A DIFFERING VIEW: Automatic deductions aren’t a universal policy
The Rocky’s Sept. 20 editorial “New tactics on dues,” about the AskFirst campaign started by the Independence Institute, stated: “Attempts to end the automatic deduction of union dues from paychecks without the prior consent of individual employees have generally gone nowhere.”
That does not reflect the membership policies of the Englewood Firefighters Association. Membership is purely voluntary and dues are deducted only after the individual signs a written authorization allowing the dues to be deducted. Nonmembers pay no dues whatsoever.
Dues deductions are stopped at any time the individual decides that he or she no longer wishes to be a member of the association. The dues that are deducted are deposited into an association account at the Englewood Municipal Federal Credit Union in a single transaction.
The editorial also suggested that it would not be burdensome to expect unionized workers to “get their banks to deduct dues from their payroll checks.” That would require 42 separate deposit transactions by the Englewood Municipal Federal Credit Union every two weeks. This is an unreasonable and costly expectation for our municipal credit union.
The simple fact of the matter is that the current system has worked well in excess of 35 years and a change to the current process is unwarranted and ill-advised. One has to wonder if the true issue is not how dues are deducted but the fact that certain individuals take exception to collective bargaining and organized labor.
Bill Young is a member of the Englewood Firefighters Association.
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Why is it a burden to the credit union? If there is a cost to this should not the union pay for it?
Posted by on September 28, 2007 06:27 AMThis letter reflects the inanity of the "one size fits all" posters who put all unions in the same basket as though they are all clones of each other. While the word "bigotry" is generally associated with racial bigotry, the word applies as well wherever there is a mindless intolerance toward a group of people, where, for example, a person judges a whole group of people on the basis of the actions of a few.
Posted by Truth on September 28, 2007 08:06 AMDues for Englewood Association members are withheld by the finance department and deposited into the association's credit union account as a whole in one transaction. If these dues were forwarded by electronic transfer from each members personal bank, it would amount to 42 separate deposit transactions every two weeks for our credit union. All costs incurred by whatever system is in place is indeed paid by the association.
Dues for Englewood Association members are withheld by the finance department and deposited into the association's credit union account as a whole in one transaction. If these dues were forwarded by electronic transfer from each members personal bank, it would amount to 42 separate deposit transactions every two weeks for our credit union. All costs incurred by whatever system is in place is indeed paid by the association.