Chamber Takes Up ‘Paycheck Protection' Proposal in Campaign-Style Ad

Charles Caulkins, a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office, was interviewed for the April 18 St. Petersburg Times article "Chamber Takes Up ‘Paycheck Protection' Proposal in Campaign-Style Ad." The article reported that the Florida Chamber of Commerce had produced an ad supporting state legislation that would prohibit government unions from collecting dues through automated payroll deductions. Charles serves on the board of directors of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He concedes that union members are not required to join the union nor are they bound to contribute money. But, workers often feel pressure from their colleagues to join the union, or think they would get substandard legal representation from the union if needed. He pointed out that some unions have local membership vote on how to support candidates, but others take marching orders from the national unions. He said, "How do they feel about dues being used for a certain political party when they might be in another one? There must be some Republicans and independents who don't like all the money going to Democrats."