AFSCME intentionally lies to new employees about political monies and dues
--posted by Tony Garcia on 8/24/2005
At a New Employee Orientation today at the University that I was invited by a friend to sit in I witnessed AFSCME union representatives blatantly lying to the new employees. The treasurer of Local 3800 (Brad Sigal, 612-625-4329, sigal003@umn.edu) descirbed to the newbies that there is this useless thing called "fair share" which does not allow them to vote. This is true. The only way to vote on a strike is to become a full member. This is true. The difference is about $1 per paycheck. This is partially true...this depends on the person's wage. The honest answer would have been to say fair share pays 85% of the dues and that full voting members pay that plus the additional 15%.
Here is where the load of intentional lies begins. Sigal was asked what that other 15% is for. "About $1." He was asked why 15%? "That is what the law says." The law says 15%? "It just says that fair share only pays 85%."
Now, you may be asking yourself what DOES the law say? It says that unions can only charge their members for actual union advocacy. Contract negotiations, lobbying (though I disagree with this), etc are considered union advocacy. Political actions may not be part of the mandatory dues. AFSCME figures this out and they determine that their political activity (stumping for Democrat and Green candidates) is about 15% of their total expenses. Now, unions know they would have very little support if they only asked people to pay the extra so they tie voting rights to the full membership. Basically you must support Democrats to vote in your union. This is (intentionally?) disenfranchising Republicans either in the union (by them staying fair share) or in the American process (by having full member Republicans fund their political opponents).
Now, everyone on the AFSCME staff knows this story. I know because I have spoken to most of them personally about this. Brad even called me on this topic a few years ago.
Back to the intentional lies.
What is that extra 15% used for? "I don't know. I guess I should know better exactly what it is for since I fill out the paperwork, but I'm not sure."
How is that money spent? "On extra things like barbeques and cook outs. That kind of thing."
That's it? "Yes." Shouldn't the Attorney General be looking into this kind of thing?
Lying to their members to trick them into becoming full members is unspeakable. The least democratic union, AFSCME, is a union that needs to be destroyed. I hope they go on strike and fail miserably...I advocate the breaking of this union.
5 Comments:
Tony, I've had my arguments with AFSCME, but it's bullshit that should you become a full member you are required to become a democrat.
Actually, your cognitive abilities have failed you again. Becoming a full member does not make you a democrat. But to become a full member you must pay the extra 15% of the dues...that money is actually the amount that is used for political & partisan purposes.
That is why it is a law that fair share members are not required to pay that amount.
It is not bullshit, as you so eloquently put it, it is a fact. Go read the laws.
You're an idiot.
Even worse, you're an idiot who masquerades as an authority on this subject.
You are entitled to a refund of any dues paid, once a year, to any political activity you object to. You only need file with AFSCME to get your dues money back.
AFSCME is, perhaps, the most democratic union in America today. The Treasurer's uncertainty as to where the money is spent hardly equals a deliberate desire by AFSCME to lie to new employees.
Know your REAL enemy, jackass.
Ah, spoken like a true AFSCME employee. The treasurer did lie. And, yes, the treasurer DOES know the answers to the questions being asked. The fact is that the difference in dues between fair share and full member is 100% political activity. Every union official knows this...the just do not tell prosepective members that. That is a fact.
Yes, a refund is legally entitled to anyone that wants it. I think I made that clear. However AFSCME makes it so inhibitive to get a full refund so as to retain as much of the politically used money as possible. I noticed you did not dispute that.
I'm curious...why are you doing Google searches on "Brad Sigal" anyway? Are you Brad? Your spewage of empty "dialogue" is not only typical of the AFSCME officials but is typical of the crap that Brad utters.
AFSCME is NOT democratic. In order to vote a person MUST contribute to the political activities of the socialist AFSCME via the full member dues (which remember is the exact amount that is spent on political activism) instead of fair share dues.
What a bunch of frauds you/they are.
I do know my REAL enemy...it is AFSCME and the very people that run it. They have only the interests of the leadership and their uber-socialist views in mind. They do not act on behalf of their membership, they are deliberately misleading in their press & member literature and they are the very antithesis of a healthy labor movement.
You are further proof, btw, that anonymous posts are the work of the lower half of the intellectual pool of society.
I think, BTW, I will talk about your little union on the show on 11/20. Call in, if you dare, to defend your little, pissant movement.
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