Militancy Breeds Membership: The Strategies of Public-Sector Unions Since Janus v. AFSCME

This paper seeks to explain how public-sector unions have largely maintained their membership over the last five years despite legitimate fear that the Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME would be a "death blow" to their power and membership. The decision prohibited agency fee clauses in union contracts for government workers, and was part of a calculated attack on workers and unions, particularly the disproportionate share of women and workers of color who make up the public-sector workforce. I analyzed work stoppage data and census data, then conducted three interviews to identify whether public-sector unions have increased their organizing efforts since Janus, and, if so, to what extent they have been successful. Finally, I suggest to workers and their unions that adapting an organizing model, which seeks to sign up new members and empower the rank-and-file, is the key to being successful in the "open shop era."