by Kevin, “Coach” Collins, CoachIsRight.com
The current crisis in Wisconsin brings to mind the results of a 1988 Supreme Court decision in the matter of Communication Workers of America v. Beck. “Beck” started when a CWA worker named Harry Beck demanded his dues money back because the CWA was using it to fund the campaigns of liberal Democrats and as a conservative Beck had had enough.
After the usual protracted period of appeals the case worked its way up to the Supreme Court and was decided in favor of Beck and his co-defendants.
What “Beck” Said and Why It’s Important Today
The decision established what are now known as “Beck rights” for all American workers. Essentially it said a union worker who objects to having his/her dues used for purposes he/she disapproves of can no longer be forced to pay that part of any dues not specifically designated for actual union related purposes. Only the dues fees actually necessary to provide bargaining services and administer benefits can be collected by unions. In short, unions can no longer collect union dues for anti American causes without the expressed permission of the member.
Unfortunately, almost as soon as the decision was handed down the media, Democrats and feckless collaborating Republicans conspired to make believe it never happened. Even under both Bush 41 and 43, “Beck” became nothing more than a grease stained sign at most work places if one appeared at all.
By February 1995, Clinton quietly rescinded a Bush-41 Executive Order requiring all federal contractors to post a “Beck Notice.” Since then most of the time Beck enforcement has had more to do with minor fines handed out for not displaying a Beck Rights than (gasp!) actually enforcing the decision.
The Time is Right
Obviously when the Republicans regained control of the House in 1994 they had no stomach for fighting to see that Beck was enforced. That was then, however, and this is now. We have beaten back Card Check and we have the unions on the run. Now is the time to cripple them with a “reverse” Card Check allowing individuals to opt out of union membership altogether. Doing this and pressing the enforcement of workers’ Beck Rights can break the strangle hold of Big Labor on our economy. For the sake of our nation let’s hope Wisconsin’s Republicans do just this.
To contact your Congressional Representative use this link:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
To read more use this link:
http://www.cltg.org/cltg/unions/howitaffectsyou.htm
This article originally appeared on CoachIsRight.com and appears here with permission.
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I am a former Teamster union member that worked for the City of Minneapolis. It is all a scam! when you retire from the city of Minneapolis you do NOT get any retirement benefits from the union after you paid into them for 20-30+ years of work. You Minnesota taxpayers pay for all City worker benefits which are way higher than private business benefits. As an employee of the City of Minneapolis you do NOT have a choice to pay dues or not, and how the unions ever got that into law for employment has to be a scam and a crime. But Minnesota is the land of 10,000 Liberal democrats and they control everything and spend our tax dollars to bring in and pay for all expenses for Muslims, Somali's, and other brown people from all over the world. That is why major freeway bridges collapse, they don't use our taxes for roads and repairs, they have turned Minneapolis into a little terrorist hotbed.
OBAMA IS THE BIGGEST UNION THUG OF THEM ALL
I am becoming more confused by the day. Obama's interference into situations in ways that seem UNLAWFUL. HIS DIRECT, TOTAL AND COMPLETE PUBLIC AND PERSONAL DISREGARD OF JUDICIAL MANDATES. What confuses me is that NEITHER THE SENATE OR CONGRESS APPEAR TO NOTICE OR IF THEY DO THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO TAKE ANY TYPE OF ACTION AGAINST HIM. This man is making a complete mockery of our Judicial system from the Constitution all the way down AND NO ONE IS OBJECTING or calling him on it. THE PEOPLE ARE STRONGLY OBJECTING AND WRITTING ABOUT IT, BUT NO ONE WITH THE POWER TO ACT IS DOING ANYTHING ??????
I agree,,,,this man breaks our laws constantly and no one in power has the nerve to step up and do anything, which legally they can. Trumpka himself admitted to being at the whitehouse with obama 3 to 4 days a week and speaking to his administrators every day of the week, that is seven times a week minimum. Now he has alot to say to defend the unions,,,but when Iran erupted, nothing, now Libya he again says nothing,,,it seems he is showing more and more he is muslim minded and not one bit concerned about our safety here in the United States, he is either a muslim or a marxist,,,he needs to be stopped now,,,it can be done legally if someone would only do something,,someone in power to make it happen. If he is done away with legally he will be stripped of all power and we will be back to where we had been in 2008 and can then continue to roll this garbage back.
ABSOLUTLY NO MONEY OR INFLUENCE should be injected into government by any unions. Keep these UNION THUGS OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE!
Hi! I fully believe “O” is a Muslim & a Marxist. I believe he is determined to destroy the US with the help & guidance of George Soros!
Ya not gonna stop Emmelt et al, from visiting the White House. That’s Obama’s core money machine and backing. He’s not about to stop that. They both need each other. Why do you think Obama said we need to get out and build roads and bridges… well who do you think builds those… it’s certainly not NON union guys…
When Sandy blew in the east coast… and destroyed almost everything in sight… the unions stopped a lot of work in cities cause the men coming in there wanted to work in the clean up… do you think they were able to get work.. NO !!!! The unions wouldnt allow them to… and who do you think suffered in this… it was the PEOPLE who are still out of their homes…. Only union men can do those jobs (even clean up) … and if Obama were any kind of man, he could see this.. but since he is bought and paid for by the unions, he wont go against anything they say. Those people are suffering cause of no place to go … when there are non-union men waiting to work… this is the saddest thing in the history of this country… to think a UNION can control even the President and the people of this county. sad.. really sad…