Christopher Deering v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, et al.

The questions presented are:

1. As a matter of first impression, whether the First Amendment protects a public employee’s right to disassociate from a union—by resigning union membership and canceling dues payments—that must be waived before a government employer and union can compel the employee to remain a member, to continue paying union dues, or both, after he resigns union membership and attempts to withdraw authorization to dues payments.

2. Whether a local municipality is liable for damages if it unconstitutionally compels public employees to fund union political speech pursuant to a policy it chose to collectively bargain with a union that requires employees to continue paying union dues after they resign union membership and withdraw authorization to dues payments.

3. Whether a union acts “under color of law” when it instructs a government employer to deduct union dues from an employee’s wages pursuant to a policy it collectively bargained with a government employer that requires employees to continue paying union dues after they resign union membership and withdraw authorization to dues payments. (i)