Posted by
Playful Walrus on Thursday, June 14, 2007 4:29:42 PM
"Unions have no constitutional entitlement to the fees of nonmember employees,"
Justice Antonin Scalia said.
Thank you, SCOTUS! Scalia gets it!!!
For far too many years, unions have taken money from workers and spent that money on political campaigns without the permission of the the employee. How can someone be forced to support a candidate, political party, or legislation with which they vehemently disagree?
On the one hand, unions can require employees to pay fees or dues to cover the cost of collective bargaining, at least in states that authorize "union shop" rules.
However, dissident employees cannot be forced to pay for political contributions. In 1977, the court said dissidents had a free-speech right not to pay for political causes they opposed.
Reconciling these two principles continues to pose problems. Union leaders prefer a rule that allows them to use dues money except when dissidents object and seek a refund in writing. Anti-union activists have fought this approach, saying it gives unions too much leeway to spend the money of dissidents.
Scalia's opinion for the court takes the side of dissident teachers.