Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Trump administration on Wednesday submitted a brief in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, siding with the Illinois state employee who is challenging the right of unions to collect fair share fees from all represented employees regardless of whether or not they favor the union. Janus is receiving funding for legal fees from the conservative Bradley Foundation, which seeks to impose right-to-work laws in all 50 states. The brief, submitted by the Office of Solicitor General, is a stark departure from the office’s opinion under Obama in the 2016 case Friedrich's v. California Teachers Association, where they argued that public-employee fair share fees were legal. That case ended in a 4-4 deadlock after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, but Justice Neil Gorsuch has since taken his seat and it is widely anticipated that the court will rule in favor of Janus.