Reason Magazine is reporting on the beginning of oral arguments in the case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association before the Supreme Court. Todd Krainin writes:
“The unions force me to fund collective bargaining efforts that are harmful to my students,” declared plaintiff Rebecca Friedrichs on the steps of the Supreme Court. “And that’s offensive to me.”
Is it fair for employees to have to pay fees to a union they disagree with? That’s the central question heard on Jan. 11th during oral arguments in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Friedrichs, a public school teacher, contends that compulsory union fees violate her First Amendment rights of free speech and association. She seeks to overturn Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, a 1977 decision that affirmed the right of public employee unions to demand so-called “fair share fees.””]
Be sure to check out the rest of the article over at Reason. What do you think? Should public sector unions have the authority to demand mandatory union dues of their members? What are the implications of that argument for a free society?