California Special Election - Proposition 75.
Public Employee Union Dues. Restrictions on Political Contributions. Employee Consent Required.
[ Official Initiative Information ]
- Requires public employee labor unions to get and individual's consent before their dues for political contributions.
- Restriction does not apply to dues or fees collected for charitable organizations, health care insurance, or other purposes directly benefiting the public employee.
This measure is fairly straightforward. A Yes vote on Proposition 75 require public employee unions to get annual, written consent from a government employee in order to charge and use that employee's dues and fees for political purposes.
Argument For: [ www.caforpaycheckprotection.com ]
Employees join a union for collective power in bargaining and providing fair and equitable working conditions and benefits. However, many unions extend their influence to the political arena and in doing so, take political positions contrary to many of their members. This creates a scenario whereby the employee joins the union because of the primary employment benefits it provides but is conflicted because that same union is actively working against their own political interests and using the employee's dues to do so. This proposition allows interested employees to opt out from using their union dues for political purposes they oppose. This just seems fair.
Argument Against: [ www.prop75no.com ]
This is just a way for the governor to get back at unions who don't support him. If a public employee does not support the political positions of the union, they do not have to join the union. This measure has nothing to do with employees and their rights, it is intended to weaken the power of the unions, nothing more.
My Conclusion: Vote Yes on Prop 75
I support Proposition 75 because it is fair. This proposal will make union leaders more accountable to their members. If everyone in the union stands in solidarity with the political intentions of its leadership, then they will lose no money or political muscle. However, if there is wide disagreement within the union membership about what political stands to take, then they should not be able to marginalize the dissenters by blackmailing their union benefits over the percentage of the dues that support political stands they disagree with.
This situation is more sensitive because these are governmental workers. When the union blackmails its union members to support contrary political gains, it is my money, as a taxpayer, they are doing it with. I am, in effect subsidizing this kind of labor union/political action group cronyism and I won't have it.
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