Union Dues

I've often been confused about union dues.  I understand why trade unions came about, and I have been a member of a union at times past, but it seems to me that they've outlived their usefulness, especially as they pertain to government workers.  Many government workers don't have the right to strike, and without that right, a union loses it's clout.

So, we come to the time where unions, particularly government sector unions participate in electoral politics, and I'm not particularly upset about that.  Unions these days are simply organizations that advocate for a certain class of people, and there are lots of organizations that advocate for people.  I myself am a member of some of those clubs.  I'm a member of the NRA, which certainly advocates for gun-owners, but they certainly can't have their dues deducted from my paycheck.

No, I have to send those dues in myself.  It takes effort, and if I forget to send the dues, the organization loses revenue.  Likewise the other organizations I support.  If I don't send in the dues, they don't get the revenue.

I see that Pennsylvania has a bill pending in the legislature that would prevent public-sector unions from automatically deducting union dues from the worker's paycheck.  That seems perfectly reasonable to me.  Just as the NRA can't automatically deduct dues from my paycheck, neither should he unions, which lately have become simply  Political Action Committees.  If a member wants to donate, certainly they should be able to do so, but the government at any level shouldn't automatically deduct dues for the benefit of a union.

I'll have to take this up with my elected officials.