SCOTUS Issues Ruling Against Labor Unions
In yet another 5-4 ruling along ideological lines, the Supreme Court has decided that home health care workers in Illinois don’t have to pay dues to public employees unions.
The opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was a narrow loss for organized labor. It did not overrule the court’s “agency shop” precedent applying to all public employee unions.
The challenge to the mandatory union dues, brought by eight home-care workers in Illinois, represented the biggest labor case to come before the court this term — putting at potential risk the future viability of public employee unions.
For decades, the law has allowed unions to collect dues from all private or public employees they are required to represent. Those who object don’t have to contribute to political or lobbying activities, but they must chip in for the unions’ efforts in fighting for better wages, benefits and working conditions.
The home-care workers in Harris v. Quinn served individuals with disabilities through the federal-state Medicaid program. They argued they should not have to pay dues for the state’s contract with the Service Employees International Union, even though the union is required to represent them and they benefit from its services.
R.J. Carter June 30th, 2014 at 11:43 am
I feel drunk, and I haven’t touched a drop!
Anomaly 100 June 30th, 2014 at 11:55 am
And I totally believe you.
Hogandda June 30th, 2014 at 4:04 pm
How did Alito end up writing the majority opinion on this and Hobby Lobby? Is it an ‘in you face’ to Obama for the State the Union in 2010?
m2old4bs June 30th, 2014 at 4:34 pm
I am not surprised by either this decision nor the Hobby Lobby decision. Both show the utter madness that is modern day conservatism. I will continue to boycott Hobby Lobby and stand against all that the Greens propose and do. I will stand with those who support women’s rights, all women’s rights, each and every one of them. I will continue to support labor unions and stand with them in support of workers’ rights, all workers’ rights, each and every one of them. I am a woman, a mother, a sister, a grandmother, a wife, an individual spirit, and you will hear me roar.