Vermont public employees who don’t join the unions representing them could soon have to pay to support those groups anyway.
The state Senate will take up legislation affecting teachers, state and municipal workers who don’t join the unions representing them, but still benefit when pay or benefits are improved.
Sen. Vince Illuzzi says the non-union employees would be required only to pay for the cost of negotiating and defending the contract – not for other union activities.
Opponents say the so-called agency fees charged to union nonmembers are often an important bargaining chip in negotiations and shouldn’t be automatic.