Letter to the editor: Voices needed in Janus case

As the President of the Colorado AFL-CIO and an Adams State alumni, it is incredibly inspiring to watch as working people realize the power they have when they stand together in union. After all, working people deserve the freedom to negotiate a fair return on our work so we can provide for our families. Unfortunately, the mega-wealthy and corporate special interest groups know that when working people join together in union they are more empowered to fight back against abuse, exploitation and anti-worker policies.

We are seeing working people’s voices stifled at the national level with the upcoming Supreme Court case, Janus v. AFSCME. Janus is the culmination of decades of attacks on working people by the rich and powerful to rig the economy in their favor. The forces behind this case are the same forces that have pushed for limiting voting rights, attacked immigrants, and undermined civil rights protections. Their goal with Janus is no secret: they want to use the Supreme Court to take away the freedom of working people to join together. Unions give workers the power to unrig the rules and make our economy fair for working families again.

But, working people’s determination and resilience are stronger than any efforts to destroy their aspirations to organize in a union. Empowering workers and rewriting the rules of our economy won’t be easy, but there has never been a more important time for workers to assert our collective power. When we join together in union, we win, and our success spreads.

Josette Jaramillo, MA

President, Colorado AFL-CIO

925 South Niagara Street, Suite 600

Denver, CO 80224

719-238-3560