August 20, 2015
by Nick Novak
This column was originally published by The Washington Times.
It may be one of the best-kept secrets in the workforce. No matter where someone lives – in a right-to-work state or not – all workers have the freedom to leave their union and opt-out of paying at least a portion of monthly dues.
The reason this is one of the best-kept secrets is that it keeps the power in the hands of the union bosses and out of the hands of the dedicated workers. However, all across the country this week, workers are finally being given a voice – a voice that will stand up for their individual freedoms.
Aug. 16-22 is National Employee Freedom Week. It celebrates people likeKristi Lacroix and her freedom to choose whether or not she wants to be in a union and pay costly monthly dues.
Kristi is a teacher from Kenosha, Wisconsin. And before Gov. Scott Walker’s historic public sector collective-bargaining reforms, she wanted to leave her union, but she couldn’t – or so she thought.
She found out workers do not have to pay for a union’s political activities. This is known as becoming an agency fee payer. Employees that decide to go this route only have to pay for the administrative and bargaining costs – not the excessive costs associated with running television ads for the union bosses’ political friends.
Continue reading at WashingtonTimes.com.