Much has been, and will be, written about the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Whether one views the matter as weaponization of the First Amendment by an activist Court, as Justice Elena Kegan opined, or a correct affirmation of individual liberty, one thing appears certain: progressive causes will suffer and will need to find new strategies to move forward effectively.

The Janus decision, which struck down mandatory union fees for government employees who benefit from union negotiated benefits, will dramatically reduce the financial strength of some public-sector unions. Estimates of the reduction vary, and some state legislatures, including Massachusetts, are already searching for ways to lessen the impact on government union balance sheets. But many local unions, particularly in lower paying jobs, will certainly have employees stop paying union fees to experience a wage increase.