The rightness of the Employee Rights Act

Washington Times ^ | Monday, July 10, 2017 | By Richard Berman

[T Ruth]

ANALYSIS/OPINION: This week, Senate Republicans will continue working on their proposed health care reform bill, which is polling at 38 percent favorable. Meanwhile, another piece of legislation which polls near 80 percent favorability is hiding in plain sight. The Employee Rights Act (ERA) calls for guaranteed secret ballot elections as a condition of unionization. It requires periodic union recertification after substantial workforce turnover.

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*** It’s a pro-employee law that union households strongly support, including those in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio.

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The annual take of nongovernment unions is conservatively estimated to be in excess of $8 billion. Every year. *** Exit polls show 35-40 percent of union members vote for Republicans. These conservative voters are also dues-paying members. What they didn’t know until now is that the unions have skimmed more than a billion dollars from monthly dues to fund the union’s favorite left-wing political groups. Many Republican union members would not have agreed to fund these if asked for permission. When polled, most want this practice stopped. *** Last year 170 senators and representatives co-sponsored the legislation. Those who took a pass often used the excuse that it was an empty gesture given the expected veto of President Obama. The expectation for support is much greater today.

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Congress needs to send President Trump this most important addition to personal freedom. It will give the administration the legislative victory it needs, reinvigorating the vitality of the American workplace and providing the freedom from exploitation that most union employees support. It is the moral high ground that Mr. Trump promised to occupy.

[pas]

If they didn’t know until now that the unions were using their dues for left-wing causes, they are not very bright. This has not been a secret.

[Roccus]

What they didn’t know until now is that the unions have skimmed more than a billion dollars from monthly dues to fund the union’s favorite left-wing political groups.

I call BS on the author!

[T Ruth]

You are right that it is well known that unions use members’ dues for left-wing causes, but what I did not know is that it amounts to a billion dollars a year.

[arthurus]

Unions give more money than workers and unions give money in big chunks.

[Roccus]

When I was working, my union dues amounted to about 2 1/2 hrs. pay/wk. Pension, medical, vacation etc all came from company, not union. Wholebunchalotta money floatin’ around.