Should Workers be Able to Cancel Automatic Deductions of Union Dues From Their Paychecks? (H.R. 6412)

What is H.R. 6412?

(Updated September 20, 2020)

This bill ― the Employee Freedom Act ― would allow employees to cancel automatic deductions of union dues from their paychecks at any time. It’d also allow employers to unilaterally stop such deductions when the agreement establishing it expires. In some right-to-work states, workers who have left a union can still have dues deducted from their paychecks because of “window periods”, which can last for up to one year.

Argument in favor

This bill will allow employees to keep more of the money from their paycheck and prevent unions from using “window periods” to collect dues from employees who left the union for up to one year.

Argument opposed

This bill is nothing more than an attempt to undercut unions’ finances by letting workers cancel the automatic deduction of their dues at any time and eliminating “window periods”.

Impact

Union employees; and unions.

Cost of H.R. 6412

A CBO estimate of this bill is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Introduced by Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL), this bill would allow employees to cancel automatic deductions of union dues from their paychecks at any time and put an end to "window periods":

“I have introduced the Employee Freedom Act to end the intimidating gimmicks unions have been using on hard-working Americans across the country. In right-to-work states, money can be automatically deducted from an individual’s paycheck as union dues even after the worker has left their union because of a ploy called a ‘window period.’  My bill would eliminate the window period for workers who leave unions in states which passed right-to-work laws to protect their salary from unions they no longer want to be associated with. It is time to stop unions from intimidating employees and collecting unwarranted dues. This Act represents a victory for Americans, who will take back control of their hard-earned income.”

Of Note: In 2013, the NLRB overturned the 1962 ruling of Bethlehem Steel, which had established that an employer's union dues checkoff obligation expires along with the union contract. Due to a labor union tactic called “window periods,” employees in right-to-work states can remain subjected to involuntary payroll deductions for up to one year after leaving a union.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) Press Release