How the Courts Have Handled Employees' Religious Objections to Union Membership under Title VII

In a unionized workplace, employee claims of religious discrimination by a union based on Title VII often arise after an employee is discharged for failing to tender dues or agency fees as required by a union security agreement contained in the employee's collective bargaining agreement.²⁰

In such cases, the employee can potentially name both the employer and the union in a lawsuit under Title VII. If an employer terminates a worker without attempting to make a reasonable accommodation of his or her religious belief, then the employer risks a lawsuit under Title VII's provisions. When the termination comes at the behest of a union, both the labor organization and the employer can be held liable under Title VII.²¹