Title 29 — LaborRelease 119-73
§169 Employees with religious convictions; payment of dues and fees
Title 29 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS › § 169
Summary
People whose religion objects to unions can't be forced to join or pay one to keep a job. A contract may require giving the same amount to a nonreligious, nonlabor charity exempt under section 501(c)(3) of title 26, chosen from at least three funds named, or any such fund if none named. If they ask for grievance‑arbitration, the union may charge the reasonable cost.
Full Legal Text
Title 29, §169
Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Any employee who is a member of and adheres to established and traditional tenets or teachings of a bona fide religion, body, or sect which has historically held conscientious objections to joining or financially supporting labor organizations shall not be required to join or financially support any labor organization as a condition of employment; except that such employee may be required in a contract between such employees’ employer and a labor organization in lieu of periodic dues and initiation fees, to pay sums equal to such dues and initiation fees to a nonreligious, nonlabor organization charitable fund exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of title 26, chosen by such employee from a list of at least three such funds, designated in such contract or if the contract fails to designate such funds, then to any such fund chosen by the employee. If such employee who holds conscientious objections pursuant to this section requests the labor organization to use the grievance-arbitration procedure on the employee’s behalf, the labor organization is authorized to charge the employee for the reasonable cost of using such procedure.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1980—Pub. L. 96–593 inserted reference to nonlabor organization and provisions respecting charges to employee for use of grievance-arbitration procedure, and struck out applicability of provisions to employees of health care institutions only.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 93–360, § 4, July 26, 1974, 88 Stat. 397, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this Act [enacting this section and section 183 of this title and amending section 152 and 158 of this title] shall become effective on the thirtieth day after its date of enactment [July 26, 1974].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
29 U.S.C. § 169
Title 29 — Labor
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73