After only three months without the ability to automatically deduct dues from workers’ paychecks, Transit Workers Union officials are in court asking that one of their many special privileges be restored. They lost the ability to automatically deduct dues after TWU bosses illegally ordered a strike in December 2005 that crippled New York City.

According TWU’s own newsletter, without the automatic dues deduction, less than half of the over 30,000 workers have paid their dues in full, including four union officials who have been prosecuted by the TWU International, for their failure to pay up. Demonstrating that when given the choice, rank-and-file employees (and even, apparently some union bosses) don’t find the union’s “services” valuable enough to warrant their hard earned money.