Jackson responds to Supreme Court ruling undermining unions

AUGUSTA —On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against unions and workers’ rights in the case of Janus V. AFSCME. This 5-4 decision goes against a forty-year precedent from the courts and will significantly weaken the integrity of unions and weaken the power of collective bargaining.

Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson of Allagash – a strong advocate for unions and working people – released the following statement in response to today’s ruling:

“There is no question about it – today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a devastating blow to working people all across the country. It sets us back decades in terms of workers’ rights. Strong unions lead to an even stronger middle class. They are the key to safe work environments, fair pay, reasonable hours, and decent benefits.

This is a classic example of why we need more working-class people in government and making decisions. Too many folks are looking out for large corporations and billion-dollar donors, and not enough are looking out for the people doing the actual work. Despite this serious setback, we will fight back to protect the basic rights of working people everywhere to earn a fair wage, have a safe work environment and unionize. It is safe to say that this fight is far from over.”

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