The Marshall Project

A “Death Spiral” for Police Unions?

Cops v. Trump on union clout.

Unions representing the nation’s largest police departments are pressing the U.S. Supreme Court to protect cops’ bargaining power from a possible “death spiral.”

Siding with the rest of organized labor and against the vocally cop-friendly Trump administration, nearly 20 law enforcement groups have signed “friend of the court” briefs urging the court not to outlaw the mandatory dues that pay for their bargaining and lobbying activities.

At issue is a case called, which has snaked its way from the lower courts in Illinois to the country's top court. Oral arguments begin on Monday, and the court is widely expected to strike down mandatory dues in a ruling by the end of June.

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