US faculty unions under threat

The US Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case that could in effect make union membership dues optional for public employees.

Currently, the norm for faculty unions in the US is that if they win a vote to represent a bargaining unit, all members of that unit must pay for the costs of collective bargaining in the form of dues.

The vast majority of faculty members who are represented by unions are in public higher education, and such a shift could be devastating to the financing of their unions, Inside Higher Ed reported.

Members of a unit who object to political stances of a union may get a refund for those expenses, but they are still required to pay what is known as a “fair share” of union costs that are related to bargaining and representation. That requirement could go away, depending on how the Supreme Court rules.

https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/us-faculty-unions-under-threat