---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 U.S.C. § 169"
title: "29"
title_heading: "Labor"
number: "169"
heading: "Employees with religious convictions; payment of dues and fees"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/29/169"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Labor-Management Relations"
  - "Subchapter II — National Labor Relations"
---

# §169. Employees with religious convictions; payment of dues and fees


Any [employee](/usc/29/152.md?p=3) 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](/usc/29/152.md?p=5) shall not be required to join or financially support any [labor organization](/usc/29/152.md?p=5) as a condition of employment; except that such [employee](/usc/29/152.md?p=3) may be required in a contract between such [employees](/usc/29/152.md?p=3)’ [employer](/usc/29/152.md?p=2) and a [labor organization](/usc/29/152.md?p=5) 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](/usc/26/501.md?p=c-3), chosen by such [employee](/usc/29/152.md?p=3) 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](/usc/29/152.md?p=3). If such [employee](/usc/29/152.md?p=3) who holds conscientious objections pursuant to this section requests the [labor organization](/usc/29/152.md?p=5) to use the grievance-arbitration procedure on the [employee](/usc/29/152.md?p=3)’s behalf, the [labor organization](/usc/29/152.md?p=5) is authorized to charge the [employee](/usc/29/152.md?p=3) for the reasonable cost of using such procedure.


## Source credit

(July 5, 1935, ch. 372, § 19, as added Pub. L. 93–360, § 3, July 26, 1974, 88 Stat. 397; amended Pub. L. 96–593, Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3452.)

## Notes

### 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 sections 152 and 158 of this title] shall become effective on the thirtieth day after its date of enactment [July 26, 1974].”