ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND (June 27, 2018) –The Maryland Public Policy Institute applauds today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling freeing public sector employees from paying mandatory union fees. The decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 means Maryland’s 195,000 teachers, state government workers, county, municipal and other public workers will have a voice and a choice how their hard-earned paychecks should be spent. Nationally, the decision in favor of Mark Janus, an Illinois child support specialist, impacts nearly 5 million public employees.

“This ruling is a victory for free speech and for Maryland’s public employees and their families,” said Christopher Summers, president and chief executive officer of the Maryland Public Policy Institute. “No one should have to pay for representation or political activity he or she does not support as a requirement for a job,” he added.

The Maryland Public Policy Institute anticipates the ruling could create opportunities for badly needed policy changes to make Maryland more competitive in education, public pensions, taxes and health care as unions must now justify to their members the lobbying dollars they previously received automatically. Workers looking for information about how this case impacts them can call 1-888-33MYPAY and visit mypaymysay.org. Contact csummers@mdpolicy.org to discuss the ruling’s impact on Maryland and how the Maryland Public Policy Institute plans to support our public sector employees’ rights.