On July 1, I Will Become an Unwilling Contributor to the Public Sector Union Menace.
I received a notice in the mail today that informed me that the State of Maryland will steal an undisclosed amount of money from my paycheck starting on July 1 on the behalf of AFSCME Maryland. I have no option but to pay the “service fee”, whether I’m a member of AFSCME or not. Indeed, the fee appears to be the same amount as I would pay if I were a member (a rather heavy-handed way of “encouraging” me to be a full member of the union).
The notice included a link to this web page that informed me:
Approximately 30,000 Maryland State government employees have collective bargaining rights. What this means is that union organizations certified as the exclusive bargaining representatives are entitled to negotiate with the Governor or his designee(s) regarding wages, hours, and working conditions. These exclusive representatives act on behalf of bargaining unit employees.
The collective bargaining process typically results in a labor agreement that is reached between the State and the exclusive representative. Once the parties reach agreement, bargaining unit members are called upon to vote to “ratify” the agreement. A majority of votes cast determines whether the agreement will be implemented.
During the FY 2011 negotiations, the State of Maryland and the various exclusive representatives bargained for the right to charge a service fee. The philosophy behind a service fee is that all individuals who benefit from the services performed on their behalf by exclusive representatives should pay to support those services, which include activities related to enforcement of agreements and negotiation of future agreements.
Again, let me stress that I did not ask for collective bargaining rights. I did not ask for any union representation, which is mandated by those “rights”. Indeed, no union representative has contacted me in person about my membership nor about my opinion on the manner in which they “represent” me. I have no way, short of quitting my job, to escape AFSCME. The negotiation for this fee, as the state’s own web page points out, occurred between the union and state officials. No one asked me if I wanted to pay anything, nor if I was willing to forego the alleged benefits of collective bargaining in exchange for a waiver from the fee.
Indeed, the representation I receive from the union has been nothing short of pathetic. I’ll spare you a long tirade about why police dispatchers who work shift work, experience as much stress as police officers, and are prone (for various reasons) to several debilitating medical conditions, aren’t paid enough to live in many of the counties in which they work. I will say that the unions have given me nothing I didn’t receive before Governor Glendening instituted collective bargaining
Now let me tell you about another little piece of news I received about two weeks ago. Thanks to AFSCME, I am due to receive a $750 bonus . It goes into effect on July 1 — the same day as these new fees. Unlike normal bonuses, which I’d get as a lump sum, I’ll get this bonus over the course of the year, in taxable installments. It’s worth noting here that Maryland is still in pretty dire fiscal straits; lawmakers are looking down the barrel of a $1.6 billion dollar deficit in fiscal 2012 and the Governor will close non-essential state facilities for several extra days this year as one of many cost-saving measures. So how do I, or any of the other 30,000 Maryland state employees, rate a $750 bonus?
The short answer is that we don’t. However, I bet that if you add up the new “service fee” I and many other state employees will pay over the course of fiscal 2012, you’ll get a number very close to $750.
Anyone want to take that bet?
Other Posts of Interest:
- Thanks, Private Sector Suckers!
- This is The Week that Should End Public Sector Unions
- Maryland Has a Chickens**t Problem, But It’s Not in the Bay
Category: The Rise of the Nanny State
