States, Conservative Groups Spar Over Union Fee Ruling

Conservative advocacy groups and several states are jousting over which workers are covered by a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on union fees.

The Supreme Court in its June decision in Janus v. AFSCME ruled that public sector unions can’t charge nonmembers mandatory fees for nonpolitical expenses, commonly called “agency fees.” Officials in 11 states have recently said the ruling only affects nonmembers, while a pair of conservative advocacy groups say it has implications for union members as well.

The Janus ruling has already fueled lawsuits seeking refunds of previously paid agency fees and challenging state laws that limit when ...