Proposition 32, officially the “Political Contributions by Payroll Deduction. Contributions to Candidates. Initiative Statute,” or the “Paycheck Protection” Initiative, will weaken the political muscle of labor unions in California, which has the largest number of union members in the U.S. — about 2.5 million. Prop. 32 would end the current practice of unions being able to collect dues for political purposes without a worker’s consent. Its advocates claim it stops both corporations and unions from giving money to politicians. The Los Angeles Times maintains that Prop. 32 “would have a devastating effect on labor unions’ political fundraising efforts,” adding that …