[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FREEDOM TO CHOOSE A UNION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 1999

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, in America, no citizen should be forced to 
join an organization and pay dues against their will. Amazingly, 
Federal law actually grants private labor unions the authority to speak 
and act on behalf of otherwise free Americans with respect to their 
jobs, their wages, the terms of their employment and their choices at 
the ballot box. The law also empowers unions to make political 
decisions and even cash political contributions to various political 
causes regardless of whether the worker consents.
  The Colorado General Assembly has urged this Congress to repeal these 
unfair federal laws. A resolution sponsored by State Representative 
Mark Paschell, and State Senator Jim Congrove has passed both Houses of 
the State Legislature and as such constitutes my State's official 
policy on this important matter.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Paschell, and Senator Congrove 
for their bold leadership and urge my colleagues to follow the 
suggestions contained in Colorado's House Joint Resolution 99-1032 
which I hereby submit for the Record.

                     HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-1032

       Whereas, The ``National Labor Relations Act'', 29 U.S.C. 
     sec. 159(a), grants certified labor organizations the 
     authority to represent and contractually bind all employees 
     in a bargaining unit, including those employees who prefer 
     not to join, financially support, or be represented by a 
     labor organization; and
       Whereas, Some union officials consider this federally 
     granted ``exclusive representation'' an unfair arrangement 
     under state legislation that bans the mandatory collection of 
     a service or other such fee from nonunion employees; and
       Whereas, The General Assembly of the state of Colorado 
     agrees that bargaining agreements negotiated by a labor 
     organization should cover or bind only those employees who 
     join or financially support such labor organizations; and
       Whereas, The General Assembly believes that employees who 
     choose not to join or financially support a labor 
     organization should not be bound by the provisions of such 
     labor organization's collective bargaining agreement, nor 
     should they be required to accept such labor organization as 
     their bargaining representative; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty-
     second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate 
     concurring herein:
       That the General Assembly of the state of Colorado strongly 
     urges the Congress of the United States to repeal all 
     provisions of federal law that allow or require a labor 
     organization to represent employees who choose not to join or 
     financially support such labor organization. Be it
       Further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to 
     the Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Dennis 
     Hastert, Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott, House Minority 
     Leader, Richard Gephardt, Senate Minority Leader, Thomas 
     Daschle, and each member of the Colorado congressional 
     delegation.

     

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