In this month’s issue of Perspective, OCPA research fellow Matt Mayer makes the case that government should not serve as the dues collector for Big Labor.

Oklahoma government labor unions should have to collect dues using their own resources. Given modern technology and the increasing number of Oklahomans who pay bills over the Internet, government resources should not be used for government-labor-union dues collection. If government workers want to join the labor union and pay dues, then that transaction should occur directly between the labor union and the government workers as a voluntary action.

As Oklahoma Commissioner of Labor Mark Costello has noted, “The costs of union dues withholding and remittance are paid by the taxpayer, directly benefiting the unions and employee associations. In other words, state and local government serves as the ‘bagman’ for union bosses.”

Without automatic payroll deductions, government workers vote with their checkbooks, often declining to join the labor union and pay dues.

I urge you to read the entire article here.