Attempts by Big Business to Ban Payroll Dues Deduction

LABI (The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry) was not satisfied with promoting the raiding of our public MFP funds by charter schools and voucher schools; big business was not satisfied with stripping most teachers of due process rights and rating teachers using a seriously flawed VAM system; LABI was not quite satisfied with stripping teachers of all job seniority rights; and it was not enough to exempt teachers in charter schools from professional training, subsistituting minimal training in test prep. LABI was especially incensed that the teacher professional organizations/unions had the nerve to successfully challenge the many unconstitutional provisions in Act 1 and Act 2 and the denial of teacher due process.

LABI felt that the best way to punish and weaken teachers and their unions was by removing each teacher's right to have their association or union dues paid using the payroll deduction system. So this Wednesday, April 30, several bills will be debated in the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee that would prohibit payroll deduction for teacher union dues.

Here is a report from chief LAE chief lobbist, Shane Riddle, about this latest attack on the teaching profession. This report is on HB 172, 451, and 1059:

"These bills would take away your right to have your professional association membership fees deducted from your paycheck and take away your right to decide who represents your voice as a professional.

All four bills directly attack and attempt to minimize the collective voice of groups that represent not only educators, but also firefighters, police officers, state workers and more.

Currently, right to work laws protect an employee’s right to choose how they spend their paycheck and a right to join an organization or association of their choosing. These bills will take that right away.

These bills are designed to silence the voices of educators and minimize the effectiveness and reach of organizations like the LAE. We are asking our members and leaders to stand with us next Wednesday, April 30^th to oppose these bills in the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. The committee meeting will begin around 9:00 a.m.

Last year, in the 2013 legislative session, lawmakers heard our voices loud and clear and killed this same legislation to silence the voices of educators and other public employees. This year we can make the same huge impact on the committee’s decision to vote against such blatant attacks on educators.

Thank you for your continued efforts in standing up for children and public education." 

A similar appeal is being made by Steve Monaghan of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

If you want to make the maximum effort to defeat this legislation, please send an email or make a phone call to any or all of the following key members of the Labor Committee requesting that they vote "no" on HB 172, 451, and 1059:

Chris Broadwater from Hammond, email: broadwaterc@legis.la.gov

Micky Guillory from Eunice, email: larep041@legis.la.gov

Dee Richard from Thibodeaux, email: richardj@legis.la.gov

Clay Schexnayder from Gonzales, email: schexnayderc@legis.la.gov