[nikos1121]

Ilistened to that. Any reasonably sane individual would say that you can’t and shouldn’t force someone to pay dues to a union, that will use those dues, not for the common good of members, but to give to those candidates who will legislate for the good of the union...in this case the public union.

Is there a flicker...a flicker of hope that this will get over turned and we will see these public unions shrivel up> Would love to see a 9 to 0 ruling in favor.

[taxcontrol]

If unions are legal for the private sector, they should be legal for the public sector as well. However, they should ALWAYS be voluntary. The 1st Amendment provides the right of assembly and where there is a right to participate, there is also a right to NOT participate.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Any government that FORCES its employees to give money to union thugs (White guys, not racist.), isn’t much of a government. IMHO

[Sacajaweau]

I was a scab. The guys had no guts.

[4Liberty]

All the dues, by their nature, amount to “non-chargeable” (political) dues.
A compulsory union is an inherently political institution!

[ansel12]

"In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10988, establishing the right of federal workers to engage in collective bargaining."

[zeugma]

Here's a really interesting exchange during oral arguments. Verrilli is from the Government arguing for the state.

=snip=

JUSTICE ALITO: Do you think that the specific factual background of what occurred here provides a basis for skepticism about Illinois' reason for adopting this?

GENERAL VERRILLI: I don't think so. When the legislation was enacted, it was enacted with a very large bipartisan margin, and I just don't think it would be appropriate, in the context of the government as manager of its own operations, to look behind and try to consider motive.  This is a choice that many ­­

JUSTICE ALITO: I thought the situation was that Governor Blagojevich got a huge campaign contribution from the union and virtually, as soon as he got into office, he took out his pen and signed an executive order that had the effect of putting ­­ what was it, $3.6 million into the union covers?

GENERAL VERRILLI: Whatever happened ­­

JUSTICE ALITO: That's the sequence; isn't that correct?

GENERAL VERRILLI: Well, I think the issue before the Court is the constitutionality of the statute that was enacted subsequent to that by a large bipartisan majority, and I don't think it would be appropriate to look behind the legislature's action to consider and try to evaluate its motives. And I think, under our Federal system, States get to make choices.  It's true, not every State does it this way, but many do. They do so for reasons of efficient management of their internal operations, and that's the principle that we think is of critical importance here.

JUSTICE SCALIA: They may do so because of that reason. You don't know what their reason is any more than I do. All you can say is that that might be their reason.
=snip=

Looks like Alito just accused the governor of Illinois of taking a bribe from his union buddies.