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Readers Speak Out: Politics, Unions and the Civil Service

Representing employees

Manager
IRS
Mon Sep 27, 2004 8:45 AM

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A union representing employees should not be allowed to participate in politics.

Money for supporting candidates

Contract Specialist
DoD
Mon Sep 27, 2004 8:58 AM

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It is illegal for unions to use dues money to support any candidate running for office. Unions have audits regularly and must submit yearly reports to the Dept of Labor on distribution of all their money. The money unions use for political activity is donated by union members to their political action committees (PACs) and distributed to politicians who represent worker issues. The key word is "donated". Unions may direct more PAC money to one party than the other but refuse money only when the politician is hostile to worker's issues. It is all in how the politician votes on various bills. It is unfortunate that the urban legend (i.e. unions spend dues money on political activity) continues on. I've seen this lie stopped in numerous election cycles only to have it raise its ugly head yet again, usually by the same media that dislike social issues, deny the environment needs protection, and would have a regressive government rather than one that embraces progress to keep America ahead of other nations. I hope it isn't a case of the practice of telling the lie often enough and people begin to believe it's the fact.

Re: Money for supporting candidates

ER Specialist
DOD
Mon Sep 27, 2004 11:20 AM
It's also against the law for union officials to take their members' money and use it for their personal use... just because it's not permitted doesn't mean that it doesn't happen... I've seen 5 union presidents in my agency prosecuted and sent to jail over the last 10 years for embezzling or misusing union funds... I rarely see any of our locals filing their required financial disclosure forms to DOL... a real audit of the books of some of our federal unions might prove very illuminating.

Re: Money for supporting candidates

CSR
DoD
Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:48 PM
It sounds like you must be a union treasurer, otherwise you would not see the if the financial disclosures are filed or not. Also, if 5 presidents in 10 years went to jail for misusing union funds, it sounds like yoiu all should be more careful who you vote for, and if you did not vote you shoule get off your butt and vote.

Union Dues for Political Campaigns

Customer Service Representative
DoD
Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:09 AM

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It is a common mis-conception that federal unions make political contributions with funds taken from membership dues. This is just not so. Federal unions are prohibited by law from using membership dues to support political positions. The money they use for contributions is from PACS, which are funded by VOLUNTARY Contributions from the membership. Members may not be coorced to join a PAC, in fact a PAC for Federal employees may not even be promoted at the workplace.

To all the people who complain about the dues from federal unions going to support political candidates, check your facts.

To the ALJ who is pro union

HR Specialist
DON
Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:17 AM

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I'm encouraged to see the numbers of people who are NOT blindly influenced by reckless Union endorsement of any democratic candidate. If Mickey Mouse ran on the democratic ticket, Union Leadership would probably endorse him.

Re: To the ALJ who is pro union

Field Representative
USDA
Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:53 AM
Mickey can't run on the Democratic ticket since he already is on the Republican one

Re: To the ALJ who is pro union

Contract Manager
DA
Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:09 PM
That's right GOOFY is on the Democratic ticket

Re: To the ALJ who is pro union

Personnel Specialist
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:55 AM
All the comments about Mickey Mouse, and Goofy are typical little name calling games, a lot of people participate in. This is the wrong way to look at this election. This election is probably more important to the future of this country than any election I can remember, and I go back to the LBJ era, of when I could first vote. This election is about losing your rights as workers in this country, or keeping them. I for one want to keep the basic rights of collective bargaining that union people have fought and died for in our country's history. I like my standard of living, and don't want to give it up to make the rich, richer. Kerry is the only choice for anyone that considers themselves a worker.

Re: To the ALJ who is pro union

Mental Health Specialist
Human Serices
Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:43 PM
I agree with the Personel Specialist.
This is a very important election and we need to take it seriously. It seems that Bush's only agenda is kicking the Iraqi's asses. He refuses to discuss what is important to the people of the United States. Yes, the war on terrorism is important but it is not the most important thing to people who do not have jobs, no health coverage, low payinging jobs, etc.
We need to take care of our own problems at home before we should interfere into the lives of 3rd world people. It should be addressed but it should not always be the top priority. Mickey and Goofy are both in the White House now but then that is another story. But seriously, America needs to wake up and start addressing the real problems we are facing. Jobs are being lost as we speak and they are going out to "cheap" labor in foreign countries. Just those of us who are close to retirement are fairly safe but I would hate to be someone just starting out. Scary!
Unions have their faults but we can all be lucky that we have someone to fight the fights that need to be fought. Things have gotten alot better and we need to acknowledge that.

Failed Political Views of Civil Servants

Office Assistant
US Coast Guard/DHS
Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:48 AM

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Lets face it. Most people who work in an office go with the status quo when it comes to voting for a certain type of candidate. Higher grade employees (GS-13 and above) usually vote for conservative type candidates, but Bush is a Christian far right type of candidate so it's hard to say. Kerry is getting most of the labor, and union support is because he's not big on corporate protectionist laws as Bush is. That's the real difference. The McCain-Feingold resolution is a failure due to the fact that both sides have figured out the loopholes in the HR bill. If you watch "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert on Sunday Morning. It's pretty easy to figure out who's on what side of each issue. The debates and how each candidate addresses each issue with clear answers will win the public's support. November 2nd inside a voting booth will decide who the next President will be. Not a bunch of polls taken every day about which candidate flip-flopped on a question or given in a speech.

Unions etc

IT Specialist
USACE
Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:49 AM

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I think the unions could be more effective in protecting the employees if they were not partisan in their polical support. We and they need the support of members of both parties. We must argue for a nutral Civil Service that is capable of carring out either parts agenda so long as we are not taken advantage of and are given adequate pay and protection.

Re: Unions etc

CSR
DoD
Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:56 PM
GREAT IDEA!

Now if you could just find a republican who is not so anti-union, anti-employee, and not so eager to give our jobs to his big-business cronies...

If we have to vote for one democrat after another to protect our interests, perhaps the problem is the politicians, not the unions.

Unions/politics/Civil Service

Union President
Department of Energy
Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:00 AM

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For those who don't want employee rights (gotten for them by Unions), they can stay with Bush like the TSA and DHS employees' views and see their right be taken away.
Unfortunately it is people with these views who are the first to come crying to a Union when rights and benifits are taken away. AWS, flexiplace, outsourcing, doing away with overtime, and the merit system and lower proposed raises are the earmark of only one political party...the Republicans. My union has supported moderate Republicans only to see their own party do them in.

The FDIC employee and others wrongly state that union dues are used to support political candidates. This is not true. A separate and voluntary fund is what Unions use to contribute to candidates.

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