'Paycheck protection' passes Senate; unions complain

HARRISBURG - In a vote that largely followed party lines, the state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would prohibit public-sector unions from using employee paycheck deductions to fund certain political activities.

Sen. John Eichelberger Jr. (R., Blair), the sponsor of the so-called paycheck protection legislation, called it a "major victory" for union workers. "It protects members from being forced through the union to fund political candidates or causes they don't support," he said.

Unions quickly decried the bill as a politically motivated attack. Senate Democrats echoed that sentiment, alleging the Republican-pushed bill was designed solely to undermine the state's largest teachers' union, which has traditionally supported Democratic causes.

"To target that group, and make it more difficult for them to participate in the process, I think is wrong," said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D., Allegheny).

It was unclear whether the bill - which union supporters say resembles antiunion legislation in other states - would have enough votes to pass in the state House. Even then, it would require the signature of Gov. Wolf, a Democrat who has long been a union supporter.

Still, union officials painted Wednesday's vote as a calculated move by Republicans to try to weaken a rival political group.

"It's really about keeping control in the hands of corporations," said Rick Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor federation with about 900,000 members. "[Legislators] only want to hear from the corporations and billionaires."

The legislation would prohibit public-sector unions from using paycheck deductions to fund political activity, such as campaign contributions, lobbying, or a voter-registration drive.

Under current law, union dues cannot be used to fund campaign contributions for specific candidates or campaign messages directed to the general public, such as billboards or TV ads. To pay those bills, union members can voluntarily contribute to union political action committees.

Dues can, however, be used for member communications, from information about contract talks to messages that involve politics, including urging members and their families to vote, or support particular candidates or legislation.

David Fillman, executive director of AFSCME Council 13 in Harrisburg, said outlawing that type of activity was a "waste of time."

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments this fall on a similar issue in a widely watched case involving California schoolteachers and the California Teachers Association.

Bloomingdale, of the AFL-CIO, noted that the legislation passed Wednesday was better for unions than previous versions, which had raised the possibility of outlawing union dues entirely. Still, he said, "the whole idea is to take us out of the game," and he promised a fight in the state House.

cpalmer@phillynews.com 609-217-8305 @cs_palmer