Beck rights, also know as "Paycheck Protection," provide workers an opportunity to decide if their compulsory union dues can be used for non-collective bargaining purposes - like political activities.
In Communications Workers of America vs. Beck (1988), the Supreme Court clarified that non-union employees who work under a union security agreement, and therefore are required to pay union dues, are not required to contribute through those dues to union-supported political causes with which they disagree.
These employees who choose not to be union members have the right to object to the mandatory use of their union dues and fees for expenditures that are not related to representational activities. The Supreme Court concluded that the
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) does not permit a union to collect and expend dues beyond those necessary to finance collective bargaining, contract administration and grievance adjustment if a non-union member objects to the use of dues for political, legislative, social or charitable purposes.
On February 4, 2009, President Barack Obama issued
Executive Order 13496. This directive repealed Executive Order 13201, which required federal contractors and subcontractors to post notices informing employees of their right to refrain from joining or paying union dues for non-representational activity. The 2001 executive order had been challenged by unions in federal court but was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Six states have enacted some form of paycheck protection for workers in their state.