Attorney General Becerra Files Amicus Brief in Janus v. AFSCME, Stands Up for Workers and Their Rights at Work

AG Becerra: Collective bargaining serves important interests of public employees and employers across the nation

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving public employees paying fees to support the cost of critical representation during collective bargaining. Unions use these fees, along with member dues, to represent all employees – both union and non-union employees. In the brief, Attorney General Becerra argues that collective bargaining serves important state interests and that cost-sharing among employees represented by the union is an integral part of the collective bargaining system.

“Our public employees -- whether teachers, firefighters, peace officers, nurses -- provide critical services to Californians,” said Attorney General Becerra. “We all benefit from their professional services. And these employees all benefit from union representation, regardless of whether or not they join the union. Through collective bargaining, unions negotiate fair wages, workplace safety, pensions, paid sick days, health-care services and other important protections on behalf of these employees. Everyone who benefits from representation should share the cost. The fees at issue in Janus play an integral role in supporting state workplaces all across the country.”

Public employees in California -- the community police officer, your child's first grade teacher, our first responders – deliver critical services to the State’s 40 million residents. The use of mandatory agency fees to support collective bargaining with public employers provides important benefits without improperly burdening individual interests. The current collective bargaining system has worked for decades and serves as an important mechanism for effective personnel management by facilitating the resolution of issues that could otherwise lead to dissatisfaction, inefficiency, and even disruption in the workplace. 

A copy of the brief filed is attached to the electronic version of this release here.