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October 3, 2016      6:11 PM

Texas Association of Business withdraws from coalition pushing anti-union measure

TAB, of course, still supports the policy position but distances itself from the NFIB-led effort to ban union dues deduction from government paychecks

The biggest group representing major employers in the state, the Texas Association of Business, on Monday confirmed to Quorum Report that it is no longer part of a coalition pushing to ban the automatic deduction of union dues from government paychecks.

The TAB still supports the policy position, of course, but the powerful trade association is now distancing itself from an alliance of other business groups called the Texas Business Coalition. That coalition, chaired by Houston janitorial executive Brent Southwell, includes the National Federation of Independent Business, Texas Retailers, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas, and others.

“The TAB will work independently of the Texas Business Coalition to support legislation that disallows the collection of such dues,” said Cathy DeWitt, TAB’s Vice President of Governmental Affairs. When asked why TAB was leaving the NFIB-led group, DeWitt said “We didn’t feel we needed to be a part of the coalition to support the issue.”

TAB’s decision comes after the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters pointed out during a Senate hearing that Tim Dunn’s group Empower Texans has been campaigning on the issue of union dues deductions. During the hearing, business leaders winced when Dunn’s group was mentioned.

By Scott Braddock