February 22, 2018
Barbara Bowen, president of the Professional Staff Congress, the union representing 30,000 faculty and professional staff at the City University of New York (CUNY), released the following statement to press:
“On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear a case designed to destroy the labor movement. Janus v. AFSCME is not an innocent First Amendment case; it is a calculated, well-funded attempt to dismantle everything the labor movement has won—for all working people, not just union members. It is an attack on women, on immigrants, on people of color, on the young, on workers everywhere. The capitalist billionaires who are funding the case understand that organized labor has been behind every freedom and gain for working people: the eight-hour day, the minimum wage, Social Security, workplace safety regulations, and more. They know that organized labor, especially in the public sector, has led the fight to defend public education, public healthcare, public libraries and public services. That’s exactly why they want to destroy us. But the history of the labor movement shows that workers have power when they stand together. That’s why thousands of PSC members have signed a recommitment card to their union and why PSC membership has grown dramatically this year. Together, we are making our union stronger than ever.”
