In an interview with United Press International earlier this year, Colorado Governor Bill Owens reflected on the executive order he signed in May 2001 ending automatic payroll processing of all government union dues:
“We ordered a review of all the withholdings the state took with their permission from employee paychecks. … Among the enterprises we no longer withhold are labor unions. … The result is that we have seen about a 50 percent drop in our state public employee union. They have laid off all 17 of their field personnel. This is going to force that union to be closer to its membership. Clearly, a large number of its members were not willing to pay the annual dues when those dues had to be publicly and directly collected.”
For more information …
The February 18, 2002 interview between Governor Bill Owens and United Press International staff is available at www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=29012002-074558-3723r.
