The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an appeal in the case of an unusual school labor agreement that was widely viewed as a way to get around the state's right-to-work law.
The decision Thursday means a 10-year side agreement between the Taylor school district and its teachers is dead.
Justice Richard Bernstein wanted to hear the case.
The deal was made just before Michigan's right-to-work law started in 2013.
Taylor and the Taylor Federation of Teachers had agreed that teachers would pay union dues or a service fee over a 10-year period.
But the Michigan Employment Relations Commission struck it down.
The state appeals court agreed, saying it would "undermine" the intent of the right-to-work law, which says workers can't be forced to support a union to keep their job.