--- [ LOS ANGELES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=312) # Jerry Brown’s ‘Trailer Trash’ Supports Forced Unionism RIGGING THE RULES-The public employee unions, especially the teacher union variety, are very jittery over the prospect that the *Janus* case, if successful in the U.S. Supreme Court next year, could [free government workers from paying forced dues](https://www.city-journal.org/html/janus-and-worker-freedom-15298.html) to a union as a condition of employment. Enter California’s [AB 119](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB119), a trailer bill, which was signed into law last week. As R Street Institute’s Steven Greenhut reminds us, a [trailer bill](http://www.rstreet.org/op-ed/browns-union-ploy-shows-unions-still-fear-end-to-mandatory-dues/) is typically intended “for last minute and non-controversial technical fixes to budget matters.” While, AB 119 was certainly last minute, it is anything but non-controversial. Written by Larry Sand. ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/July-2017/054m.png) July 06 2017 [](https://www.addtoany.com/share) [Comments](#disqus_thread) RIGGING THE RULES-The public employee unions, especially the teacher union variety, are very jittery over the prospect that the *Janus* case, if successful in the U.S. Supreme Court next year, could [free government workers from paying forced dues](https://www.city-journal.org/html/janus-and-worker-freedom-15298.html) to a union as a condition of employment. Enter California’s [AB 119](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB119), a trailer bill, which was signed into law last week. As R Street Institute’s Steven Greenhut reminds us, a [trailer bill](http://www.rstreet.org/op-ed/browns-union-ploy-shows-unions-still-fear-end-to-mandatory-dues/) is typically intended “for last minute and non-controversial technical fixes to budget matters.” While, AB 119 was certainly last minute, it is anything but non-controversial. This [stinker of a law](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB119) is pretty well summed up here: *“…the ability of an exclusive representative to communicate with the public employees it represents is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of state labor relations statutes, and the exclusive representative cannot properly discharge its legal obligations unless it is able to meaningfully communicate through cost-effective and efficient means with the public employees on whose behalf it acts.” In other words, the unions want time with new employees so that they can push their agenda on them. But what if a non-union organization like the [Association of American Educators](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiC7sO_--rUAhUs3IMKHTZFDwQQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aaeteachers.org%2F&usg=AFQjCNGModgcdSvxTIshKoIvkWOntAjqDQ) wants similar access to teachers? Will this law cover them? Of course not. No competing group can be accorded that privilege, as the union has been anointed an “exclusive representative” by the very legislators they helped seat in Sacramento. (Somehow I don’t think that last tidbit will be included in the union’s propaganda session, er… communication efforts.) If you are a new hire, you might be curious as to what kind of access the union will have to your contact info. Well, wonder no more, rookie! [The bill stipulates that the employer must give the union](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB119) the “name, job title, department, work location, work, home, and personal cellular telephone numbers, personal email addresses on file with the employer, and home address of any newly hired employee within 30 days of the date of hire….” Outrageous. Why not just give the unions access to employees wallets? No wait, they already have that. It’s called “fair share” or, more accurately, “forced dues.” The mechanism of delivery – when, where how, etc. – for the union spiel will be have to be worked out by each union local and the school district. If terms can’t be resolved, an arbitrator will be called in, the costs of which would be shared by the union and school district. But still many questions remain: When will the orientation sessions take place? Before school? After school? Lunchtime? Who will bear their costs? If teachers must attend, will they be compensated? Can a new teacher bring a lawyer or some other representative to the meeting? Can the employer sit in? What if a teacher refuses to attend the session for personal, political or religious reasons? Will they be penalized? If so, by whom and how? Could the union force the school district to withhold the employee’s salary till she submits to the union’s diktat? (It’s important to keep in mind that most fresh-faced 22 year-olds right out of ed school will most likely be reluctant to make waves, especially because they have absolutely no job protections. Permanent status in California doesn’t kick in till year three.) These and other questions remain, but we do know that the potential costs for the taxpayers could be considerable. Clearly the unions are nervous. Joshua Pechthalt, president of the California Federation of Teachers recently said, referring to a possible loss in *Janus*, “[Our world will change dramatically](https://edsource.org/2017/gov-brown-democrats-do-a-favor-for-public-employee-unions/583352); having time to talk about what we do, who we are, why we are stronger if folks agree to be members will become doubly important. Anything to mitigate a loss of membership would be helpful.” No one would be complaining had the unions decided to sell themselves by holding a voluntary meeting at the union hall after school or on a weekend. But in typical teacher union style, they force school districts to get involved in the sessions, make teachers attend and, at least in some part, ding the taxpayer for the costs. As [Greenhut](http://www.rstreet.org/op-ed/browns-union-ploy-shows-unions-still-fear-end-to-mandatory-dues/) writes, “This latest effort shows the degree to which public-employee unions are able to rig the rules of the game, thanks to their continuing control of the Legislature and the governor’s mansion.” If *Janus* flies, that control – at least to some degree – will be diminished. And it’s about time. As we celebrate our independence from England, let’s hope that in the next few years we can achieve the same status from the dictatorial, controlling and monopolistic public employee unions. *(Larry Sand, a former classroom teacher, is the president of the non-profit* [*California Teachers Empowerment Network*](http://www.ctenhome.org/) *– a non-partisan, non-political group dedicated to providing teachers and the general public with reliable and balanced information about professional affiliations and positions on educational issues. The views presented here are strictly his own. This piece first appeared on* [*CaliforniaPolicyCenter.org*](http://californiapolicycenter.org/trailer-trash/)*.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.* *-cw* [![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ME%20DENTAL%20SPA/me%20dental%202026%20final.jpg)](http://medentalspa.com/) ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png) ## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays Phone [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)") [ ![Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/HHR/AHF-rent-too-high.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/104 "Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2") --- ## Featured CityWatch Stories [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/fd/064h-fdb0b507.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) ### [Remembering Ken Draper: CityWatch and Transparency Are his Legacy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) LA WATCHDOG - Ken Draper, the editor and publisher of CityWatch for more than 20 years, passed away on August 8, 2022… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/0f/061a-0f1ada2f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) ### [Brace Yourself For A Worse Housing Crisis](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) PLANNING WATCH - The California State Legislature will soon vote on the following draft legislation. Please carefully… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/54/064j-54f0ecbd.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) ### [Be Prepared to Protect Our Democracy in November From a Trumpian Plot](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) BE AWARE - Back in the days when conservatives were so hungry for media platforms that they’d come on progressive shows… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/ab/063e-ab3b1ba1.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) ### [Nithya Raman Loses the Homelessness Gavel — Her Record Explains Why](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) THE BOTTOM LINE - Raman wants Los Angeles voters to promote her to mayor. 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