Labor Unions and the Court
Litigating the Use of Dues for Political Speech
Under union shop agreements,labor unions must establish strict safeguards and procedures for ensuring thatnonmembers’ dues are not used to support certain political and ideologicalactivities that are outside the scope of normal collective bargainingactivities. The “union shop or “agency shop agreement essentially providesthat employees do not have to join the union, but must support the union inorder to retain employment by paying dues to defray the costs of collectivebargaining, contract administration, and grievance matters. In a line of decisions, the Supreme Court has addressedthis issue and has concluded that compulsory union dues of nonmembers may notbe used for political and…
