Ask the Patriarch 233
Union Dues
from: CH
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I would like to know more about not paying my union dues to the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriff's. I do not agreed with their recent mailings stating I must become a member or pay a fair share.
Truthfully, I think the association is a sham, worthless and I do not want to engage in their activities.
The Patriarch replies:
CH:
I don't know why you brought this issue up with me, unless it relates in some way to the last time I addressed this issue six years ago. My position has not changed from what I wrote in Ask the Patriarch 82: Do you object to union dues? (You might also want to read the discussion for that article too)
We will absolutely not provide a religious exemption on this matter. That is beyond the mandate of this organization. We exist to support agnosticism. Taking a position of union membership, pro or con, is irrelevant to that mandate.
You will find that any legitimate religious organization that does provide an exemption to union membership will require significantly more in tithing and in church attendance than you might save in dues. In addition, you might find yourself supporting far more objectionable positions than any union might take.
I sympathize with you that unions and professional associations may go beyond what you consider a legitimate role and may promote causes with which you might disagree. Solutions open to you are:
- Work from within: involve yourself in union activities to a degree that you have influence on the direction the organization takes.
- Legal action: if the union or association has stepped beyond its lawful mandate, then legal action can bring it back within bounds
- Political process: work to change the law, at the county level, or the state level.
- Seek other employment: The USA has one of the lowest levels on union membership among the world's democracies. Start a job search with strictly non-union employers. There are a lot of them. Some might even view "I object to union membership" as your reason for leaving your current job quite favorably.