Supreme Court Asks The Feds to Weigh In On Illinois Union Fees System

At the end of a busy week, the United States Supreme Court asked the U.S. Solicitor General to weigh in on an Illinois regulatory system which requires home care workers to pay union fees. The request arises out of the home care workers' lawsuit which alleges that their classification as public employees (which requires payment of union dues) violates their First Amendment rights. The trial court dismissed their claims and the Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal. The plaintiffs (represented by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund) are now seeking cert with the Supreme Court. This is another interesting (though not necessarily straightforward) step by the right to work movement.