[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[April 13, 1992]
[Pages 593-594]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Signing the Executive Order on Employee Rights Concerning 
Union Dues

April 13, 1992
    Please be seated. And may I just say that we are delighted to see 
all of you here on this crisp, cool day in the Rose Garden. Before I 
begin, I'd like to recognize two members of the Cabinet here: Secretary 
Lynn Martin over here, Secretary of Labor, and then Attorney General 
Bill Barr, sitting over here in the front. I also want to single out two 
Congressmen with us today, Bob Walker and Tom DeLay, thank them for 
being here; Mr. James Stephens, the Chairman of the National Labor 
Relations Board. And also a very special welcome to Harry Beck and his 
wife, Karan. And fresh from parting the Red Sea yet again on TV last 
night--[laughter]--our old friend Charlton Heston. And I'll have more to 
say about him in a minute. But thank you for coming all this way.
    Today happens to be a very special anniversary. Two hundred and 
forty-nine years ago today, Thomas Jefferson was born. And there is a 
renewed spirit of Jeffersonian reform sweeping through this Nation 
today. It is therefore a fitting occasion for putting into effect new 
reforms that will protect Americans' fundamental rights against 
political abuse by special interest groups.
    For brilliance, for courage, for passion in the cause of freedom and 
democracy, no one has ever surpassed Thomas Jefferson. He eloquently 
stated a principle of fundamental fairness in 1779 when he declared, 
``To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation 
of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.''
    Now, not long ago in Philadelphia, I spoke of the wisdom of the 
Founders on the subject of Government reform. It is this Jeffersonian 
insight that we reaffirm today with reforms to strengthen the political 
rights of American workers.
    In the Executive order I will sign in just a few minutes, I am 
directing that companies performing Federal contract work must inform 
their employees in the clearest possible terms of their legal rights as 
affirmed in the Supreme Court's landmark Beck decision. This placard 
displayed here today represents the exact words of the notice that will 
be placed in workplaces around the Nation. And while this order will 
directly affect American workers employed by Federal contractors, I want 
to emphasize that the principles affirmed by the Beck de-

[[Page 594]]

cision are precious to all Americans.
    The Beck decision is one of a series of cases protecting American 
workers from being compelled against their will to pay union or agency 
dues in excess of what is actually used for collective bargaining 
purposes and contract administration. Full implementation of this 
principle will guarantee that no American will have his job or 
livelihood threatened for refusing to contribute to political activities 
against his will. The Executive order that I sign today will make it 
easier for employees of Federal contractors to understand and then 
exercise their political rights.
    The Secretary of Labor is separately proposing a rule clarifying and 
then bringing up to date requirements for labor organizations to account 
for how workers' dues are spent. This rule aims to foster union 
democracy, and it also will have the effect of helping employees protect 
their Beck rights.
    The trial court in the Beck case found, for instance, that in 
plaintiff Beck's workplace, Harry Beck's workplace, 79 percent of the 
compulsory dues collected went to purposes unrelated to collective 
bargaining and contract administration. Our new rule will assist union 
members in discovering how their dues are being spent. And perhaps most 
important of all, I expect the NLRB, the National Labor Relations Board, 
to carry out its responsibilities to enforce the principles of the Beck 
decision.
    One of America's most intrepid fighters for individual rights is 
Charlton Heston. He's been a member of four different labor 
organizations and, like my predecessor, President Reagan, a president of 
the Screen Actors Guild. He's given much of himself to put collective 
bargaining rights into practice. And he's been equally committed to 
seeing that no company or organization may infringe a worker's 
individual freedom of conscience. And we are very honored, sir, that you 
came here today, traveled all across the country as a crusader for 
individual rights. You are most welcome.
    Our new actions to protect individual liberties are important 
efforts in a larger crusade that I'm waging to reform our system of 
politics in Government. Institutions of public life, whether the 
Government, corporations, or unions, should be accountable to their 
constituents to produce results and then respond to their needs. Working 
Americans should have the right to decide whether contributing to 
political parties or candidates, at odds with their beliefs, fulfill 
that principle and represent the institutional responsibility that we 
rightfully expect.
    In pursuit of the very same principles, accountability and 
responsibility, I am asking Congress to enact a sweeping reform of 
campaign financing. And I'm fighting to eliminate, not restrict but 
eliminate the special interest PAC's, which will stop the millions of 
dollars in administrative subsidies that corporations and labor 
organizations now are allowed to channel into their own PAC's.
    Time and time again over our constitutional history, protecting 
universal rights has demanded the lonely courage of individual citizens 
standing up against powerful organized interests. And I'm especially 
honored that we have here today such an individual. It took this man 12 
years of patient effort to carry his case to vindication in the highest 
Court of the land. And it is his crusade that brings us together today. 
So, Harry Beck, thank you, sir, for all that you have done. And I am 
proud to have you stand with me as I sign this Executive order. Welcome, 
and well done.

                    Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the Rose 
                        Garden at the White House. The Executive order 
                        is listed in Appendix E at the end of this 
                        volume.