Oral arguments were presented earlier this week before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in the case of Janus v. AFSCME, considered one of the most significant challenges to organized labor in recent years. The issue goes to the heart of the political strength of public employee unions by challenging laws requiring payment of “agency fees” by public employees who do not wish to be members of the union. Those agency fees generally equal the union’s dues and fatten the political budgets of the unions allowing them to more aggressively engage in political activities. A similar case, Friedrichs v California Teachers Association, was heard by the court in 2016, but the death of Justice Antonin Scalia left SCOTUS deadlocked on the issue at 4 – 4. The Janus case therefore rests on how new Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s first SCOTUS appointee, rules on the case. Although the issue currently only involves public sector unions, its impact on all organized labor could be significant. Presently, 28 states have right to work laws on the books, while the remaining 22 require non-union members to pay “agency fees” to their public employee unions. The decision isn’t expected to be rendered until sometime in June.