United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

City of Charlotte v. Firefighters, 426 U.S. 283 (1976)

City of Charlotte v. Local 660, International

Association of Firefighters

No. 75-250

Argued March 3, 1976

Decided June 7, 1976

426 U.S. 283

Syllabus

Petitioner city's refusal to withhold from the paychecks of its firemen dues owing their union, which represents about 351 of the 543 uniformed members of the fire department, held not to violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Such refusal must meet only the standard of reasonableness, and this standard is satisfied by the city's offered justification that its practice of allowing withholding only when it benefits all city or department employees is a legitimate method for avoiding the burden of withholding money for all persons or organizations that request a check-off. Pp. 426 U. S. 286-289.

518 F.2d 83, reversed and remanded.

MARSHALL, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C.J., and BRENNAN, WHITE, BLACKMUN, POWELL, REHNQUIST, and STEVENS, JJ., joined. STEWART, J., filed a statement concurring in the judgment, post, p. 426 U. S. 289.