Unions

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Jobs - Liberals - Michigan - Society/Culture - UAW - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Boss: Yeah We’ll Talk, But Go Our Way or You’re a ‘Human Rights Violator’

January 14, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As President Obama clucks his tongue at America for “pointing fingers” and “assigning blame” in our political debate, and as his friends on the far left ignore him and point their fingers and assign blame to the Republicans, Tea Partiers, and Sarah Palin, at least one union chief in Detroit is doing his part to add to the political vitriol by charging anyone that disagrees with him with being a “human rights violator.”

Oh, he’s all about sitting down at the table and talking, he claims. Yet, United Auto Workers President Bob King is ready to finger point and accuse people of a vile abuse of basic human rights if they don’t bend over and take it up the tailpipe courtesy of those greedy, profligate unions.

For Crain’s Detroit David Barkholz reports that the UAW chief is all prepared for negotiations with the Big Three auto makers this year, but his tone makes it pretty clear that his idea of negotiations is his way or the highway. His vitriol is already flowing before the first negotiation session begins.
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Union Boss: Yeah We’ll Talk, But Go Our Way or You’re a ‘Human Rights Violator’”

AFL-CIO - Arizona - Democrats/Leftists - Liberals - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Boss With History of Violence Decries Vitriolic Rhetoric of Right

January 12, 2011 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, it’s the old “glass houses” story, isn’t it? AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka weighed in on the criminal shooting in Arizona and naturally he blamed the whole incident on “too much vitriolic, hate-filled rhetoric that we hear on radio and television.” This from a guy who has many times used worse rhetoric to incite violence in his unionizing past. Glass houses indeed.

On the AFL-CIO blog, Trumka wrote:

We must find ways to passionately debate and even disagree with each other without using words that can give unstable individuals an incitement to engage in violent acts.

…We do not know why the shooter targeted Rep. Giffords, or if he was influenced—directly or indirectly—by the outrageous rhetoric that’s become all-too-common in our politics.

But “too much vitriolic, hate-filled rhetoric that we hear on radio and television has demonized public servants and candidates as “enemies” and has made them sounds less than human. In the short run, it may inspire passions and votes. But in the long run, it’s toxic to the survival of rational discussion in our democracy. And it’s not worthy of our great nation.

As Pete List of LaborUnionReports.com reminds us, Trumka’s rhetoric helped inspire stabbings and other criminal actions in his days as a young union organizer. In fact, Trumka was involved in the murder of one Eddie York back in 1993.
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Union Boss With History of Violence Decries Vitriolic Rhetoric of Right”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Chicago - Children - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Elections - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Emanuel Pushing Anti-Teachers Union Line in Race for Chicago Mayor?

January 11, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rahm Emanuel is not the union’s favorite man. He has had union detractors since his days pushing the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) during the Clinton administration. Since then there have been other clashes between Emanuel and unions even as he served President Obama as his Chief of Staff. Now, as he takes after the Chicago teachers union, he seems to be tweaking unions yet again as he runs for the top seat in City Hall here in Chicago.

At least he’s consistent!

On January 10, while campaigning for Mayor, Emanuel laid out a few of his positions on Chicago’s failing schools. What he said is sure to upset the unions — not just that of teachers, either.
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Emanuel Pushing Anti-Teachers Union Line in Race for Chicago Mayor?”

Budget - Business - Campaign Finance - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Free Trade - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - Pensions - President - Public Employees Unions - Senate - Socialism - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

In 2011 Public Employees Unions Must Be Targeted for Elimination

January 5, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the biggest recurring themes in union reporting these days is music to the ears of any fiscally responsible American. It seems almost weekly that we are seeing stories that recount the ire being directed at public employee unions. Let us hope that this reporting is the first ripples of an anti-union tidal wave that will sweep public employee unions from our governments drowning in union-created red ink.

One of the latest is an editorial out of Wisconsin by the Lakeland Times’ Gregg Walker. Walker kicked off his piece with exactly the sort of sentiment that we should hope will lead to an end to public employee unions.
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In 2011 Public Employees Unions Must Be Targeted for Elimination”

AFL-CIO - Anti-Americanism - Free Trade - Jobs - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Anti-American Activist Attacks AFL-CIO’s ‘War Against Developing Countries’

January 3, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once in a while it is fun to check in with the anti-American left, a political side that is usually blindly pro-union. Once in a while they go off on a fun tangent attacking their own, however, and when that happens it’s time to get out the popcorn to watch the fireworks.

This time an anti-American activist named Nick Egnatz wrote a review of a book titled AFL-CIO’s Secret War against Developing Country Workers (Lexington Books, 2010) and he’s both fired up against the AFL-CIO and troubled by his own alarm at a union. It’s funny stuff.
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Anti-American Activist Attacks AFL-CIO’s ‘War Against Developing Countries’”

Business - Capitalism - Economy/Finances - Entertainment - Free Trade - Jobs - Theater - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Stagehands Extort Hundreds of Thousands From Theater Goers

December 30, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If there never was a story that explains how unions are really little else but a criminal extortion racket, the story by James Ahearn in the New Jersey Began Record helps explain it for us. Ahearn’s piece headlined “For Backstage Labor, Rich Rewards,” informs us that some stagehands in New York theater make upwards to $422,000 a year in salary — and that doesn’t include benefits.

These positions are not as highly skilled as brain surgeons, to be sure, yet these guys make hundreds of thousands a year to move chairs, rearrange scenery, raise curtains, and what have you. Why the absurdly outsized pay scale? Threats of strikes shutting down Broadway and its multi-million dollar industry is why.

Ahearn reveals that one mere stagehand makes $422,599 a year, plus $107,445 in benefits and deferred compensation, another makes $290,000, and two carpenters and two electricians made about $400,000 a year with benefits to work the theaters of New York.
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Stagehands Extort Hundreds of Thousands From Theater Goers”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Liberals - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

90-Year-Old Post Office Workers Still Getting Workers Comp?

December 29, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Years after most Americans retire, in fact years after the federal retirement age of 68, more than 100 U.S. Postal Workers in their 90s are still getting 75 percent of their salaries (tax free, yet) of federal workers compensation payments instead of having been graduated to the cheaper retirement payments at 60 percent of their salaries.

This is classic government waste.

Jim McElhatton of the Washington Times gives us this tale of government foolishness and waste as Senator Susan Collins (R, Maine) scolds the Post Office for its failed administration of the issue.
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90-Year-Old Post Office Workers Still Getting Workers Comp?”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - California - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Government - Jobs - Liberals - New York - Public Employees Unions - Sex Offenders/Rape - Taxes - Teamsters - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Child Molesting Teacher Can’t Be Fired Thanks to Union

December 28, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In 1997 a Brooklyn teacher was accused of attempting to molest a sixth-grade girl at PS 138. As it happened, he admitted the behavior, but no criminal charges were filed when all was said and done. Still one would think the fact that he inappropriately fondled a teen should be enough to get him fired from his teaching position. But then again, in New York you can’t even fire a child molester if he happens to be a teachers union member.

Thanks to the fact that it is nearly impossible to fire a teacher, this lowlife has been drawing his almost $100,000-a-year salary to do nothing. You heard that right, to do nothing.

You see, even as the union agrees that this pedophile isn’t fit for a classroom, the union still won’t agree to his being fired. So, teacher Roland Pierre sits in a “rubber room” five days a week and does nothing and he’s paid $97,101yearly to do so. And that doesn’t include benefits.
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Child Molesting Teacher Can’t Be Fired Thanks to Union”

Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Nanny State - NLRB - President - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Labor Dept. to Force Employers to tell Employees They Have a Right to Unionize

December 24, 2010 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s intrusive National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the government regulatory agency responsible for making rules to govern the relationship between employer and employee, has decided that as an employee you are stupid. Worse, the NLRB also decided that it has the power to force your employer to waste its resources holding your hand as an employee and notifying you of your rights to join a union under the National Labor Relations Act. Essentially, this government agency has summarily decided that employers must do the government agency’s job for it.

What American doesn’t understand that they have a basic right to unionize? And for those who don’t it is incumbent upon them to learn enough to become an informed citizen. It is the basic charge of being an American, after all. It is a duty of each of us to learn about our rights and learn how to exercise them. It isn;t our employer’s job to teach us how to be useful American citizens. Ah, but if you are Obama, you assume that everyone is too stupid to learn what their own rights are and nanny government must force your employer to read a list of your rights to you upon being hired.
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Obama’s Labor Dept. to Force Employers to tell Employees They Have a Right to Unionize”

Barack Obama - Capitalism - Crime - Health - Jobs - Journalism - Media - Media Bias - President - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions ‘Christmas Carol’ Harassment, Media Ignores Hateful Unionistas

December 24, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A bus load of 80 union thugs descended upon a sleepy — and private — suburb in Keokuk, Iowa disturbing the peace with loud singing, foul language and trespassing. And the media? Well, the Old Media thought this criminal behavior was just amusing “caroling.”

Locked out workers of Roquette America in Keokuk, Iowa (right across the river from Quincy, Ill.) invaded the property and homes of the company’s executives singing their foul songs and disrupting the peace in the quiet suburb.

Not only did the news media report this as but inoffensive “caroling” — which it decidedly was not — the media didn’t even report the illicit and immature behavior of these union thugs. The media whitewashed the whole incident.
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Unions ‘Christmas Carol’ Harassment, Media Ignores Hateful Unionistas”

AFL-CIO - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Campaign Finance - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Government - Liberals - Lobbyists - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Tells Labor, I’m On Your Side

December 21, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

They gave him hundreds of millions of dollars for his campaign for president and for that Barack Obama has given Big Labor many, many payoffs, sweetheart deals, and regulatory favors. And this week he met in the White House with members of Big Labor and told them that he was sill on their side.

Even with all the paybacks and special favors that Obama has given to the unions in the fist half of his presidency, Big Labor is suspicious of his fealty and unhappy with his apparently insufficient level of kowtowing. And I have to say, the way labor representatives were treated in this particular White House visit does send a subtle message that Big Labor is not quite the hale fellow well met that it once was.

But don’t be fooled by the artifice.
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Obama Tells Labor, I’m On Your Side”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Liberals - Mitch McConnell - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Sen. GOP Minority Leader McConnell’s Remarks After Sen, Reid Pulled Omniporkulus Bill

December 16, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

After Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid decided he’d better put off a vote on the pork-stuff Omnibus Spending Bill, Senator GOP Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had a few words to say about the situation on the floor of the Senate.

“And so what we ended up with, Mr. President, was this, this almost 2,000-page omnibus appropriation bill which we only got, it was yesterday? Yesterday. And so the point here is the work that the Appropriations Committee did in many respects was squandered because the full Senate didn’t do its job. And this is precisely the kind of thing the American people have gotten tired of. And so I think the message we ought to take out of this is that next year we’re going to listen to the American people, we’re going to do our work, do it in a timely fashion.”

“I don’t agree with the priorities we’ve had here in the Senate about what things are important. And as a result of not doing the basic work of government, here we are at the end struggling with this issue.”

“Now, there’s only one reason why cloture is not being filed and the Majority Leader, to his credit, already said it — he doesn’t have the votes. And the reason he doesn’t have the votes is because members on this side of the aisle increasingly felt concerned about the way we do business.”

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Sen. GOP Minority Leader McConnell’s Remarks After Sen, Reid Pulled Omniporkulus Bill”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Ethics - Government - Jobs - Liberals - President - Regulation - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Reid Still Looking to Introduce Forced Unionizing Bill

December 16, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we discussed a few days ago, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid still intends to push the bill that wold nationalize all police and firefighter unions.

The bill is titled the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (S 3391) and would force all local, city, county, and state police and firefighter unions to operate under nationalized union rules created by union bosses based in Washington D.C. This bill would take away the power of local governments to control their own first responders and this would necessarily take away all power from you, the voters, too.

Reid tried to get cloture on this one last week but did not get it done. We are still on the watch for him to push this abomination against local control at any time.
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Reid Still Looking to Introduce Forced Unionizing Bill”

Budget - Capitalism - Card Check - Democrats/Leftists - EFCA - Ethics - Government - Jobs - Liberals - NLRB - President - SEIU - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Using Regulatory Power to Force Card Check

December 14, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Congress has failed to pass Big Labor’s long sought after card check bill, the Orwellian named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The reason congress has not passed this destructive law is because the voters have repeatedly spoken by urging their representatives and senators to stand against it. The voice of the American people, though, does not interest President Barack Obama because he is gearing up to use his power to control America’s regulatory regime to force card check on the people anyway.

One of the chief provisions of the card check bill eliminates the secret ballot and would force workers voting on union representation to make their vote publicly by signing a card that everyone can easily see. This procedure certainly leaves workers open to intimidation as union bosses learn just who voted for them and who voted against them.

There are also other bad parts to the EFCA. One of them is that the government will force automatic arbitration on union and employer alike if no contract has been arrived at in the very short time that the government is forcing on them by law.
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Obama Using Regulatory Power to Force Card Check”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - Liberals - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Republicans - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Tim Pawlenty: Government Unions vs. Taxpayers

December 14, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty penned a great op ed in the Wall Street Journal that takes public employee unions to task for their greed and their destructive nature. I’ve said many times that public employee unions are antithetical to good government and should be outlawed. Pawlenty agrees that they make good governing impossible.

Public employees have not always had the luxury of unions. The idea that government employees should be allowed to enter into collective bargaining didn’t exist prior to 1958. The fact is, we will never be able to fix our public pension problems until we go back to a pre-1958 stance on public employee unions. They should be eliminated completely.

Now I don’t usually post whole articles. But this one is too good to just excerpt. I hope WSJ can excuse me…
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Tim Pawlenty: Government Unions vs. Taxpayers”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - EFCA - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - President - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. John Kline & the Secret Ballot Protection Act

December 13, 2010 by

-By LaborUnionReport.com

Congressman John Kline [R-MN] has been one of the House of Representatives’ most vocal opponent of SEIU’s labor board appointee, Craig Becker, as well as a vocal defender of workers’ right to choose by secret-ballot whether or not to become unionized. In that role, he has stood strong against union bosses as they have worked to strip workers right to a secret-ballot through passage of the job-destroying (and delusionally dubbed) Employee Free Anti-Choice Act.

On Wednesday, showing the change in leadership that will begin in January, Republican named Kline to be the Chairman of the House Education & Labor Committee. The HEL committee is the House committee that must approve issues affecting union elections (like EFCA). Upon being stated for the committee, Kline stated:

“Job creation and American competitiveness are vital national priorities. As Chairman, I will ensure they are at the forefront of the Education and Labor Committee agenda.”

Given the five year push by union bosses to rid employees of their right to vote by secret-ballot, as well as this week’s NLRB decision institutionalizing card-check by collusion, Kline and his fellow Republicans are well suited to re-introduce the Secret Ballot Protection Act….

Please read the rest at LaborUnionReport.com.

Budget - Chicago - Children - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Education - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Property Taxes - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois School Uses ‘Stimulus’ $$ For Raises and Bonuses While Raising Property Taxes

December 10, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Arrogance is an ugly thing. But it seems that Grayslake School Board Superintendent Ellen Correll has it in spades. Not only did she and four other board members vote to increase its tax levy on the community, but she also announced that she used federal “stimulus” money to dole out raises and bonuses to teachers and administrators.

The school board claims that it needs to raise the tax levy by 8.3 percent because of shortfalls in operating costs. Tax rates are limited on existing properties and is capped by law so due to this the tax hit on older properties would not be as great as 8.3 percent. New properties, however, are not capped.

But in this economy, who can afford property taxes to go up yet again? As school board member Michael Carbone said in his comments, statistics show that in 2009 one in three houses sold in the district were in distress and in 2010 it was 50%.
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Illinois School Uses ‘Stimulus’ $$ For Raises and Bonuses While Raising Property Taxes”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Government - Jobs - Liberals - PLA - President - Taxes - Unemployment - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

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

December 9, 2010 by 1 Comment

-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”

Anti-Americanism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - President - Regulation - Warner Todd Huston

Democrats: Say, Let’s Change Rules to Push Our Agenda FASTER in Lame Duck Session

December 9, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is nothing more dangerous than a party that is about to lose power but still has temporary control of the reins of government. That is, of course, what we call the lame duck session of congress — more like a zombie congress; dead men walking… or sitting as the case may be. It has gotten so bad that Democrats are even throwing away the rules in order to indulge a bacchanalia of a left-wing agenda, the same sort that got them kicked out of office.

Attempting to indulge every activity that got them kicked out of office in a landslide that the country hasn’t seen in decades, House Democrats have instituted what is being called “martial law.” They are trying their level best to shove every profligate spending plan, every extremist, left-wing, anti-American idea they can fling at the people of the United States all in an effort to beat the clock before most of them have to relinquish their seats to Republicans.

House Democrats passed a rules change that would allow them to skirt the usual process and bring any bill they want quickly to the floor for a vote. This rules change is meant to help them push their extremist agenda as quickly as possible before the new congress is convened next year.
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Democrats: Say, Let’s Change Rules to Push Our Agenda FASTER in Lame Duck Session”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Regulation - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Pensions Troubles Getting Some Attention

December 8, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Michael Corkery of the Wall Street Journal reports that congressional Republicans are finally paying a bit of attention to the coming pension bomb that is about to explode in nearly every state in the union, causing further damage to our economy and our state budgets. House Republicans are making moves to prevent bailouts of state pension funds.

Currently the federal government does not have too much influence over state pension funds. But with moves by some Democrats to change that so that the federal government can bailout their union supporters in the states, Republicans are looking to head off further federal involvement in the state’s floundering pension funds. (For more on Democrats trying to bailout state pensions see my earlier reports, here and here, among others.)

One of these moves is an attempt to force states to report more honestly on their pension problems before they are allowed to sell tax-free bonds.
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Pensions Troubles Getting Some Attention”

Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Police - President - Regulation - Republicans - Security/Safety - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Wed. in the Senate: Reid to Try and Force Cloture Votes on DREAM Act and Forced Unionization Act

December 7, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Call Your Senator Tell Them to Vote NO on DREAM Act and Forced Nationalized Unionization of Police/Firemen

From contacts in the Senate we’ve learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, Nev.) will likely on Wednesday (Dec. 8th) try and bring a cloture vote on The DREAM Act and the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act in order to grab as much power for his supporters as he can before his power is weakened starting in the next congress.

Quite despite the obvious will of the American people as evinced by the last election, Reid intends to push these unpopular bills anyway. While Americans professed their desire to extend the Bush tax rates and for congress to address the floundering economy, the business that voters really want taken up is being put on hold as Harry Reid endeavors to give more payoffs to his union pals and his pro-amnesty supporters.
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Wed. in the Senate: Reid to Try and Force Cloture Votes on DREAM Act and Forced Unionization Act”

ACORN - Budget - Congress - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Lobbyists - President - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Waste: Feds Gave ACORN Half a Million for ‘Fire Prevention’

December 7, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Jonathan Strong of the Daily Caller has another sad tale of massive government waste involving the criminal group ACORN.

Everybody knows about ACORN, the dead, but not really dead activist group charged with all sorts of improprieties and illegalities, the most significant of which is voter fraud, including registering Mickey Mouse to vote.

But how did ACORN, a “grassroots reform” group, get grant money reserved mostly for local fire departments to do “fire prevention” work?

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Waste: Feds Gave ACORN Half a Million for ‘Fire Prevention’”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Free Trade - Government - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Unions Leaders Not Thrilled With Rahm Emanuel

December 6, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Most Chicagoans are assuming that former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will become the next mayor of Chicago. But while the perception might satisfy many folks in the Windy City, at least one powerful Democratic sector isn’t so sure they are happy with the whole idea. Chicago’s union leaders are not very fond of the distempered former Chief of Staff.

Big Labor has been put off on Emanuel since he helped Bill Clinton get the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) passed in the 1990s when Emanuel was a Congressman from Chicago’s 5th District.

Emanuel also has a history of dissing Big Labor. At least he’s put other interests ahead of Big Labor enough times that labor leaders are not overly fond of the diminutive candidate.
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Chicago Unions Leaders Not Thrilled With Rahm Emanuel”

Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Socialism - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Member Advocates for End of Capitalism, Private Property Rights

December 4, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Calling for civil unrest and the end to private property rights, Sharon Black of the Baltimore All-Peoples Congress, tried desperately to rouse communists and socialists everywhere at the Workers World Party’s annual conference on November 13th and 14th in New York City.

Black — whose name is a fitting one for her dark agenda — wants an end to capitalism and the United States of America and yearns for a return to the glory days of the Soviet Union. “Socialist ideology which reflects the highest level of working class of solidarity” Black said, “which points in the direction of eliminating all exploitation and emancipating humankind has been in retreat since the collapse of the Soviet Union.”

Yes, let’s go back to the oppression and gulags of the old Soviet Union!! This pampered, western moron, this idiot fellow traveller of an evil empire that fell years ago, is what passes for an intellectual on the left.
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Union Member Advocates for End of Capitalism, Private Property Rights”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pensions - Police - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Cops/Firemen Retire as Millionaires

December 3, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

There really is no excuse for any public servant to retire with a pension worth $1.3 million dollars of the people’s tax money. None. But that is precisely what happens in the City of Chicago according to Chicago’s Civic Committee.

Crain’s Greg Hinz reports that the Civic Commission sent an email blast out to its members late last week reporting that the typical Chicago Fireman who retires after 20 years of service will make $1.3 million in pension benefits. Cops make a bit less at $1.2 million.

These public servants can also retire at age 50, almost two decades earlier than the rest of us. This means that these retired city officers can potentially live one third of their lives or more on the public dime. After 20 measly years’ service.

Now, I certainly realize that cops have a high stress job. I also realize that both policemen and firemen can be called upon to put their personal safety, even their lives, on the line (though by no means do all of them do so). But these pensions are an impossible corruption of our system. No one deserves such luxury on the backs of the poor taxpayer.
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Chicago Cops/Firemen Retire as Millionaires”

Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Pensions - President - Public Employees Unions - Senate - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Lame Duck Threat to Bailout Union Pensions

December 2, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Connie Hair has an informative piece at Human Events about what Democrats are hoping to do in the next few weeks in this lame duck session by pushing another big union bailout.

In October, Sen. Tom Harkin (D, Iowa) heard witnesses advancing the “Guaranteed Retirement Account” (GRA) idea authored by left-wing activist and purported “labor economist” Theresa Guilarducci.

As an aside, Guilarducci being called an “economist” is an hilarious conceit. She is nothing of the kind but is merely a big labor activist disguising herself as an “economist.”

Anyway, the Democrats would love to slip this budget busting nonsense past the American people in this zombie congress. Here is how Hair defines the policy:
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Lame Duck Threat to Bailout Union Pensions”

9/11 - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Labor Law - Law - Liberals - Lobbyists - Nevada - Police - Security/Safety - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Now That He’s Won, Reid’s Paying Back Unions

November 30, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Harry Reid survived his brush with electoral death winning yet another term as Nevada’s Senator. Reid knows what side of his bread is buttered, too. Big Labor gave him millions in campaign donations and Reid knows who he owes — or rather who owns him. Now that he’s fairly won he’s promising his patrons in Big Labor that he intends to push one of their favorite laws.

Reid has said that one of his first priorities will be to push a cloture vote on the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (S.3992) that he ramrodded earlier this year.

This act is focused on the unionization of the nation’s police, firemen and other first responders. It would replace with federal rules all state laws on collective bargaining between state and local governments and their first responder unions and would greatly empower unions to dictate pay scales and benefits on a national level.
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Now That He’s Won, Reid’s Paying Back Unions”

Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Government - Health - Liberals - President - Regulation - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Teachers Union’s BIG Break: Obama Let’s Them Get Out of Obamacare

November 30, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As the list was revealed of 111 corporations and unions that got a free pass to get out of having to suffer under Obamacare given them by their bought-and-paid-for president, we see that the teachers really got a break.

With over 350,000 members, the United Federation of Teachers is one of the largest organizations on the list of those 111 given such favorable treatment.

But the real hypocrisy is the fact that the UFT was one of the biggest activists in favor of Obamacare And now they are being given a waiver to get out of suffering under it?
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Teachers Union’s BIG Break: Obama Let’s Them Get Out of Obamacare”

AFL-CIO - Business - Capitalism - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Unemployment - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Another Sign Unions Losing Influence

November 29, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Unions in America really are under assault from every direction. Certainly they are still powerful and not to be under estimated, but unions really have lost much of the power they once had. At less than 20 percent of the work force these days, the unions that are left have been finding themselves being forced to make the sort of concessions that they once would never even consider.

The New York Times reports on one more bit of news showing that unions are taking deals just to stay working that once would have been flatly refused as two-tiered wage scales are becoming more common in this recessionary economic climate.
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Another Sign Unions Losing Influence”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Health - Law - Liberals - Regulation - SEIU - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obamacare Forces Union to Drop Insurance for 6,000 Children

November 29, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Remember how Obama said that if you liked your healthcare plan you could keep it? Apparently someone forgot to tell the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in New York because they’ve announced that Obamacare is forcing them to drop coverage for the children of its 30,000 low-wage members.

The union will be dropping coverage for 6,000 children starting in the new year because new state and federal rules will drive up its costs 60% causing it to face a “dramatic shortfall” between what employers contribute and the premiums charged by the insurance provider.

The union is blaming both state and federal rules but had this to say about the new rules Obamacare is forcing upon it.
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Obamacare Forces Union to Drop Insurance for 6,000 Children”