Answer to Question 1
A checkoff is a system under which union dues, initiation fees, and sometimes other assessments are deducted from the employees' paychecks by the employer. Such a system is fundamentally important to a union. It provides a sure flow of revenue to finance the union instead of the uncertain and difficult process of collecting directly from members.
Answer to Question 2
After its certification in 1961, the union sought to have the company check off the dues owed to the union by its members. The company refused to do so and also refused compromise union proposals. The Board found, and the Court of Appeals approved the finding in a 1966 opinion, that the company's refusal to bargain regarding the checkoff was not made in good faith. After further litigation the Board in 1968 issued a supplemental order requiring the company to grant to the union a contract clause providing for the checkoff of union dues. The Court of Appeals affirmed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
