Supreme Court to hear 1st Amendment challenge to labor unions
In-home care providers in Chicago that have challenged the right of their union to demand dues will have the chance to have their case heard before the Supreme Court this week. In Illinois, in-home health care providers are paid through Medicaid funds and some have argued that because those funds are partially provided by the state these workers may be state employees. The National Right to Work Foundation sued on behalf of several mothers who care for their parents, partners, or children who are sick or disabled. Both the mothers and the National Right to Work Foundation believe that the $50 per month in union dues and the increase that would come with being labeled state employees are too much. There are about 20,000 in-home care providers in Illinois who are unionized by SEIU. Although a U.S. 7th Circuit Court ruled against the Foundation and the mothers citing Supreme Court precedent, but the present case may be the chance for the court to overturn that very precedent.
See "Supreme Court to hear 1st Amendment challenge to labor unions", David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, January 20, 2014