Friendly Reminder

Mark Mix, the President of the National Right to Work Committee, has sent Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband Todd a letter reminding him that he does have the right to cut off “forced” union dues being spent by the United Steel Workers (USW) union to defeat the Republican ticket of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Palin.

“While I’m sure you’re excited by your wife’s candidacy for high office, you may be discouraged to learn that the union dues you pay are already being used to defeat her,” writes Mr. Mix, reminding the candidate’s husband that when his USW bosses endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in June, they pledged to support his campaign with funds collected from union members. “In fact, at the USW’s 2008 convention, union officials adopted a resolution ‘vowing to play a key role in electing Obama,’ thus pledging workers’ dues to the effort to defeat your wife’s candidacy,” he adds.

“Moreover, a top USW official whose paycheck you help fund is viciously ridiculing your wife’s candidacy on the Steelworkers’ Web site, calling Gov. Palin’s selection ‘cynical’ and claiming that by choosing your wife ‘McCain has clearly shown he lacks the judgment to be president.’”
Alaska does not have a Right to Work law, but under the Supreme Court precedent “Communications Workers v. Beck,” employees are able to stop paying forced-union dues unrelated to collective bargaining, such as union electioneering, Mr. Mix reminded Palin.