U.S. Supreme Court to Scrutinize Mandatory Union Fees Again
- Top court will hear free-speech challenge to union agency fees
- Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on union fee issue in 2016
The Authority of Law statue at the U.S. Supreme Court
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. Supreme Court said it will try for a second time to decide whether 5 million government workers can refuse to pay union fees, accepting a case that could deal a major blow to the labor movement’s finances and clout.
Getting a head start on a term that formally opens Monday, the justices Thursday said they will revisit an issue that deadlocked them in March 2016. The court will consider overturning a 1977 ruling that lets public-sector unions in 22 states demand fees from workers who aren’t members. Those so-called agency fees are designed to pay for union representation on such matters as pay negotiations.