States Taking Pro-Jobs Rules Into Their Own Hands

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the first things that President Obama did when he walked into the White House was to authorize an Executive Order as a payback to his buddies in Big Labor by implementing project labor agreements (PLAs) for all federal construction projects. That this was his very first action upon taking office shows that he is definitely the president that unions bought and paid for.

A PLA is a set of rules that forces every contractor that works for the federal government to pay union wages, pay union dues, pay into union pensions and operate under union rules even if the company is not a unionized company. PLAs end competitive bidding and cost the government more on every project. These rules are nothing but a freebie, a sop to Obama’s Big Labor pals at the expense of taxpayers and lost jobs.

As the Wall Street Journal says, “PLAs are a form of political bid-rigging that robs taxpayers even in good economic times. Amid today’s limited fiscal resources, PLAs steal money from the likes of education and law enforcement to reward politically connected companies and their unions. They deserve to be outlawed.”
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States Taking Pro-Jobs Rules Into Their Own Hands”


VIDEO: Autoworker Testifies About Union ‘Harassment’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Larry Getts testified before Congress on what a bad idea the new laws are being proposed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The proposed rules change will speed up to only a few weeks the process of newly unionizing the employees a business. Currently it can take more than a month for that process.

Business advocates claim that this rules change would fast track unions and prevent prospective members from being able to learn all sides of the issues so that they can cast an informed vote to join a union.


South Carolina Worker Sues Federal Gov’t Over Possible Loss of His Job

-By Warner Todd Huston

Barack Obama’s interference in the business operations of Boeing new Dreamliner manufacturing project will likely cause thousands of workers in South Carolina to lose their jobs. Because of this, one Palmetto State worker is suing the federal government for its part in his probable future job loss.

This is a story about Obama’s status as the top bought-and-paid-for union hack in the country and how he is attempting to use his powers to wield regulations as a tool to punish an American business for wanting to open a new manufacturing plant in South Carolina all because the president feels that a union will be hurt in the process of the creation of thousands of new jobs.

As it happens, airplane manufacturer Boeing wants to open a new manufacturing plant in South Carolina for its new Dreamliner plane because the manufacturer had been having so many union-caused troubles in its Washington State plant.
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South Carolina Worker Sues Federal Gov’t Over Possible Loss of His Job”


Illinois Congressmen Help Tip in Big Labor Amendment

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Monday I alerted you all to a jobs-killing, union-favoring amendment being considered in the House of Representatives in Washington, one that needed to be defeated. Unfortunately, the amendment was successful and now, in this dour economy, unions will be able to make matters worse just when we need a shot in the arm. (See previous post for particulars of the bill.)

Sadly, we lost this battle by one stinking vote and this example shows that even though we may have a GOP controlled House of Reps. they still don’t always support conservative measures — and they need to be carefully watched! Those supporting this jobs-killing amendment numbered 204 and those voting in favor of economic success only numbered 203. (25 representatives did not vote at all)

Now, seeing as how I am from Illinois — the most corrupt state in the union — I focused in my previous post on those of the Illinois Republican delegation that had in the past supported Big Labor bills similar to the one in question. So, this is a follow up to that report.
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Illinois Congressmen Help Tip in Big Labor Amendment”


Urge Congress to Vote ‘NO’ On Striking $$ Saving Section From Federal Construction Projects Bill (Illinois Especially)

-By Warner Todd Huston

Today there may be a vote on striking a section of H.R. 2055 that will insure that federal construction projects for the military are fairly priced and will save money for the taxpayers. Some representatives want this advantageous section struck out and replaced with a union-favoring provision that will cost the tax payers millions and will cause even more job loss in an already failing economy.

The bill is the Military Construction (MilCon) and Veterans Affairs (VA) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2055). The section the Democrats want to eliminate is section 415.

Section 415 removes the requirement for companies bidding for federal construction projects for the military to sign anti-competitive project labor agreements (PLAs) that will force these companies to pay union dues, union benefits and adhere to union rules regardless if the companies themselves are staffed by union members of not.
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Urge Congress to Vote ‘NO’ On Striking $$ Saving Section From Federal Construction Projects Bill (Illinois Especially)”


Obama’s Plan to Force Fed. Contractors to Disclose Political Donations Meeting Bi-Partisan Opposition

-By Warner Todd Huston

Barack Obama’s Executive Order that requires federal contractors to disclose the political contributions they have made is garnering bi-partisan opposition on the Hill this month.

The order would force contractors to reveal any political donations as a condition for being allowed to bid on a contract to work for the federal government. And the order doesn’t only require the company to disclose donations but would also force the directors or company officers to reveal their personal donations as well. Naturally, this same requirement is not forced on unions. (You can see a draft of Obama’s order HERE)

This forced disclosure, however, is not sitting well with either Democrats or Republicans.
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Obama’s Plan to Force Fed. Contractors to Disclose Political Donations Meeting Bi-Partisan Opposition”


Is Obama Planning to Impose DISCLOSE Despite the FEC, Congress AND The Supreme Court?

-By Warner Todd Huston

You may remember last year, when union-backed Democrats nearly passed the so-called DISCLOSE Act, imposing financial disclosure for companies, while excluding unions.

Well, the DISCLOSE Act is back…Sort of.

Based on pretty solid reporting by Pajamas Media and confirmed by Huffington Post, it appears that the Obama Administration is preparing an Executive Order to force portions of the DISCLOSE Act on all federal contractors.
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Is Obama Planning to Impose DISCLOSE Despite the FEC, Congress AND The Supreme Court?”


Obama’s Labor Dept: If You Let Girl Scouts Sell Cookies, You HAVE to Let Unions Come in Too

-By Warner Todd Huston

Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies, right? What could be more American? It’s a right of passage for many young girls to set up a folding table in front of a local business and sell their little cookies and what American doesn’t get a warm feeling in their heart when they see those peppy little ones chirping out, “would you like to buy some cookies?” Who could be against that? Who would want to set up a situation where Girl Scouts would be turned away from their traditional cookie-selling outposts?

Apparently the Obama administration.

At least one sector of America isn’t so fond of the ability of Girl Scouts to sell their wares unhindered, it seems. When the Obama administration’s Department of Labor and his National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) look at Girl Scouts, they don’t see cute little children taking their first steps toward adulthood, they see opportunity for a union powergrab.
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Obama’s Labor Dept: If You Let Girl Scouts Sell Cookies, You HAVE to Let Unions Come in Too”


Another Big Labor Union Payoff: Obama Adds $3.3 Million to Construction Project

-By Warner Todd Huston

The government is over spent. This single fact is beyond dispute. Even Democrats say so. We have but to recall that Democrat after Democrat attempted to run for office this last election by claiming fealty to small government, cost cutting, and lower spending. So with all this small government/low spending fever sweeping the political classes, what does Barack Obama do? He forces policies on federal building projects that inflates costs by the millions. And why would he do this? As a payoff to unions that gave him millions in campaign contributions, of course.

The latest bloated price tag for a federal project is that of the Lafayette Federal Building in Washington D.C., a project that has seen costs rise at least $3.3 million thanks to Obama’s payoffs to unions. That’s right in a day when we are drowning in government overspending, Obama is making sure costs rise, not insuring that they fall.

Barack Obama’s political tin ear is nowhere better revealed than in his constant payoffs to Big Labor. One of Obama’s very first actions, for instance, was to write an Executive Order that forced all government building projects to follow union marching orders in pay scale, work rules, and pension payouts by imposing Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on all of them.
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Another Big Labor Union Payoff: Obama Adds $3.3 Million to Construction Project”


Tell Obama and Congress to Halt The Assault on Small Business

From the folks at the Free Enterprise Alliance, a group of free market advocates backed by the construction industry.

Appearing on televisions in places near and far, ABC’s Free Enterprise Alliance this week will launch a new ad asking travelers to look around, find a representative, and tell them to Halt The Assault on free enterprise, small business, and jobs.

The FEA says they’ve booked time at on CNN’s Airport network, so this ad will appear right where our Congressmen are going to be as they make their way home for the holiday!

From the group’s About Us page:

At the heart of the Free Enterprise Alliance’s mission is the belief that while we need government for common sense regulations, the scales have tipped too far in favor of government intrusion and its advocates. The Free Enterprise Alliance believes small business and entrepreneurs grow jobs and our economy, not union bosses and federal bureaucrats.


This Month’s YouCut: Stop Obama’s Mandated Union Fees That Drive Up Construction Costs

-By Warner Todd Huston

In case you aren’t aware of the House GOP’s YouCut program, it is a website where the GOP offers ideas that can help cut the budget and we (the voters) get to vote on our favorite ones. This voting, in turn, helps the GOP leadership focus on just what cuts the American voters want to prioritize.

Our favorite one this week is the removal of Obama’s mandated PLAs.
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This Month’s YouCut: Stop Obama’s Mandated Union Fees That Drive Up Construction Costs”


Obama’s Assault on Non-Union Businesses

-By Warner Todd Huston

Donald Lambro has a great piece discussing the new rules that Obama wants to impose on every single business in America that derives even the tiniest part of its income from the federal government. In essence, Obama wants to impose Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on everyone.

As Lambro says, Obama wants to “shatter decades-old, competitive contract rules that seek the best quality work at the lowest price” and this would cost government untold billions in higher costs as well as destroy untold thousands of small businesses that won’t be able to support the wild increase in their expenses. This will also cost thousands of jobs and give great payoffs to unions.

In the still-little-known initiative taking shape in the White House, senior officials are working on regulations that would use the full power of the government’s vast $500 billion a year contracting business to favor firms ,that offer higher wages and economic benefits, while ruling out firms whose wage, pension and even environmental record may not meet with the administration’s approval.

The Obama Administration is perpetrating the absurdity that this policy of forcing every business that does business with the government to increase wages and benefits to come in line with union benefits will somehow save the federal government money.
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Obama’s Assault on Non-Union Businesses”


Obama Forcing Gov’t Costs to Rise With Union Sop

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here we are in an economic downturn and Barack Obama is forcing government costs to rise. The Detroit News has noticed it, too, with a recent editorial on Obama’s absurd “responsible contractor” rule on vendors that contract with the federal government.

This new rule would force all vendors that contract with the government to exist under union rules, union pay scales, and union pensions, whether they belong to a union or not. Even entities that are not unionized will be forced to observe union rules if this plan is implemented.
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Obama Forcing Gov’t Costs to Rise With Union Sop”


Status of Obama’s PLA Order

-By Warner Todd Huston

CNSNews did a story today giving an update on Obama’s Executive Order number 13502 requiring all federal construction projects to operate under Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). Thus far the EO has been stymied by the commission that Obama set up to handle the initiative.

A PLA is a contract agreement that would force union rules, union dues, and union control of any construction project that the federal government undertakes. The PLA rules would even descend upon any non-union labor hired for the work meaning that employees would be forced to pay dues even if they do not belong to a union.

This PLA requirement is only another Obama payoff to unions and the construction industry says that PLAs will make any federal project go over budget, take longer to complete making the projects needlessly expensive.
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Status of Obama’s PLA Order”


Ohio’s Ben Konop Wants Kids to Starve so he can Give Gov’t Payoffs to Unions

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ruinous PLAs Coming Your Way Lucas County, Ohio!

Magie Thurber is reporting that Lucas County, Ohio County Commissioner Ben Konop is trying to force unions on non-union labor in his jurisdiction. What about freedom to chose? Forget it. Konop as big brother knows better.

On Tuesday, the commissioners will discuss an agenda item ominously entitled “Incorporating Project Labor Agreements into Bidding Specifications for all County-Supported Projects.” (Download PDF) Apparently the commissioners will be pursuing PLAs in all contracts in Lucas County’s future.

What is a Project Labor Agreement or PLA? I discussed this back in February right after President Obama signed his Executive Order 13202 pushing PLAs and in October after New Hampshire faced this situation. Obama’s EO demanded that every federal construction project force a PLA on its contractors. Essentially, a PLA requires all hired contractors and their employees to pay union dues, work under union rules, and pay into union pensions (even though they will never get any benefits from them) whether they belong to a union or not. This forced unionism is to be enforced despite that up to 84 percent of all contractors in the country are not part of a union.
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Ohio’s Ben Konop Wants Kids to Starve so he can Give Gov’t Payoffs to Unions”


A Victory Against Obama’s Unionism in New Hampshire

-By Warner Todd Huston

In a victory for free labor, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has cancelled its solicitation for bids to build a new Jobs Corps Center in the state of New Hampshire. Why is it a victory? Because initial plans to receive bids would have discriminated against non-union construction companies per President Obama’s orders. Over 80% of all construction companies are non-union.

Executive Order 13502, signed early in Obama’s term, was applied to the New Hampshire construction project and instituted what is known as a Project Labor Agreement (PLA). A PLA is a way to force all companies working on a construction project to agree to union rules, dues, pensions and payments whether they are union shops and their employees are union members or not.

In effect, a PLA turns every employee and company working on a PLA enforced project into a unionized force. Naturally, this drives up costs, lengthens deadlines, and forces employees to fork over dues money even if they don’t belong to a union.
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A Victory Against Obama’s Unionism in New Hampshire”


Obama’s Stimulus for Unions

-By Warner Todd Huston

Stimulating the economy isn’t nearly as important to President Obama as putting federal dollars into the pockets of his union cronies. Because of Obama’s PLA Executive Order, thousands of jobs are going to unions in states that have few union members.

The Washington Times, for instance, reports that Obama has grandiosely given a $35 million federal construction project to the New Hampshire. But there are strings attached, strings that pull federal pay levers for the exclusive benefit of unions.

In February Obama signed Executive Order 13202 that demanded that project labor agreements be forced on every federal construction project. These PLAs would demand that federal construction projects either hire union labor or pay all workers union wages. Of course, as these non-union workers are getting union wages the government will also be deducting union dues from their paychecks regardless of whether said worker is in a union or not. This is little else than a direct transfer of federal money to union coffers.

And what of this New Hampshire project? Well, the PLA is in play as a matter of course. This $35 million federal construction project will either employ an all-union workforce, or force contractors to pay union wages to non-union workers as well as remove dues fees from said workers.
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Obama’s Stimulus for Unions”

Reuters: 8,000 Bosnia Massacre Victims Just Like Gazans?

-By Warner Todd Huston

These sort of nonsensical comparisons, filled to the brim with hyperbolic foolishness, is what we get from the anti-Israeli Old Media so often that it almost fails to even surprise at this point. But, here is Reuters again indulging its inner terrorist, just the same.

In “Bosnia genocide victims protest Gaza offensive,” Reuters reports the over-the-top claims made by Bosnian Muslims that the action in Gaza is “just like” that of the 8,000 Bosnians murdered in 1995 in and around Srebrenica. This absurd comparison is, of course, these Muslim’s opinion, but Reuters reports this straight without bothering to reveal the full facts that would show that there is, in truth, no comparison between the two situations at all.

Continue reading “Reuters: 8,000 Bosnia Massacre Victims Just Like Gazans?”