The battles in Wisconsin and Ohio are not merely over collective bargaining and benefits, but also over who has to pay union dues. Proposals in both states would bar unions from requiring non-members covered by union contracts to pay dues.This is an especially contentious issue because in some places where legislation allows workers to choose not to pay some portion of union dues, the opt out rate can be quite high.
In California, for instance, workers who object to being in the union must pay dues to finance collective bargaining, but they can opt out of paying any portion of their dues that go to other union activities, like political campaigns. During a 2005 initiative battle that would have widened that right, the Sacramento Bee reported that 37,000 of the 175,000 state administrative workers covered by union contracts were already electing to opt out of full union dues, even though they had to pay dues first and then go to the union to request a refund. The 2005 ballot question, Proposition 75, would have required unions to stop collecting the dues in the first place on those who requested not to pay them, which would have almost certainly boosted the opt out rate. The measure failed at the ballot box.
In California, for instance, workers who object to being in the union must pay dues to finance collective bargaining, but they can opt out of paying any portion of their dues that go to other union activities, like political campaigns. During a 2005 initiative battle that would have widened that right, the Sacramento Bee reported that 37,000 of the 175,000 state administrative workers covered by union contracts were already electing to opt out of full union dues, even though they had to pay dues first and then go to the union to request a refund. The 2005 ballot question, Proposition 75, would have required unions to stop collecting the dues in the first place on those who requested not to pay them, which would have almost certainly boosted the opt out rate. The measure failed at the ballot box.
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