This morning the Supreme Court weighed in on the Friedrichs case. It issued a one-sentence opinion affirming by a 4-4 vote the decision of the Ninth Circuit upholding the Abood decision and our right to collect fair share fees under the First Amendment. So, in non-lawyers’ terms, it means we won.
The court’s ruling today means that for those states with fair share laws there are no changes, including to current opt-out procedures for fee payers. While the Friedrichs case is now concluded and our rights to collect fair share remain intact, so much of our other work continues: our member engagement and community work; our electoral work; our social, educational and economic justice work; our work against austerity and for students, patients and all those we represent and serve; and our advocacy around the Supreme Court replacement for Justice Scalia.