Labor unions can give money to
political campaigns without getting the permission of individual dues payers under
guidelines laid down recently by the state Attorney General's Office...
Initiative 134 provided that money
cannot be diverted from employees' wages for political committees or contributions
"except upon the written request of the employee." Many people thought
that meant union members had to give permission before their dues could be used for
political activity.
Not according to the new
guidelines...
Among other things... unions can
give money to political campaigns from their general treasuries as long as the donations
are reported and they are not the group's "primary" purpose, according to
spokesmen for both the attorney general and the Public Disclosure Commission...