Communication Workers of America v. Beck
United States Supreme Court
487 U.S. 735 (1988)
- Written by Tammy Boggs, JD
Facts
The Communication Workers of America (the union) (defendant) negotiated a union-security clause in its collective-bargaining agreement with an employer, AT&T. Under the agreement, all represented employees, including nonunion members, were required to pay union “agency fees” in amounts equal to union members’ dues. Twenty nonunion AT&T employees (plaintiffs) sued, alleging that they should not have to pay fees to cover the union’s expenditures on items unrelated to the union’s role as collective-bargaining representative, such as for political lobbying, social events, or organizing another company’s employees. The Supreme Court was called on to decide whether the union’s imposition of agency fees on nonunion employees was permissible under the National Labor Relations Act and other laws.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Brennan, J.)
Concurrence/Dissent (Blackmun, J.)
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