Workers forced to pay union fees

[CNHT]

Court upholds deduction of union fees from nonunion members
December 30, 2006
CONCORD, N.H. --A judge has rejected a request by nonunion workers to stop the state from deducting fees from their paychecks for the State Employees 

Merrimack County Judge Carol Ann Conboy said the workers failed to show the so called "fair share" deductions -- approved in a contract agreement -- were unlawful.

The fees are not full union dues but are intended to cover some of the benefits that nonunion workers receive, including the cost of contract negotiations.
The state agreed to deduct the fees automatically from paychecks, a practice seven nonunion workers alleged was illegal.

Debra Black, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said the mandatory deductions are unfair. If workers don't have a choice about whether to pay the dues, they should at least have some say in how they pay them, she said.

"The SEA is not something that I have to do. It's something that's being forced down my throat. The least they can do is bill me like some other creditor does. My town taxes they don't take out of my paycheck," she said.

State Employees Association President Gary Smith said the lawsuit was "one more challenge that has concluded favorably for the union, and it continues to demonstrate that we've been transparent and have conducted our affairs properly."

The union secured the right to collect the fees in 1999, but were required to reach 60 percent membership first. The union hit that figure earlier this year. It has since increased its ranks to about 70 percent of the state's roughly 10,000 eligible employees, Smith said.

[cathleeninnh]

Do you think any of the ticked off employees will quit working for the state?

Cathleen

[Lloyd Danforth]

Equivalent of gangs

[CNHT]

Do you think any of the ticked off employees will quit working for the state?

Cathleen

We tried to do this when we knew they were giving millions of our dues money to the Clinton campaign. It did not work and we were still required to pay a 'user' fee.

Later, unions were caught giving member money to political candidates, which is supposed to be illegal.

[RichW]

One of my clients is a non-union guy in a union shop.  His co-workers use every means of intimidation imaginable to try to force him to sign up.  They open his locker and pee in his soup. They throw acid on his car.  Still, he stands up to them and refuses to submit.  What courage.

I understand the desire for workers to join together to protect their rights.  But, most of them go way too far.  For the most part, they are corrupt thugs that are intimately familiar with the use of force.

[error]

One of my clients is a non-union guy in a union shop.  His co-workers use every means of intimidation imaginable to try to force him to sign up.  They open his locker and pee in his soup. They throw acid on his car.  Still, he stands up to them and refuses to submit.  What courage.

Why would anyone want to join a group like that?

[KBCraig]

My workplace is open shop. Every now and then, someone opines about the "freeloaders" having benefit of union representation without paying dues, and how membership (or "user fees") should be mandatory. I shoot down such nonsense whenever I encounter it. And FWIW, I'm on the e-board of our local.

[Dave Ridley]

One of my clients is a non-union guy in a union shop.  His co-workers use every means of intimidation imaginable to try to force him to sign up.  They open his locker and pee in his soup. They throw acid on his car.  Still, he stands up to them and refuses to submit.  What courage.

is he in NH?

[Dave Ridley]

is it just government workers having their money yanked or is it people in the private sector?

[error]

is it just government workers having their money yanked or is it people in the private sector?

Looks like it's just government workers.

[Pat McCotter]

is it just government workers having their money yanked or is it people in the private sector?

SEA - State Employees Association - the union "representing" state employees.

[RichW]

One of my clients is a non-union guy in a union shop.  His co-workers use every means of intimidation imaginable to try to force him to sign up.  They open his locker and pee in his soup. They throw acid on his car.  Still, he stands up to them and refuses to submit.  What courage.

is he in NH?

PA

[Rosie the Riveter]

My workplace is open shop. Every now and then, someone opines about the "freeloaders" having benefit of union representation without paying dues, and how membership (or "user fees") should be mandatory. I shoot down such nonsense whenever I encounter it. And FWIW, I'm on the e-board of our local.

Right on!! Keep shooting it down every chance you get.