Eeoc v. Am. Fed. of State, County & Mun. Emp.

**Union Must Accommodate Worker's Religious Beliefs About Dues** This case involved a worker named Kelly who had religious objections to paying union fees. Kelly worked in a job covered by a union contract that required all employees to pay "shop fees" to the union, even if they weren't full members. However, Kelly's religious beliefs prevented him from financially supporting the union. He asked to donate the money to charity instead, but the union refused to accommodate his request. The court ruled in Kelly's favor, finding that the union violated federal civil rights law by failing to accommodate his sincere religious beliefs. The judge ordered the union to allow Kelly to donate his shop fees to a charitable organization rather than paying them directly to the union. The court also required the union to refund all fees Kelly had paid since November 1991. This decision matters for workers because it establishes that unions, like employers, must make reasonable accommodations for employees' genuine religious beliefs. Workers who have religious objections to supporting unions may be entitled to alternative arrangements, such as donating equivalent amounts to charity, as long as their beliefs are sincere and the accommodation doesn't create undue hardship.