WI anti-union bill also banned payroll deduction of union dues, choking off $$$

[yurbud]

It won't matter much what unions are still allowed to do if they have no money to do it.

And even with the ability to fund candidates, unions can't touch what corporations and even many wealthy individuals are capable of pouring into a campaign.

This shows again the cost of the timidity of Democrats when they controlled both chambers of congress and the White House. If they had made the Employee Free Choice Act a priority or even made the more strategic move of repealing Taft Hartley, it would have made an attack like this more difficult. Instead, they tried to please Wall Street and the rest of us at the same time, which is like a judge trying to decide a rape case in a way that would make both the rapist and the victim happy.

While many have focused on Governor Scott Walker’s successful effort to strip collective bargaining power from the state employee unions, it is important to note the additional provision in the law that prohibits the state from automatically deducting dues from the paychecks of state employees to be paid over to the unions.

This is likely to put a significant dent in the coffers of the unions – dramatically lessening the sums of money they have to spend in furthering the candidacies of those they choose to support. Without the money the unions provide to Democratic candidates, there will be nobody left with the kind of cash required to balance out the funds provided by organizations such as Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS in support of GOP candidates.

And it is not only happening in Wisconsin.

The dues stripping provisions are a part of the laws making their way through the state legislatures in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Florida with other states controlled by GOP governors with legislative majorities likely to follow.

http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/03/11/how-the-wealthy-plan-to-finance-the-american-aristocracy-with-middle-class-dollars/

[WingDinger]

1. And yearly recertification.

[yurbud]

2. that would cost a lot of money and effort by itself.

[damntexdem]

3. Even here in Texas, where there have been no collective bargaining rights,

my union dues are automatically deducted from my paycheck.

[yurbud]

4. geeze!

[HockeyMom]

5. Tricky Ricky Scott in Florida

now wants to do this also. Monkey see, monkey do.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. They did that to AL teachers -- who challenged it in court, and won!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=219&topic_id=32430&mesg_id=32430

[yurbud]

7. that's great news!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Not sure the circumstances are the same but it could be a useful citation.

[Scuba]

9. This is a no-holds-barred effort to silence the opposition. n/t

[zbdent]

10. this is why the Supreme Court was able to get away with giving corporations

rights under the Constitution ...

because they knew that the Republican-controlled legislation would legislate away people's rights of representation and presentation of grievances in the workplace ...

I have two friends of the family who, according to my mother-in-law, "hate Obama" and are enamored of Sarah Palin ... but the Ohio union/teacher-busting legislation is irritating them (see, one of their kids is a ... *gasp* ... public school teacher) ...

Someone needs to remind them that S.P. is one of those who would love to kill all unions ... of which these two have their retirements based on ...

(Oh, and they have a "special-needs" son, who probably wouldn't be working in the private sector, if it weren't for the company getting $$$ for "hiring the handicapped" ...)

[Citizen Worker]

11. As a lifelong Union member and staunch advocate for a stronger Union movement not having monthly

dues deducted by the employer is a huge plus.

Dues checkoff, as it is called, makes the employer the de facto treasurer of the Union and in many instances eliminates the only communication between the Union and the Rank and File member. I'm all for ending dues checkoff and reverting back to old fashioned snail mail for dues collection.