"Has Wisconsin AFSCME really lost 50 percent of its members since Gov. Scott Walker ended

[midnight]

Last edited Tue Aug 7, 2012, 11:33 PM - Edit history (1)

automatic dues?" http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/06/did_scott_walker_reforms_lead.html


When I read that... I was thinking that something was wrong....It's probably more like members don't have any money to pay their dues Any union here to confirm this... thanks...

[Scuba]

1. When you cut family income by 30-40% every non-essential is subject to your cuts....

... and you can't feed your kids a Union. Walker's masters are getting what they wanted.

[sybylla]

2. Wankers law required them to basically recertify every year or two years.

Worse, employers (in this case the state, counties and municipalities) can no longer automatically deduct union membership dues. Members must now pay their dues outside their payroll system, which makes it harder to keep members.

I wish I had source to confirm this. I'm not a union member, but I know people who are. This is just what I remember hearing on the street when the anti-union bill came down. I knew at the time these provision were all about killing the unions fast.

In the end, my understanding is that some of these AFSCME groups have either not voted for re-certification or their membership, knowing what Wanker has done, doesn't see their union has any power any more so why bother with re-certification or membership anymore.

I can definitely see how their membership has dwindled to 50% so quickly.

[midnight]

3. Since posting this last night, someone has informed me that at the end of this year, Milwaukee

county nurses union will not be able to get a contract with the county. So it's not really about protecting people from being forced to pay union dues, but it is a matter of forcing people to choose from working as a union member with benefits and protection or not working at all...