Political spending
When you pay union dues, much of that money goes to support political candidates and causes.
In this video, a members of the Steelworkers union (who doesn't like his union's choices) tells how that works:
But most unions, including the Steelworkers, say they DON'T spend money for "political purposes."
Here's what the Steelworkers Union web site says:
So what's the TRUTH about political spending by unions?
When unions say it is illegal for unions to use dues for political campaigns, they are only telling part of the story. Unions are not allowed to make direct contributions to individual candidates - so some unions have set up Political Action Committees (PACs) to do that, and they ask their members to contribute.
But as the video shows, unions do many other things to promote causes and candidates chosen by the union's leaders (not the members).
Unions must file financial reports every year with the U.S. Department of Labor. In those reports they have to disclose how much they spent on "political activities and lobbying." Here's how much five different unions spent, according to their two most recent reports:
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Every year, unions spend members' dues to support political candidates and causes the members may not agree with.
Members have no say in which candidates and causes their money supports; those decisions are made by union executives.