BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – An anti-union bill is stirring up what may be Louisiana’s first real battle between business and labor unions in a generation.
The measure is scheduled for a Tuesday debate before the full House. If approved, it would bar police, firefighters and teachers from having union dues automatically deducted from their pay.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Stuart Bishop, a Lafayette Republican, says the government shouldn’t deduct dues that could be directed to political activity he dislikes.
But union leaders say bill backers are hiding their true objective, an effort to starve unions by cutting off the flow of money.
Louisiana is a right-to-work state where joining a union is optional. Business groups have made passing the bill a top priority for the legislative session.
House Bill 418: www.legis.la.gov
http://www.katc.com/story/29035004/anti-union-bill-gains-momentum-in-right-to-work-louisiana