In a Washington Times op-ed, Sen. Orrin Hatch discusses his newly introduced Employee Rights Act, which would empower workers to influence how their union represents them.
Writes Hatch:
It seems like common sense that American workers should be able to decide how to spend their hard-earned paychecks. But current labor law allows unions to deduct millions of dollars every year from employee paychecks to fund political causes that many of their members oppose. In the last election, nearly 40 percent of union members voted for Republicans, yet almost 90 percent of union-sponsored political contributions went to Democrats. Instead of being compelled to help fund causes they don’t support, workers should be able to make that choice for themselves.
The Employee Rights Act puts a stop to this coercive practice. My bill preserves free speech and protects family paychecks by requiring unions to obtain explicit permission from members before using union dues for political purposes or any other non-bargaining activity. Workers deserve the right to determine where their money is spent. They should never have to support a political cause or activity that they haven’t chosen for themselves.
