Koch Whore: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

[TheMercenary]

Under the current labor laws of nearly half of the states, government union officials have been explicitly authorized to force all public employees in a workplace to pay union dues or be fired, as long as a majority of their fellow employees (among those expressing an opinion) support unionization.

Such forced-unionism laws, which Big Labor is now fighting furiously to keep on the books in the face of increasingly intense public opposition, actually trample on, rather than protect, employees' freedom to make personal decisions about unionism.

Union monopoly bargaining, which is encouraged in the public sector under the labor laws of more than 30 states, denies employees who don't want any union the freedom to negotiate directly with their employer.

Forced unionism is not a case of "majority rule." The fact is, when a majority of workers oppose unionization, the pro-union minority, whether they constitute 49% or 1% of the work force, retain the freedom to join and pay dues to a union. But workers who oppose unionization are, whenever they are in the minority, denied freedom of choice about which private organizations they financially support.

Federal courts have upheld coercive labor policies like monopoly bargaining and forced-dues payments on the dubious theory that they might foster labor peace, despite acknowledging that these policies infringe on public employees' freedom of association. Walker's proposal significantly moves toward eliminating these infringements.

No U.S. court has ever questioned the prerogative of state governments to prohibit public-sector forced union dues and monopoly bargaining. In a 1974 ruling upholding the constitutionality of North Carolina's public-sector monopoly-bargaining ban, a U.S. District Court explained:

"All citizens have the right to associate in groups and to advocate their special interests to the government. It is something entirely different to grant any one interest group special status and access to the decision-making process."

Union officials and others who share their view that public-sector monopoly bargaining and forced union dues are good public policy have every right to continue resisting the efforts of reform-minded Wisconsinites and their counterparts in other states.

But advocates for the forced-unionism status quo have no plausible grounds to claim that they are defending public employees' "rights." They should drop the pretense.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnal...?id=565192&p=1

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnal...?id=565192&p=1

Mandatory payment of dues is not the same as voluntary contributions for political purposes.

It is really not that hard to understand.

If you claim those contributions are not "voluntary," provide a cite that proves your point.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Fair&Balanced

Mandatory payment of dues is not the same as voluntary contributions for political purposes.

It is really not that hard to understand.

If you claim those contributions are not "voluntary," provide a cite that proves your point.

I have.

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I have.

You did?

Where did you cite any facts that voluntary contributions are, as you suggest, not really voluntary?