representing government employees because such a requirement compels them to “subsidize the speech of other private speakers.”
The rally was headed by the Professional Staff Congress (PSC/CUNY), affiliated with NYSUT, the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO. Through out the evening, they were joined by several of local public officials who came to show their support, including Public Advocate Letitia James, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, and 45th District Councilman Jumaane Williams among a few. Photographs by Tsubasa Berg
