On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that could deal a huge blow to public unions.  An Illinois child support worker sued AFSCME for violating his free speech rights by forcing him to pay "fair share fees" to the union, even though he refuses to become a member.  The case was brought after Illinois governor Bruce Rauner tried to halt the practice but was challenged in court. Without being able to tap non-union workers who actually benefit from the union's collective bargaining, AFSCME would take a considerable financial hit, thus weakening its political power. Chicago Tribune: Losing the required fees worries labor leaders because it could lead to more workers leaving unions to avoid the cost, starving unions of money and members. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union at the center of the lawsuit called it "yet another example of corporate interests using their power and influence to launch a...(Read Full Post)