• Publications
    • Essay
    • Case Study
    • Policy Study
    • Report
    • Testimony
    • Other
    • Newsletter
  • Blog
    • Daily Blog
    • Podcasts and Radio
    • Video
    • Infographics
    • Commentary / Op-Eds
    • Events
  • Events
  • Donate
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Show-Me Institute Board of Directors
    • Fellows and Scholars
    • Our Authors
    • Jobs
  • Contact
  • Explore Topics
    • Education
      • Accountability
      • Education Finance
      • Performance
      • School Choice
    • Health Care
      • Free-Market Reform
      • Medicaid
    • Corporate Welfare
      • Special Taxing Districts
      • Subsidies
      • Tax Credits
    • Labor
      • Government Unions
      • Public Pensions
    • State and Local Government
      • Budget and Spending
      • Courts
      • Criminal Justice
      • Municipal Policy
      • Property Rights
      • Transparency
      • Transportation
    • Economy
      • Business Climate
      • Energy
      • Minimum Wage
      • Privatization
      • Regulation
      • Taxes
      • Welfare
      • Workforce
Show Me InstituteShow Me Institute
Show Me InstituteShow Me Institute
Support the Show-Me Institute
  • Publications
    • Essay
    • Case Study
    • Policy Study
    • Report
    • Testimony
    • Other
    • Newsletter
  • Blog
    • Daily Blog
    • Podcasts and Radio
    • Video
    • Infographics
    • Commentary / Op-Eds
    • Events
  • Events
  • Donate
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Show-Me Institute Board of Directors
    • Fellows and Scholars
    • Our Authors
    • Jobs
  • Contact
  • Explore Topics
    • Education
      • Accountability
      • Education Finance
      • Performance
      • School Choice
    • Health Care
      • Free-Market Reform
      • Medicaid
    • Corporate Welfare
      • Special Taxing Districts
      • Subsidies
      • Tax Credits
    • Labor
      • Government Unions
      • Public Pensions
    • State and Local Government
      • Budget and Spending
      • Courts
      • Criminal Justice
      • Municipal Policy
      • Property Rights
      • Transparency
      • Transportation
    • Economy
      • Business Climate
      • Energy
      • Minimum Wage
      • Privatization
      • Regulation
      • Taxes
      • Welfare
      • Workforce
Economy / Business Climate

Geri’s Story: Holding Unions Accountable

By John Wright on Feb 17, 2016
Geri Thwing

Geri Thwing works as a school bus driver. She also pays for representation by a union that she feels doesn’t do a whole lot for her. Most of the time when you decide you don’t want or need a service you’re paying for, you can choose to stop paying and no longer receive that service. Geri doesn’t have that option—her union requires her to pay dues as a condition of employment.

Geri’s father and husband were both union members. And she was initially fine with joining. But now she wants out.

Geri’s situation is worsened by the fact that she has a moral objection to many of the activities of her union. Her union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spends heavily on politics. According to the Washington Times, they spent $5.9 million on lobbying and campaign contributions in 2014 alone. “It breaks my heart,” she told me.

Geri called her local’s business agent to ask about the political spending. She says it didn’t help anything. I also called Geri’s local to ask about their stance on forcing people to join the union. I’m still waiting for a call back. 

Thousands of Missourians are in Geri’s situation—forced to pay for a union’s services while skeptical that the union is actually doing anything for them. Giving workers the freedom to opt out of a union is one way to hold a union accountable. Giving workers a regular secret ballot vote on whether to keep their union is another way to make union executives listen to the concerns of the people they represent.

I had the opportunity to interview Geri; the video is available via the link above.

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email
  • Print
About the author

John Wright

More about this author >
    Footer Logo
    Support the Show-Me-Institute
    Showmeinstitute.org is brought to you by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity.
    • Publications
    • Blog
    • Events
    • Donate
    • About
    • Contact

    Reprint permission for Show-Me Institute publications and commentaries is hereby granted, provided that proper credit is given to the author. We request, but do not require, that those who reprint our material notify us of publication for our records: [email protected]

    Mission Statement
    Advancing liberty with responsibility by promoting market solutions for Missouri public policy.

    © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved