Janine Jackson, CounterSpin, 3-2-2018: When you hear the name of a court case -- Smith v. Jones -- there's a tendency to look for a story, a particular story, about Smith, and Jones, and which of them -- given the details -- seems most justified.
Of course, there are ultimately individuals behind a case like Janus v. AFSCME, now before the Supreme Court. But to make sense of the case, you have to pull back and see the bigger story. In this case, that's one of a network of corporate and conservative organizations with a thought-out plan to redraw the country's legal/political landscape more to their liking, including draining unions of their remaining power and influence.
Helping workers and advocates to have at least awareness on our side is Mary Bottari. She's deputy director of the Center for Media and Democracy, part of their critical ALEC Exposed investigation. Her report "Behind Janus" appears in the March issue of In These Times. She joins us now by phone. Welcome back to CounterSpin, Mary Bottari.