If US unions tumble, the progressive movement could go with them | May Boeve and Michael Brune

Working people will end up with fewer resources and less collective power if the US supreme court undermines the power of unions with its decision on Janus

This week the US supreme court may have given the Koch Brothers yet another tool to help them achieve something they have been dreaming of for decades: weakening the power of public-sector unions.

Oral arguments were held on Monday 26 February on Janus v AFSCME, a case that some have called the most important labor case of the century. The aim of the plaintiff's case is to eliminate "fair share fees", dividing public sector workers and limiting their power in numbers. If the supreme court finds in favor of the plaintiff, as they are widely expected to, public sector unions will no longer be able to collect fees automatically from the employees they represent, and these unions' ability to operate will be dramatically undermined.