from the statute’s coverage unincorporated entities that also have the capacity to accumulate wealth “does not undermine its justification for regulating corporations.” Ibid. Moreover, labor unions differ from corporations in that union members who disagree with a union’s political activities need not give up full membership in the organization to avoid supporting its political activities. Although a union and an employer may require that all bargaining unit employees become union members, a union may not compel those employees to support financially “union activities beyond those germane to collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment.” Communications Workers v. Beck, 487 U. S. 735, 745 (1988). See also Abood v. Detroit Bd. of Ed., 431 U. S. 209 (1977) (<HOLDING>). An employee who objects to a union’s
holding that compelling nonmember employees to contribute to unions political activities infringes employees first amendment rights recognizing that the first amendment forbids government officials to discharge public employees for not being supporters of the political party in power holding that probation department employees are not county employees holding that independent contractor claiming termination of contract because of lobbying and other political activities not protected by first amendment holding that njeither the right to associate nor the right to participate in political activities is absolute and congress may prohibit federal employees from participating in political activities in view of its interest in maintaining a nonpartisan work force