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 Michael Porter, Michael Thulen and Terence Gaudlip
Free speech Labor

New Jersey Wants to Make it Harder for Public Workers to Leave Their Union Despite the Janus Decision

Michael Thulen, Michael Porter and Terence Gaudlip are three public employees in the state of New Jersey. They believe it is their right to leave a union and end financial support to it at any time. The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation agrees with these workers and through this lawsuit we hope to clearly determine how the historic Janus v. AFSCME supreme court case decision impacts the ability for current union members to resign.

CASE UPDATE: On September 9th, the court cancelled the oral argument for this case. Instead, a decision will be made based on previously submitted briefs.

Case summary | Documents & Timeline | Photos & Video

Case summary

The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit on October 3, 2018 to protect the constitutional rights of three New Jersey public employees; Michael Thulen, Michael Porter, and Terence Gaudlip. These employees contend that they should have the right to leave a union and end financial support to it at any time. They challenge a New Jersey law that limits union members ability to end financial support to a union to a 10-day period every year. This law was enacted by the New Jersey impact to make it harder for union members to exercise their rights reestablished by the Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision, wherein the court held that the First Amendment prevented nonunion members from having to financially support the union.

On September 9th, the court cancelled the oral argument for this case. Instead, a decision will be made based on previously submitted briefs.

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Documents & Timeline

October 2018

  • Complaint October 3, 2018

  • Press Release October 3, 2018

  • Civil Cover Sheet October 3, 2018

February 2021

  • Complaint February 10, 2021

Photos & Video

Video

New Jersey Wants to Make it Harder for Public Workers to Leave Their Union

July 1, 2019

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