diff --git a/trello/board.py b/trello/board.py
index 23bf03a3..28d4c80d 100644
--- a/trello/board.py
+++ b/trello/board.py
@@ -51,11 +51,12 @@ def from_json(cls, trello_client=None, organization=None, json_obj=None):
         :json_obj: the json board object
         """
         if organization is None:
-            board = Board(client=trello_client, board_id=json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8'))
+            board = Board(client=trello_client, board_id=json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'))
         else:
-            board = Board(organization=organization, board_id=json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8'))
+            board = Board(organization=organization, board_id=json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'))
 
-        board.description = json_obj.get('desc', '').encode('utf-8')
+        board.description = json_obj.get('desc', '').encode('utf-8').decode(
+            'utf-8')
         board.closed = json_obj['closed']
         board.url = json_obj['url']
 
@@ -277,13 +278,13 @@ def get_members(self, filters=None):
         members = list()
         for obj in json_obj:
             m = Member(self.client, obj['id'])
-            m.status = obj.get('status', '').encode('utf-8')
+            m.status = obj.get('status', '').encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
             m.id = obj.get('id', '')
             m.bio = obj.get('bio', '')
             m.url = obj.get('url', '')
-            m.username = obj['username'].encode('utf-8')
-            m.full_name = obj['fullName'].encode('utf-8')
-            m.initials = obj.get('initials', '').encode('utf-8')
+            m.username = obj['username'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
+            m.full_name = obj['fullName'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
+            m.initials = obj.get('initials', '').encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
             members.append(m)
 
         return members
diff --git a/trello/card.py b/trello/card.py
index 827ef8a1..7dc0c410 100644
--- a/trello/card.py
+++ b/trello/card.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def from_json(cls, parent, json_obj):
             raise Exception("key 'id' is not in json_obj")
         card = cls(parent,
                    json_obj['id'],
-                   name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8'))
+                   name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'))
         card.desc = json_obj.get('desc', '')
         card.closed = json_obj['closed']
         card.url = json_obj['url']
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def fetch(self, eager=True):
             '/cards/' + self.id,
             query_params={'badges': False})
         self.id = json_obj['id']
-        self.name = json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8')
+        self.name = json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
         self.desc = json_obj.get('desc', '')
         self.closed = json_obj['closed']
         self.url = json_obj['url']
diff --git a/trello/label.py b/trello/label.py
index 1010b993..a8066b06 100644
--- a/trello/label.py
+++ b/trello/label.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def from_json(cls, board, json_obj):
         """
         label = Label(board.client,
                       label_id=json_obj['id'],
-                      name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8'),
+                      name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'),
                       color=json_obj['color'])
         return label
 
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ def __repr__(self):
     def fetch(self):
         """Fetch all attributes for this label"""
         json_obj = self.client.fetch_json('/labels/' + self.id)
-        self.name = json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8')
+        self.name = json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
         self.color = json_obj['color']
         return self
diff --git a/trello/member.py b/trello/member.py
index 2390005f..48648b26 100644
--- a/trello/member.py
+++ b/trello/member.py
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ def from_json(cls, trello_client, json_obj):
         :json_obj: the member json object
         """
 
-        member = Member(trello_client, json_obj['id'], full_name=json_obj['fullName'].encode('utf-8'))
-        member.username = json_obj.get('username', '').encode('utf-8')
-        member.initials = json_obj.get('initials', '').encode('utf-8')
+        member = Member(trello_client, json_obj['id'], full_name=json_obj['fullName'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'))
+        member.username = json_obj.get('username', '').encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
+        member.initials = json_obj.get('initials', '').encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
         # cannot close an organization
         # organization.closed = json_obj['closed']
         return member
diff --git a/trello/organization.py b/trello/organization.py
index 279424f5..6c2192ca 100644
--- a/trello/organization.py
+++ b/trello/organization.py
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ def from_json(cls, trello_client, json_obj):
         :trello_client: the trello client
         :json_obj: the board json object
         """
-        organization = Organization(trello_client, json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8'))
-        organization.description = json_obj.get('desc', '').encode('utf-8')
+        organization = Organization(trello_client, json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'))
+        organization.description = json_obj.get('desc', '').encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8')
         # cannot close an organization
         # organization.closed = json_obj['closed']
         organization.url = json_obj['url']
diff --git a/trello/trellolist.py b/trello/trellolist.py
index 581b95f2..e18cd0c4 100644
--- a/trello/trellolist.py
+++ b/trello/trellolist.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def from_json(cls, board, json_obj):
         :board: the board object that the list belongs to
         :json_obj: the json list object
         """
-        list = List(board, json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8'))
+        list = List(board, json_obj['id'], name=json_obj['name'].encode('utf-8').decode('utf-8'))
         list.closed = json_obj['closed']
         return list