Court: Union Can't Make Non-Members Pay Fees

The Supreme Court has delivered a blow to labor unions, ruling public sector unions can't force non-members to pay fees.

Labor unions in Illinois and other states have required home health aides to pay up, bolstering their union bank accounts. But many home health workers say they don't want to be compelled to associate with a union.

On Monday, the high court ruled that collecting the fees violates the First Amendment rights of those workers who are not union members.

A group of workers led by Pamela Harris, a home health aide who cares for her disabled son at home, filed the lawsuit with the support of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. The workers said it wasn't fair to make someone pay fees to a group that takes positions the fee-payer disagrees with.

"Families in Illinois can relax knowing their homes are safe from being a union workplace and there will be no third party intruding into the care we provide our disabled sons and daughters," Harris said.