Paycheck Protection Primer

What is paycheck protection?

Paycheck protection ends the use of public resources to collect government unions’ political money. Under current law, state and local governments (including school districts) take both union dues—a portion of which is used for politics—and campaign contributions out of workers’ paychecks and send the funds directly to union leaders. Paycheck protection would end this unfair arrangement and misuse of taxpayer resources.

Current paycheck protection legislation.

After passing the Senate in February 2017 and House State Government Committee in November 2017, paycheck protection SB 166 narrowly failed to gather full House approval in December. The amended legislation prohibits government from collecting and distributing campaign contributions. The exclusive beneficiaries of this arrangement, government unions would no longer have PAC and campaign contributions gathered at taxpayers’ expense.  

The committee also advanced HB 1174, which ends the taxpayer-funded collection of government union PAC and SuperPAC contributions, exempting public safety unions.

Pennsylvania government unions have spent more than $116 million on politics since 2007.

In the 2015-16 election cycle, the top 14 Pennsylvania government union PACs alone spent more than $9.6 million on politics. Governor Wolf has received more than $7.9 million since 2013.

Paycheck protection will protect taxpayers.

It is a crime for elected officials to use one dollar of public resources for politics. The same principle should apply to government unions. It is not fair to force taxpayers to pay for partisan politics.

Paycheck protection will benefit union members.

Paycheck protection strengthens the rights of teachers and state workers, better informing their decision over whether to support their union leaders' political agenda. It does not change the relationship between workers and their union.

Paycheck protection will protect taxpayers.

It is a crime for elected officials to use one dollar of public resources for politics. The same principle should apply to government unions. It is not fair to force taxpayers to pay for partisan politics.

Paycheck protection has bipartisan support.

According to a September 2015 poll, more than two-thirds of Pennsylvania voters believe we should end the use of taxpayer resources for the collection of union dues and campaign contributions. Support transcends all political parties and regions.