By The PA. AFL-CIO
– Over 100 union members and community allies joined President Rick Bloomingdale for a taped forum that set the record straight on the paycheck deception bills moving in the state Legislature.
In the forum, moderated by Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder, President Bloomingdale pushed back on recent falsehoods being spread by supporters of the bill, including the rightwing, corporate-funded Commonwealth Foundation. “First off, this bill will not save the Commonwealth any money. It doesn’t cost anything to do dues deduction.”
“Second, this is a personal decision. People already make choices about what they want to have deducted from their paycheck, including credit union deductions, insurance premiums. Dues are part of that.”
With a competitive governor’s race in the fall, President Bloomingdale said, “this bill is really about punishing unions who have been very supportive of pro-worker candidates.”
He also remarked on the incredible response of union members across the state to the paycheck deception bills filed in the state Legislature, noting that thousands had traveled to the Capitol to protest outside on the coldest day of the year. “I could not have been more happy with the powerful reaction of our members to this attack on workers’ rights.”
Jerry Oleksiak, Vice President of PSEA and a former educator who has spent 32 years in the classroom, urged union members to stay engaged and vigilant. “This fight has brought us together in ways that we could not imagine,” he said. “We need a voice to say no when we have to and to work together when we can. Since Corbett has come to Harrisburg he has cut over a billion dollars from the education budget. Imagine how much worse it would be without the collective voice of workers!”
Public workers from the Harrisburg area testified that HB 1507 and other anti-labor bills would have a direct impact on the services they provide.
Bill Jones, a 24-year correctional officer at the Lancaster County Prison, testified that paycheck deception would weaken critical protections for him at work. “I work in a dangerous job. I’ve been threatened, had to confiscate homemade weapons, and I’ve been tested for HIV. Collective bargaining helps me do my job and protect Pennsylvanians. When correctional officers’ jobs are safe, our communities are safe.”
Scarlett Moyer, an employee at the Department of Public Welfare and 22-year veteran of the human services field, said that she opposed paycheck deception because “collective bargaining has allowed us to protect quality care at our state’s nursing homes.”
Participants also highlighted the impact that paycheck deception would have on local communities. President Bloomingdale noted that elimination of automatic dues deduction would cost regional charities around $3 million in contributions. Homer Floyd of the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference also highlighted labor’s crucial role in the civil rights movement and their “long history of advocacy against discrimination.”
The segment will air on Pennsylvania Cable Network later this week – stay tuned for more information on when you can view it.
