On June 30 the Supreme Court granted certiorari, agreeing to hear a case challenging the right of government worker unions to collect fees from nonmembers, as reported by the Baltimore Sun. The case is Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association.

According to the Sun, in Maryland, the union that represents state government employees brings in $2.75 million annually in fees from nonmembers. However, the nonmember fees are controversial,

Opponents of such fees say they violate the First Amendment by forcing government workers to subsidize unions they do not want to join. The argument could have a receptive audience among the court’s conservative members, who have openly questioned the precedent the court set four decades ago allowing the fees.

According to SCOTUSblog, the case will be decided in the Court’s new Term, which opens in October.  The case is likely to come up for a hearing in December or January.

For more information, read the full story from the Baltimore Sun and coverage on SCOTUSblog.