HARRISBURG —
Businesses and organized labor are clashing over a proposal to eliminate the mandatory payment of union dues by nonunion employees in some professions.
A package of bills, introduced this session by state House Republicans, seeks to repeal state laws requiring all state workers, local government employees and public-school teachers to pay dues, even if they choose not to join a union.
Business groups say the compulsory dues are an affront to freedom and the so-called “right-to-work” laws would increase personal income and job creation. Right-to-work means that employees are not required to join labor unions or pay union dues, even if they choose to work in a union shop.
“Workers should be free to make their own decisions about the organizations they join and give their money. It’s the American way,” said Kevin Shivers, state director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Independent Businesses, which represents small businesses in the state.
Unions counter by saying that non-union employees benefit from the collective-bargaining process, resulting in better wages and benefits that otherwise would not be achieved. Since non-union workers enjoy these benefits, they should pay their “fair share,” they argue.
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