SCOTUS Tie Upholds Public Employee Fees for Unions

In the Supreme Court’s first 4-4 ruling since the death of Antonin Scalia, the justices announced a tie vote Tuesday that preserved a rule that requires about 50 percent of public employees in unions to pay a “fair share fee.” Labor-law experts had called the much-anticipated ruling a “life-or-death” situation for public employee unions, the Los Angeles Times reported. At an oral argument in December, it had reportedly appeared that obligatory union dues might be struck down, but Scalia’s death has left the high court without a majority to decide on the issue. President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacant seat in recent weeks, but there has—controversially—been no confirmation hearing scheduled.