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Maine’s 3,000
non-union state employees ought to march en
masse to the office of Governor John Baldacci
and ask him to explain exactly what is fair
about “fair share.” Tucked away in the
$5.8-billion state budget bill passed by
Democrats last month was a wage contract
requiring, for the first time, that all
non-union state employees pay union dues as a
condition of continued employment.
They call it
“fair share” though it is anything but fair. Two
years ago, coinciding with Baldacci’s
inauguration, state negotiators caved in to the
Maine State Employees Association and agreed
that all new hires from that point on — union
members and non-members alike — would be
required to pay “fair share” dues to the MSEA to
cover the cost of contract negotiations. That
never should have happened. Now, thanks to the
Governor and Legislature, that provision has
been broadened to include not just new hires but
all employees, providing an annual windfall of
about $700,000 to the MSEA.
The MSEA’s
argument, and that of the Governor, is that the
union is negotiating contracts for all those
individuals who choose, whether on principle or
for other reasons, not to join. Hence, they
should be required to provide financial support.
The truth is that many of those non-union
members would be more than happy to fend for
themselves, were they allowed to do so. But
they’re not. The further truth is that the cost
of the negotiating process doesn’t rise or fall
depending upon the number of union members. The
union doesn’t negotiate for Joe Smith or Tom
Jones as individuals; it bargains wages and
benefits for positions and classes of employees.
But Baldacci
never met a union he did not like, and he
clearly has no qualms about forcing non-union
members to pay tribute to the MSEA or give up
their jobs. For full-time workers that now means
monthly dues of $9.10 if you belong to the union
and $6.71 if you don’t. But either way, you pay.
The Governor has turned state government into
what is commonly known as a “closed shop.”
It would be
gratifying to see outraged legislators rise up
and act to repeal the so-called “fair share”
provision. Unions ought to succeed or fail based
solely on their appeal to prospective members.
Government — and by extension that is all of us
— should not be demanding that its employees
join or otherwise support the MSEA or any other
such organization. There’s nothing fair about
threatening an individual with the loss of his
livelihood to force him to conform.
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