Last
week New York Governor David Paterson signed a new law permanently
denying his state's "public service" employees the right to
conscientious objector status when it comes to the unions they may
or may not believe are representing their best interests. Join a
union. Don't join a union. You pay those dues either way in the
Empire State. This sort of statist enforcement might seem a bit
overbearing to the layperson--what? these magnificent unions aren't
able to persuade people to
join?--but, really, it's just sensible policy,
according to...um,
"labor leaders":
"In public employment, they have
the right not to belong, but I still must represent them," said
Richard C. Iannuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers.
"If under the law we're obligated to represent every employee, then
it's only fair that every employee pays something toward the cost
of being represented."
So as long as I
pay for my union dues, I can choose not to belong to the union?
Wow! Thieves should go into union management: Instead of going to
jail for jacking people up, you get fancy dinner parties,
absurd lionization from net-nerds and the governor driving your
figurative getaway car. Not bad!
I know the phrase
Orwellian gets thrown around a lot, but...
topics:
Law, Unions
