Citizens for Responsible Education Reform

Worker Paycheck Fairness Act - H.R. 1625
Paycheck Protection Act - H.R. 2608
Paycheck Protection Act - S. 9

Union Members Gaining Political Freedom

Issue Description

H.R. 1625 passed the Education & the Workforce Committee by voice vote on October 8, 1997. The bill requires that workers give permission before unions can take money out of their paychecks for any activity other than labor/management relations (i.e., political contributions). It also gives workers the right to know where their money is spent. The bill implements the Supreme Court's 1988 Beck decision which gives workers enforcement rights, requires unions to provide more detailed financial records, and requires employers to inform their employees of these new rights. The bill was introduced by Mr. Fawell on May 15, 1997.
H.R. 2608, introduced by Rep. Schaffer, amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful, except with the separate, prior, written, voluntary authorization of each individual, for: (1) national banks or corporations to collect from or assess its stockholders or employees any dues, initiation fee, or other payment as a condition of employment if any part of such dues, fee, or payment will be used for political activities in which the national bank or corporation is engaged; and (2) labor organizations to collect from or assess its members or nonmembers any dues, fee, or other payment if any part of such dues, fee, or payment will be used for political activities in which the labor organization is engaged.

States that an authorization shall remain in effect until revoked and may be revoked at any time. Requires each entity collecting from or assessing amounts from an individual with an authorization in effect to provide the individual with a statement that the individual may at any time revoke the authorization.

LATEST ACTION: 03/30/98 Measure failed of passage in House roll call vote #83.

S. 9 -- This is the Paycheck Protection Act sponsored by Sen. Don Nickles. Please click on the link below to read testimony pertaining to this bill.

CRER Analysis and Position

Similar bills are playing out on the state stage this election season. Governor Pete Wilson recently visited Washington, D.C. to stump for Proposition 226, "Paycheck Protection for Working Californians." Even though the proposition continues to poll very favorably, Gov. Wilson knows the unions will pour mega bucks behind an effort to defeat it with diversions, distortions, and other media-savvy propaganda. This proposition reforms the Political Reform Act in two ways:

1. It prohibits employers and unions from withholding pay or using dues for political purposes "without prior written consent" from the employee. (quotes added)

2. It prohibits contributions to state and local candidates from foreign entities.

What the proposition does not do is preclude organized labor from participating in the political process. This is a primary argument the unions, including California's most powerful player, the California Teachers Association, are using in their propaganda war against this initiative.

John Hein, Associate Executive Director of the CTA has said his organization would spend at least $3 million to oppose Prop 226. This is thought to be significantly less than proponents of the measure expect from CTA coffers.

At least 30 states have similar plans in the works, but California's vote in June will likely be the bellweather. If it succeeds by a big margin, a snowball effect will likely occur throughout the nation. This has the potential to be a huge financial blow to labor and the political powers of the teacher union monopolies, as it has proved to be in Washington state already.

The Paycheck Protection initiative, Proposition 226 in California, was voted down on June 2 by a margin of 53.5% to 46.5%. The differential in campaign advertising money was approximately 7 to 1 in favor of the unions. Proponents of this initiative have vowed to bring it back, and believe this is only the first volley in a battle that is not yet finished.

CRER supports these state efforts and similar efforts on the national level. In a free nation, no persons should be compelled to pay for political causes that they oppose.

For additional information on this issue, visit:
Worker Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 1625 (Reported in the House)
Paycheck Protection Act, H.R. 2608
Paycheck Protection Act, S. 9
Yes! on Prop 226 Summary of Provisions for H.R. 1625
This is a site that shows how the opposition is reacting to H.R. 2608.
This is a liberal site devoted to countering ballot initiatives.

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