In a nation where Freedom of Association is guaranteed by the First Amendment, I have never been able to understand how an employee can be forced to pay union dues under the threat of losing his or her job when it is commonly understood that a large percentage of union dues are spent on partisan political activity, almost all of which goes to support Democrats and liberals.
This system forces an employee who disagrees with that political view to either support causes with which he or she disagrees directly with his or her money or to quit and seek employment elsewhere. But elsewhere might subject him or her to the same problem.
The only way that Freedom of Association has any meaning or value is if it also guarantees us the Freedom Not to Associate with those with whom we disagree. Forced contribution of wages to support political causes with which we disagree is a form of slavery.
In this case the employee was not even a member of the union but was still required without her consent to contribute to a special union dues assessment expressly directed to a political cause. It is about time this forced contribution for political purposes has been stopped.
"In the case at hand, the wise words of Thomas Jefferson come to mind: 'To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.' "
Editorial: Overdue high-court ruling on union dues for politics | court, union, decision - Opinion - The Orange County Register
