Free Republic

A group of California teachers fighting mandatory union fees at the U.S. Supreme Court had, by all appearances, a good day Monday. Supreme Court justices seemed receptive to the arguments brought by teachers in the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case. If the case is successful, Rebecca Friedrichs and other government workers across the nation will gain the ability to opt out of agency fees unions charge to nonmembers. Remarks from several of the justices indicated they agree with Friedrichs on a central point, that public sector union negotiations are inherently political because they involve taxpayer money, public employees, and...

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court seemed poised on Monday to deliver a severe blow to organized labor. The justices appeared divided along familiar lines during an extended argument over whether government workers who choose not to join unions may nonetheless be required to help pay for collective bargaining. The court's conservative majority appeared ready to say that such compelled financial support violates the First Amendment Collective bargaining, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said, is inherently political when the government is the employer, and issues like merit pay, promotions and classroom size are subject to negotiation. The best hope for a victory...

The Supreme Court has taken on an interesting case and it's decision can have massive ramifications for unions nationwide. The issue is whether unions can coerce workers to pay dues even if the disagree with the union. The case was brought by a group of home health care workers who were forced to join a union in Illinois as they receive money to take care of family members through Medicaid. The SEIU persuaded Illinois that these families who were taking care of family members at their homes who are in need of assistance, say of someone who is developmentally disabled,...