CHICAGO (June 30, 2015) – The U.S. Supreme Court announced this morning that it will hear a case challenging mandatory union fees paid by government workers, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. This landmark case has the potential to strike down laws that force government workers to pay fees or dues to a union in order to keep their job.

This case is likely to decide the fate of government unions in Illinois, where the law forces most employees of state government to pay money to a union in order to keep their jobs. The Friedrichs case makes a similar argument to a case filed in Illinois several months ago, also challenging mandatory union fees. That case was filed by the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, on behalf of three Illinois government workers who do not want to pay money to a union in order to continue their employment with the state.

The Liberty Justice Center is supportive of the plaintiffs in the Friedrichs case, and plans to file an amicus brief urging the court to end mandatory union fees for government workers.

“The First Amendment guarantees everyone the right to choose whose speech they support and what groups they associate with. Government workers shouldn’t have to sacrifice that right just to keep their jobs,” said Jacob Huebert, senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center. “No one should be forced to pay money to a government union to keep their job. The Court’s acceptance of this case sends a strong signal that the Court is ready to give government workers everywhere long-overdue protection for their fundamental First Amendment rights.”

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MEDIA CONTACT: Nathaniel Hamilton or Diana Rickert
media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977

The Liberty Justice Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest law firm that specializes in protecting individual rights and enforcing limits on government power. It was started by the Illinois Policy Institute in 2011. Since its founding, the Liberty Justice Center has focused on cases related to protecting economic liberty, private property rights, free speech and other fundamental rights in Illinois and beyond. To learn more about Illinois Policy Institute, visit illinoispolicy.org. To learn more about the Liberty Justice Center, visitlibertyjusticecenter.org.