Ohio Unions to Mandate More Money From Members to Fund SB5 Campaign Fight?
April 7th 2011 · 2 Comments
For the last two months, we’ve heard from government unions about their so-called ‘right’ to collective bargaining. Union bosses have downplayed the fact that they’re willing to sacrifice members’ interests for union dues.
In Ohio, where SB5 was recently signed into law last week, union bosses are now so desperate to keep their dues revenue stream flowing that they are now considering charging their members assessments (fees on top of their normal dues) to fund a campaign to fight SB5:
In an email dated March 22 and obtained by The Dispatch, Ohio Education Association executive director Larry Wicks said teachers and other unionized school personnel might be charged a one-time assessment of $50 to generate more than $5 million to fight Senate Bill 5. A spokesman said yesterday that the OEA’s representative assembly will vote on the charge in early May.
Wicks said in his email, “At least $20 million will be needed to run an effective campaign.”
So, OEA’s members will not have a direct say in the matter. However, if the OEA assembly passes it, OEA members will be expected to pay the $50 to fund a campaign they may or may not support.
In an email to Kasich, OEA member Connie Ash complained about the union deducting money from her check to fight Senate Bill 5.
“I am a fiscal conservative and belong to the tea party,” Ash wrote. “I am appalled that the OEA feels they can commandeer funds from my paycheck without my approval.”
Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said the OEA’s possible $50 member assessment was a “perfect example of what’s wrong with this broken system.”
If $50 sounds like a lot, the firefighters’ union is actually considering demanding $100 from its members to fund the campaign to keep unions’ power in place.
There’s something perversely peculiar when anti-democratic unions require their members to pay for campaigns against laws that democratically-elected officials enacted, just so those union bosses can continue a system that enables the union bosses to require more money from those members.
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“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Tags: John Kasich, NEA, Ohio, Ohio Education Association, SB 5
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This is an absurd blog today. Union bosses don’t do anything without approval of the body (democratic process). And Union’s don’t DEMAND anything from their members except normal dues. The DEMAND talked about in this blog is a request. Some people call it asking. And, if union members don’t like it, there is nothing in Ohio that requires membership. Miss Connie should resign. But of course then she would expect representation when she is disciplined. Just like a Tea Partier.
Brian:
Nice try, but you apparently did not read the post carefully enough, especially the bolded section, which stated:
Note: A representative assembly is not the entire membership.
Moreover, as the OEA is part of the NEA, the NEA’s rules apply here (which is found in the NEA Constitution), as follows:
Here’s the link:
http://www.aeaonline.org/news/pdf/NEA%20Constitution08.pdf