Yesterday, the CTA dropped another $6.9 million into the fight against Proposition 32, which would, among other things, prohibit unions from taking money automatically deducted from their members’ paychecks and spending it on political activity. (See LA Times: Teachers union gives another $6.9 million to Prop. 32 fight.)
“This is a huge priority for us, for unions,” David Goldberg, a teacher in Los Angeles and an elected CTA board member, told me yesterday. This morning, the CTA also released a new web ad entitled “Meet a SuperPAC Billionaire who supports Prop 32.”
According the great new website Dollar, Dollar Bill, this latest contribution brings CTA’s total spent against Prop 32 to $16 million. That dwarfs their total of $1.5 million spent on Proposition 30, which would temporarily raise taxes to avoid further cuts to public education.
The ballot measure, which goes before California voters in November, would have enormous long-term implications for public education. Most Democrats are either against the measure or staying as far away from it as possible, with the exception of Gloria Romero.
“No on 32″ has raised a total of $33.8 million, almost entirely from unions. “Yes on 32,” meanwhile, has raised only $2.5 million, mostly from wealthy individuals like Charles Munger, Jr. ($600,000) and Jerry Perenchio ($250,000).
“It’s not surprising that union leaders are willing to spend millions and millions of their members’ dues to protect their ability to pull that money automatically out of their paychecks,” Yes on 32 spokesman Jake Suski told me yesterday. “It’s ironic that they’re spending so much money of their members’ dues simply to avoid asking for that money.”
“The argument that this is somehow looking out for our members is ridiculous,” said CTA board member Goldberg when we spoke on the phone. “California is basically the last state where we still have a strong voice in labor. Across the country, millionaires and billionaires are taking over the process. Workers in general, we’re all struggling to survive.”
In the last decade, political spending by the CTA in California has dwarfed that of any individual or interest group.
Give me one other organization that fights for worker’s rights, health and safety laws, meal breaks, nurse patient ratios, social security, unemployment, 8 hour day, overtime, minimum wage, family leave, workers comp, state disability, disciplinary procedures to name a few. You make too many assumptions about those that post. First, I am salary, I am an at will employee. If you want to know what you don’t have just go and work in Nevada or Utah to see what California will look like if this passes. Since I spent last year working in Nevada, I can tell you I worked for less almost 1/3 less in wages than what I make now. Utah is another animal the wages there were even lower, that’s why I choose Nevada. I had to work 40 hours first before I got overtime, there was no set start times or days that you worked, if the company got busy and we had to put in double shifts when we reached 40 hours in 3 days instead of paying us overtime they brought in another shift to work the same double shift, there is no disability insurance unless that employer chooses to have it in their employee plan and the employee pays for it themselves, Yet rent was 10% more than the average California home and food costs were an addition 1/3 more. If I didn’t work 50-60 hrs a week I could not earn enough income to afford to live there. And with the little income you have left if you want health care than that too you paid for out of your check. In Wisconsin the very next day after the election teachers wages were cut 2k. Corporate Special interests already out spend unions 15-1.
First, Prop. 32 eliminates the union’s voice completely. Only unions collect dues through payroll deductions NOT corporations. There is a system with in every union that governs the tiny percent of the dues that go to politics and every member has the right to opt out. However, The language in Prop. 32 continues to state that even if money is collected through voluntary practices the union cannot use the money for any political purpose or communicate with their members regarding politics. Second the language of prop. 32 states it will stop pay to play. It only stops it during the bidding process, than corporations can go back to giving moneys. It doesn’t stop Corporate Super PAC’s, Wal-Mart, which is not a corporation, Anti union Billionaire CEOs, or 501 4c non profits that don’t even have to report to the FFC who gave them money. Even the Chamber of Commerce can give unlimited amounts of money to their special interests. Let’s talk Chamber of Commerce, their attorneys and members attend every MSHA, OSHA or CAL OSHA hearing I have every attended fighting to stop or repeal health and safety laws that protect workers. Yeah , that’s the folks I want to decide my working conditions and pay. Let’s talk pensions, pensions only amount to 3% of the State of California’s budget, http://www.letstalkpensions.com/myths-and-facts employees pay into this benefit through payroll deductions. Yet you are attacking the 3% and not responded to the 97% elephant in the room.