Why You Should Vote NO
On Proposition 226

by Cathy Repola
Assistant Executive Director

The labor movement in the state of California is currently facing the most serious anti-union legislation in over 40 years. It is called Proposition 226. Many of you may have heard it referred to as the Campaign Reform Initiative, but it is not campaign reform, it is an assault on the voice of the working people of this state.

This Guild does not donate money to political candidates. But Proposition 226 reaches far beyond this. It would prohibit unions from using any funds to participate in any legislative

This is the most serious anti-union legislation in over forty years.

issues and that is truly damaging. As you know, we negotiate your wages and working conditions, which are protected under the Collective Bargaining Agreements, but we must be able to participate in the legislative debates over issues that could directly impact the protections we fight so hard to maintain. The prime example of this is the elimination of daily overtime. When Governor Wilson ordered the Industrial Welfare Commission to eliminate daily overtime from the wage orders, this Guild, along with the other IATSE Hollywood locals, engaged in a massive campaign to fight this. It was because of our efforts that, although they eliminated daily overtime in many industries, they decided not to do so in the entertainment industry. These are the kinds of battles we must be able to continue to participate in without the impediment of Proposition 226. There has been state legislation introduced over the last several years which has attempted to erode many of the things unions have fought so hard to get and to keep. Unions are the only centralized voice representing the working people of this state.

Proposition 226 would prohibit a union from utilizing any of its money for any political expenditures unless an annual written authorization has been received from the member for using their dues money, and this written authorization is on a specific form designated by the Fair Political Penalties Commission (FPPC).

There are some other general things you should know about Proposition 226:

It violates worker's privacy in two potential ways. For those unions who use dues-checkoff, because the employer must receive the written authorization before making the payroll deduction, the employer will know who has and who hasn't given the union the right to use their funds to represent them in the political world. For all union members, your written authorization form, because it will be dictated by the FPPC, would be on public record and anyone can have access to it.

Opponents of Proposition 226 also point out that it singles out unions. No business or other organization (like AARP, the Sierra Club, etc) will fall under these same restrictions. It still allows big business to spend unlimited corporate dollars promoting anti-worker laws and policies. As it is, corporations already spend eleven times as much on politics as unions do.

The National Labor Relations Act requires unions to represent their members and that representation does not stop at the bargaining table. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the administration of Local 776, we urge you to vote no on Proposition 226.