That unions spend big money electing liberal politicians is not new news. That union spent over $4 billion on politics over the five years between 2005 and 2011 is not new news either.

However, while the United Auto Workers spends millions (almost exclusively on Democrats) a simple paragraph in the Detroit Free Press may have inadvertently revealed just how much of UAW members’ dues (per person) are being spent on the UAW’s non-representational actiities, including politics—and that number is shocking.

Last year, over the loud objections of union bosses, Michigan became the nation’s 24th Right-to-Work state. As part of the new law, unions had then-exsisting contract “grandfathered” until they became re-negotiated. This meant that workers, under those existing union contracts, who were required to pay union dues (or fees) in order to keep their jobs would still be required to pay union dues (or fees) until the contract became renewable.

Last week, Todd Lemire, a 16-year Dearborn Tool & Die plant worker at Ford Motor Company filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board claiming that Ford was continuing to withhold full union dues—including dues that were being used for political activities.

According to the National Right To Work Foundation’s website:


On April 7, 2014, Lemire sent a letter to Ford Motor and UAW union officials exercising his statutory rights to resign his union membership and refrain from full union dues. Under Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court precedent, nonmember workers can refrain from paying for union boss politics and members-only events. The current contract was agreed to before Michigan’s Right to Work law came into effect, which is why Lemire cannot yet cut off all union dues and fees.

Even though UAW union officials acknowledged Lemire’s request, Ford continued to confiscate full union dues from Lemire’s paychecks. Lemire sent a second letter, this time informing UAW union officials that full dues were still being taken from his paychecks. UAW union officials returned the illegally-taken union dues.

Despite Lemire’s repeated attempts to refrain from full dues-paying union membership, Ford Motor continues to confiscate, and UAW union officials continue to accept, full union dues from Lemire’s paychecks. [Emphasis added.]

Until Michigan’s Right-to-Work law takes effect at Ford Motor Company with a new contract in 2015, Lemire is still required to pay representation fees to the UAW but not the money that the UAW is using for political activities….and this is where it gets very interesting.

According to the National Right to Work Foundation, the UAW did refund some of Lemire’s money before stopping.

While the Foundation’s press release does not specify how much was returned, an article in the Detroit Free Press does.


Lemire has recouped the $98 he was owed over three months, but remains frustrated because Ford continues to deduct the full dues amount from his paycheck, then the union reimburses him. He feels this violates the National Labor Relations Act and his rights, which led to the charges. [Emphasis added.]

If the Detroit Free Press is accurate, it appears that the UAW is using an astounding $32 per month of each members dues on non-representational activities.

As UAW increased its members dues by 25% recently, it appears that a lot of those dues will be going to fund political activites.

http://laborunionreport.com/2014/08/22/i...-shocking/

Another leftist org deducting money from a persons paycheck. Wonder how far these groups would get if their members actually wrote the check.

Oh, and it's big business that enables this. Guess they don't really hate corporations like they pretend to.

hey, these union bosses work hard. can you imagine what a struggle it is for this guy to find his dork when he has to pee?