Old Content (Union Dues)

This

is a sleeper issue.

The Supreme court is set to rule on whether or not unions can force workers to pay dues. Washington state tried to give workers the right to opt out thereby saying you cant be forced to subsidize union-friendly politics. The Washington Supreme Court in a terrible decision struck this law down on first amendment grounds.

Unions are trying to make up for the fact that more and more workers realize that the free market is the best path to prosperity. I just think that a free country can not allow individuals to be forced to pay for politics.

Think of the upside. In the 2004 presidential election cycle, organized labor raised a reported $199.5 million for their own political organizations. The AFL-CIO said it spent $44 million on voter mobilization; the Service Employees International Union spent $65 million. The National Education Association spent nearly $25 million on political activities and lobbying in 2005. When given a choice, union members overwhelmingly refuse to support the union's political activity. When Washington's law went into effect, voluntary political contributions by teachers dropped 85 percent. In Utah, where union membership is voluntary, a similar law resulted in a 90 percent dropoff in teacher contributions. Think about it. This would absolutely cripple the Democrat party! I guarantee you will a lot about this issue in the near future.