Labor organizations: union dues: political activities.

Existing law provides that any collective bargaining agreement between an employer and a labor organization is enforceable at law or in equity, and a breach of the collective bargaining agreement by any party thereto is subject to the same remedies, including injunctive relief, as are available on other contracts in the courts of the state. This bill would enact the California Voluntary Contributions Act and allow a labor organization to make expenditures for political activities only if the labor organization establishes a separate fund from which to make those expenditures and complies with specified provisions, including, among others, a prohibition on using union dues for political activities, transferring union dues to the fund, or intermingling union dues in any way with moneys in the fund. Notwithstanding those limitations, the bill would allow a labor organization to use union dues to lobby or communicate directly with its own members regarding political candidates, ballot measures, and other political issues.