Teachers Unions Skirt Blow From Janus Ruling

Teachers unions appear to have dodged a serious blow to their political activity and membership rolls following a sweeping Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, defying predictions that the unions' traditional campaign organizing in advance of the midterm elections could be devastated.

Nine union leaders in eight states interviewed by POLITICO reported modest but anticipated drops in membership since the court decision, in addition to the loss of thousands of non-members who used to pay mandatory union fees. At the same time, union leaders reported an uptick in members attending rallies, canvassing neighborhoods and phone banking for the midterms, though the teachers unions' national rankings in political giving to candidates slipped. Even conservatives acknowledged that teachers remained key to Democratic Party election organizing.