A Modern Day Jonah: When good people are swallowed whole by the SEIU…

By LaborUnionReport | 4:45 PM on October 11, 2010

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You remember the story of Jonah, don’t you? Well, Jonah was only trapped for three days…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJRA6hJ_NE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

It sort of makes you wonder how many thousands of other members are trapped inside the belly of the purple beast, doesn’t it?

For union members feeling trapped by their union bosses’ politics, we wrote on the topic here.

Unlike workers in Right-to-Work states who can stop paying a union entirely, most union members do not have that right because they live in states without Right to Work laws. This fact leaves many union members frustrated because their dues are being used by union bosses for politicians and political causes the members may not agree with.

However, there are ways in which workers—even those who are required to pay a union as a condition of employment—can stop a union from using their dues money for politicians and political causes they do not support. This process is known as union membersexercising their Beck Rights [named after union member Harry Beck, who successfully sued to stop having his dues money used for politics].

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a foundation that helps workers fight forced unionism (for free). The NRTW has laid out an easy-to-read guide for unionized workers to understand their rights, as well as provides a sample letter for members to send their union to stop having their union dues used for politics.