EMPLOYMENT: Provides relative to union dues and fees for certain public employees. (8/1/26)
Summary
SB 312 revises Louisiana law governing union dues and fees for certain public employees and, more broadly, labor organizations. The bill gives employees the right to stop payroll withholding of union dues or fees by electronic request, requires employers to notify the union immediately, and directs that the stoppage take effect as soon as practicable, but no later than the next paycheck if payroll has already been processed. It also provides that once notice is received, the employee does not continue to accrue debt to the union and that this right cannot be waived.
The bill adds notice and authorization requirements for unions and employers. Labor organizations must notify members at least annually of their right to stop paying dues or fees, and the attorney general must prescribe a required authorization form containing a First Amendment notice. Employers must confirm authorizations before deductions begin, and unions are made responsible for demonstrable administrative costs tied to dues collection or cessation. The bill also applies prospectively to new or modified collective bargaining agreements and includes special waiver authority for mass transit employees to preserve federal transit funding compliance; law enforcement, mass transit employees, and firefighters are excluded from the new section’s application.
Impact
SB 312 amends R.S. 42:457 and adds new provisions to R.S. 17:438, changing how dues and fee deductions are handled for public employees in Louisiana. It limits continued payroll deductions after an employee revokes authorization, imposes new notice and documentation duties on unions and employers, and creates a standardized state-prescribed authorization process. The bill affects state and local public employers, labor organizations, and employees who belong to or pay dues to unions, while carving out exceptions for law enforcement, mass transit employees, and firefighters and preserving federal transit-related waiver authority.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been generally supported, as reflected by its final passage in both chambers and ultimate enactment into law. The Senate initially passed the bill unanimously, and the House also approved it on final passage, though with a notable minority of opposition. The later conference report was adopted by both chambers, indicating that the final version resolved differences enough to secure broad legislative approval.
Contention
The main points of contention likely centered on union dues collection, employee rights to withdraw from financial support, and the extent of employer and union obligations. Supporters appear to have favored making dues revocation immediate and easier, while opponents likely objected to the bill’s impact on collective bargaining arrangements, union funding, and the state-mandated notice language emphasizing a First Amendment right to refrain from joining or paying dues. The carve-out and waiver provisions for mass transit employees suggest concern about preserving federal funding compliance, and the exclusions for law enforcement, firefighters, and mass transit employees indicate these groups were treated differently from other public employees.
Provides relative to the resignation from labor organization dues or fees for teachers and other school employees and public employees (REF SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)