The Supreme Court said Tuesday it would hear a major challenge to California's public unions and decide whether they may charge fees to non-members to support collective bargaining.
At issue is a 1970s-era court precedent that allows these unions in California and 20 other states to collect "fair share" fees from all employees.
The court's conservatives, led by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., have signaled they see these forced fees as unconstitutional because they require some employees to support a cause they oppose.
In the fall, the justices will hear a direct challenge to the fees brought on behalf of Rebecca Friedrichs, a public school teacher in Orange County who objects to supporting the California Teachers Assn.