If the reports are any indication, every state may become a "right to work" state. Ian Millhiser of ThinkProgress was in court today, and his report is pretty depressing.
Public sector unions just had a simply terrible day in the Supreme Court on Monday. Justice Antonin Scalia, the justice who seemed most inclined to agree with them prior to oral argument, took a hard turn against them within just a few minutes of argument. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is normally this closest thing this Court has to a swing voter, appeared to grow increasingly angry with the unions as the argument proceeded. Plus the Supreme Court has already dropped two big hints that it’s ready to cut of a major source of funding for public sector unions. Oral arguments cannot always predict the outcome of the case — just ask the millions of Americans who are now insured because of Obamacare — but if they offer any predictive value, a lot of unions are very frightened right now.
The issue is a billionaire's wet dream. In fact, the entire cycle of litigation was paid for by billionaires, led by the right-wing extremists at the Bradley Foundation.
In essence, it challenges the idea of agency fees, the dues unions collect from people who wish not to be members of the union in closed shops, and represents the costs for the benefits they still enjoy as a result of union membership.
Nothing is a done thing until the opinion is released. But if reports are any indication, it's not looking good for unions.
