Lame union fee
Governor Gray Davis signed a bill Oct. 10
that forces California State University faculty members to pay partial
union dues, whether or not they belong to the faculty union.
The union, which represents all faculty
members regardless of membership, pushed to approve SB645. The union gave
representation to nonmembers for free until the bill passed last week.
Faculty members are divided on the issue.
Some think it is fair to make nonmembers pay for their share of representative
costs. Others are angry they have to pay dues to an organization to which
they do not belong.
The union should be supported only by
its members. Yes, the union represents all faculty, including nonunion
members. But it should represent only the faculty who decided to join the
union. Faculty members who do not join the union should not be represented.
It is as simple as that.
The union has a vested interest in representing
all faculty members. It makes their position much stronger. It is the union's
own fault it did not charge for nonmember representation in the first place.
The union should stop its bellyaching
and deal with the fact that 62 percent of CSU faculty members do not want
to be a part of the organization.
The union may want to increase its clout
in labor disputes, but nonmembers shouldn't pay for it. |
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