Illinois state employees sue over mandatory union dues

Illinois state employees sue over mandatory union dues

In a lawsuit filed Monday, three state employees in Illinois challenged a law which forces them to pay union dues even when they aren’t in a union.

“Illinois law forces most employees of state government to pay money to a union as a condition of keeping their job,” Diana Rickert, the director of media relations for the Illinois Policy Institute, noted in a statement.

In many states workers who decide not to be in a union still have to pay a fee. The fee, known as fair share dues, is meant to only cover the cost of representation as opposed to political contributions or other financial transactions taken by unions. While supporters of the idea argue that unions have to represent nonmembers anyway who, therefore, ought to pay something, opponents believe nonmembers should have the right to not pay anything at all.

The three workers bringing the suit are being represented by Liberty Justice Center, the legal arm of IPI.

Rickert went on to say:

The legal action being filed today argues that state workers have a First Amendment right not to pay for speech they disagree with by an organization they don’t want to support.

Every time a new government worker is hired, the union gets a cut. Even if the worker doesn’t want to be in a union, pay money to a union or be covered by the union contract, the worker has no choice.

Recent court cases are a cause for hope to groups like IPI and others opposed to mandatory union dues. Most notably, last June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Harris v. Quinn that home health workers could not be forced to belong to a union or pay fees to a union. If the Illinois case goes to the Supreme Court, which Rickert is optimistic it will, a favorable ruling could mean the end of mandatory dues for government workers.

“We believe the court will outlaw the practice of forcing government workers to pay money to a union if they don’t want to be a part of the union,” Rickert also noted. “This would deliver a devastating blow to government unions across the entire country.”

Local lawmakers have also gone after mandatory union dues. In February Gov. Bruce Rauner ordered state agencies to stop collecting fair share dues while also filing a federal lawsuit to end the state law that requires them. Democratic lawmakers and unions in the state were quick to condemn the governor’s actions.

This report, by Connor D. Wolf, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

LU Staff

LU Staff

Promoting and defending liberty, as defined by the nation’s founders, requires both facts and philosophical thought, transcending all elements of our culture, from partisan politics to social issues, the workings of government, and entertainment and off-duty interests. Liberty Unyielding is committed to bringing together voices that will fuel the flame of liberty, with a dialogue that is lively and informative.

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