San Francisco Chronicle - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry attacked a California ballot measure that could weaken labor's clout in a visit to the state Thursday, describing Proposition 75 as a Republican-led effort to tilt the political playing field toward corporate interests.

Standing in front of a fire station in Los Angeles, Kerry lent his support to a union-led effort against the proposition. Kerry's visit was part of an intensifying battle over a measure backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that could alter political power in the state.

Prop. 75 would require public employee unions to obtain permission from their members before spending dues on political candidates. Schwarzenegger and the proposition's backers have framed the measure as a way to allow union members more say in how their money is spent.

Labor leaders say it's aimed at making it more difficult for unions to gather money and have a voice in California politics.

Its interesting to me that Kerry, among other Democrats, would oppose an initiative that would make unions more accountable to their membership. Keep in mind that people choosing union-dominated vocations (electricians, for instance) often face having to pay dues to a union in order to secure viable employment. The unions control the jobs, the laborers must pay dues to the union to get/keep their jobs. Which also means that a lot of these laborers end up paying to advance politicians and legislative initiatives they wouldn't normally support.

The legislation proposed in California makes the unions accountable to these laborers. Unions would no longer be able to use the dues of their members as so many political poker chips.

I don't see where that is a bad thing.