Saturday, October 22, 2005

More On Prop 75

The Governor says that many public employees don't opt out of unions because of fear of intimidation or harassment. I'm not convinced that's true--more likely it's concerns about being ostracized. I don't opt out because "opting out" means I'd still pay 100% of union dues and would get only about 15% returned to me, and I wouldn't be allowed to vote on my own freakin' contract since I wouldn't be a "full" union member.

Give me the opportunity to opt out completely, and I would. THAT might make the CTA more responsive to me, instead of the current situation where they take my money and run.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does being allowed to vote make much of a difference? What is the smallest # of votes cast in a vote that might affect your job?

Darren said...

I don't understand your question. When I talk about voting on my contract, that's voting just within my school district.

I can't see paying $850/year to be an agency fee payer and get no union protections and no say in my own contract--what the heck would I be paying $850 for, anyway?

Anonymous said...

What I meant was does your vote make a difference anyway: Are you one out of a hundred or one out of 10,000? It does make a difference in probability. In other words, what is the probability that your vote would decide a contract?

I didn't realize you have no union legal protection if your administration decides to go after you if you opt out of "contributing" to union political lobbying.

Darren said...

What does one vote out of 3000 ever mean? Will a contract ever be decided by one vote? Probably not. But I want my vote counted. Otherwise, what's the point of having it?