Elections

Why Unions Fear A Scott Walker Presidency

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Font Size:

Republican presidential hopeful Scott Walker declared during a speech Thursday that if elected he would outlaw mandatory union dues for federal employees.

“On day one, I’m going to stop the government from taking money out of the paychecks of federal employees for political union dues,” Walker said during a speech at Eureka College in Illinois, according to Bloomberg. “I don’t think any worker in this country should be required to put money into a political fund that doesn’t support candidates that they don’t support.”

Such a ban would mirror some of the reforms Walker pursued in 2011 during his first term as governor of Wisconsin. The reforms, known as Act 10, allowed state employees to choose whether they wanted to pay union dues. The policy was taken a step further in the past year when Republicans in the state legislature banned mandatory union dues statewide.

“We’ve had those battles in Wisconsin and we’re capable of having them in Washington,” Walker also noted. “But to wreak havoc in Washington it takes a leader who’s got real solutions.”

The reforms helped define his career but also brought the wrath of the most power unions in the country. At the time, thousands of union members and their supporters stormed the Wisconsin Capitol in protest. Unions also tried to defeat Walker with a recall election and the 2014 midterm election. Even after officially announcing his campaign July 13, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was quick to condemn it.

The reforms have stuck with Walker since. President Barack Obama even criticized him Tuesday for reining in union power. Walker, however, has stood by his reforms. He has argued the policy has helped improve the state economy while saving on taxes. Act 10 did not ban voluntary union membership.

To get the Republican nomination, Walker will first have to beat Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul among others in the Republican primary.

Follow Connor on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.