Romney Campaign Press Release - Policy Briefing: Protecting American Workers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288 - 6390

Governor Romney's Initiative To Protect American Workers:


Governor Romney Believes Hard Working Americans Have The Right To Not Pay Union Dues If They Do Not Belong To A Union. A bill working its way through the Iowa Legislature would allow public employee unions to charge union fees to nonunion workers.

- Governor Romney Believes This Legislation Is Bad Policy. Employees - whether in the private sector or the public sector - have a right to choose whether to contribute to a union. This bill would force tens of thousands of school teachers and city, county and state government employees to pay union dues, even if they don't want to belong to the union.

- Governor Romney Believes A Worker Should Have The Right To Choose Whether To Join A Union. Governor Romney opposes legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow labor unions to organize businesses by taking away workers' rights to a secret ballot election to determine unionization. This kind of legislation would open the door to union coercion, intimidation, and badgering by allowing unions to collect cards from workers in lieu of a secret ballot election.

Governor Romney Believes The Resources Of The Federal Government Should Not Be Used To Solicit Or Collect Dues For Politicized Organizations. As President, Governor Romney will work to overturn existing federal policy that permits automatic paycheck deduction for federal employees' union dues.

Governor Romney Knows That With A Democratic Congress Beholden To Labor Unions, A National Right To Work Law Will Never Pass. Therefore, This Is An Issue That Is Being Dealt With On A State-By-State Basis. Governor Romney Encourages State Legislatures To Take The Lead And Support Right To Work Laws In Their States. Currently 22 states have Right to Work laws and many of them have seen exponential economic growth. Many states without Right to Work laws are struggling economically. Flexible labor laws allow states to attract trade and industry to their cities and towns and because of this, good, high paying jobs follow.

Governor Romney's Record On Union Paychecks:


In 2003, Governor Romney Challenged A Program Allowing "State Employees To Contribute 50 Cents A Week From Their Paychecks Into Union Political Action Committees, Saying The System Unfairly Favors Unions That Support Democrats." ("Romney Wants To Stop State Employees PAC Contribution," The Associated Press, 8/5/03)

- The Boston Globe: "In a letter delivered yesterday to the director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, Romney's chief legal counsel challenged the voluntary payroll deduction, which is used by about 12.5 percent of the state's eligible employees. Administration officials say the program raises $435,000 per year for state employee union PACs, many of which opposed Romney in 2002." (Joanna Weiss, "Romney Fights Union On PAC Contribution," The Boston Globe, 8/5/03)

The Massachusetts Office Of Campaign And Political Finance Ruled That Unions Cannot Solicit Automatic Payroll Deductions On State Property Or Through State Workers. "The State Office of Campaign and Political Finance has rebuffed Governor Mitt Romney's effort to ban automatic payroll deductions from state workers' paychecks for unions' political action committees. But in a partial victory for the governor, the office also ruled that the unions cannot solicit those deductions on state property or through state workers and must reimburse the state for costs associated with collecting the money." (Rick Klein, "Mixed Response In Union Ruling Restrictions Given For PAC Deductions," The Boston Globe, 9/12/03)

- Boston Herald: "Hats off to Gov. Mitt Romney for calling a spade a spade and putting a stop to public employee unions' improper use of state resources for political purposes. OCPF should have put a stop to this flouting of state law long ago. But then again, no politician until Romney had the guts to ask them to." (Editorial, "Closing A PAC Loophole," Boston Herald, 9/14/03)