Don’t Mess with Texans’ Paychecks

James Sherk / March 25, 2011

Union members in Massachusetts support Senator Scott Brown (R). So it is perhaps surprising to see Massachusetts unions announcing their plans to target him for defeat. Or perhaps not.

Union bosses, not union members, decide how to spend union dues. Union bosses oppose Brown’s efforts to cut government spending. So they are going to go after him—whether or not their members want their dues spent that way.

This is a national problem. Union members pay 1–2 percent of their salaries in annual dues but have little say over how that money gets spent. Often it gets spent on political campaigning. Three of the top five outside spenders in the midterm elections were unions. Despite the fact that many union members are conservative, almost all of this money goes to elect liberals. (more…)