U.S. Supreme Court Rules That Non-Union Public Employees Must "Affirmatively Consent" To Pay Dues Intended For Political Purposes

Key workplace issues often arise in the class action context.

Fresh on the heels of an historic defeat in the State of Wisconsin’s recall election, organized labor was dealt another blow in a class action on June 21, 2012, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Knox v. Service Employees International Union, Local 1000, No. 10-1121, 2012 U.S. LEXIS 4663 (June 21, 2012), that a public-sector labor union violated the First Amendment when it required non-union employees to finance the union’s political activities without their affirmative consent. The decision is a major defeat for organized labor and will undoubtedly lead to further challenges in the way union dues are assessed and collected.

 

To read this blog post click here