U.S. Supreme Court to Determine Legality of Mandatory Union Dues

Published July 14, 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court will review the constitutionality of mandatory union dues. Several California public school teachers brought about this challenge, according to a report by the Orange County Register. Lead plaintiff Rebecca Friedrichs and nine other teachers argue freedom of association includes the freedom not to associate with any particular group. The court agreed to hear the case on June 30.

California is one of 26 states still requiring all public employees to pay union dues or a separate “agency fee” for not joining a union. The teachers in this case have $1,200 docked from their paychecks each year going to the California Teachers Association. The plaintiffs say they believe the union often violates their first amendment rights by using their money to back political causes the teachers may not agree with.

Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association could possibly overturn a previous Supreme Court decision from the 1970s, Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, which ruled on the side of mandatory union fees. 

Chris Neal ([email protected]) writes from New York, New York. 

Photo by Pictures of Money.