Unions

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Railroading Florida’s Rail Project

December 4, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Florida is right now at the vanguard of a new railroad project that could bring good news to those that care about solving bloated state budgets, common sense employment laws, and cutting the corruption that comes with unions by pushing for a non-union workforce with its proposed intrastate rail system. And the unions are incensed, naturally.

The new commuter deal would see the state buying 61.5 miles of CSX track, which would effectively sever that link from interstate commerce. Federal regulations require rail systems that cross state boundaries to employ union workers (and that is a law that should be overturned, too) but this new system would be entirely contained within the state of Florida. Since it is a intrastate project, this absolves Florida from being forced to employ a union workforce.

Additionally, the state is claiming that this is not a “railroad” project, but just another common transportation project and since the state of Florida is not forced to employ union workers on all transportation projects, it sees no reason to make an exception for the new commuter-rail line.
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Unions Railroading Florida’s Rail Project”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Freedom - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Unions a Danger to Good Government

December 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

What happens when a private sector union gets far too many benefits to the point where the business for which its membership works goes under or whose existence is threatened? Punishment. Unions either take a reduction of benefits or pay — or both — and cuts in time or jobs in order to right the ship and keep the business afloat occur. Just like punishment comes to businesses that make bad business decisions, private employee unions also realize punishment for overreach. At the risk of losing the whole enterprise both for unions and owners, the market serves to correct excess.

Unfortunately, there is no such corrective for union overreach for government employees. These unions rarely face any punishment for excess. And therein lies the reason that unions are antithetical to good government.

Of course, we’ve discussed this theme many times here at the blog over the past few years. But to buttress the discussion I’d like to relate some statistics. The Heritage Foundation’s James Sherk recently took a look at the most current reports from labor and found that 12.4% of the American work force is made up of union members. But he notes that, while union membership has fallen to 7.3% of private sector jobs, it has risen to a never before seen 37.6% unionization of government employees — and this number is growing. Government workers now make up 51% of all unionized workers in the USA.
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Unions a Danger to Good Government”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Campaign Finance - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Freedom - House of Representatives - Liberals - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Unions, Energy Industry Tops in Political Contributions

November 25, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

According to FollowTheMoney.org unions were some of the most generous with donations to political candidates and causes during the 2007-2008 donation cycle, the last cycle full reporting is known for. A close second place goes to the energy industry with Indian interests coming in third.

Out of the top 50 highest amounts given to political efforts unions donated $223,533,678 to political causes showing that, while unions make up less than 20 percent of the American work force, they account for some of the largest in political donations.

Unfortunately, many of those top donors are public employees unions meaning that our tax dollars are caught in a revolving door with tax money going to public employees who then turn around and donate some of that tax money right back to politicians and their campaign funds in order for those politicians to themselves turn right back around and pass laws that give public employees unions more money!
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Unions, Energy Industry Tops in Political Contributions”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

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

November 24, 2009 by 1 Comment

-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”

Barack Obama - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Jobs - Liberals - President - SEIU - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Abusing Members to Force Them to Toe the Line

November 23, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s called “pink sheeting,” a practice employed by union bosses to bully their membership to vote the “right” way. The practice consists of forcing employees to reveal deeply personal information about themselves — such as abusive relationships, addictions, or legal trouble — so that these items can be used against the employees at a later date to elicit cooperative behavior.

Union members are denouncing the practice of pink sheeting while union chiefs, particularly those of the hotel employees union UNITE HERE, are either denying that they use the method or saying that the practice has been stopped.

More than a dozen organizers said in interviews that they had often been pressured to detail such personal anguish — sometimes under the threat of dismissal from their union positions — and that their supervisors later used the information to press them to comply with their orders.

Naturally, UNITE HERE officials claim this practice doesn’t happen.
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Unions Abusing Members to Force Them to Toe the Line”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Police - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - State Government - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Another Union Thief, This One a Cop

November 22, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago, Ill. — The president of the Chicago Police Sergeants’ Association has been caught stealing over $600,000 in union funds, authorities say.

Sgt. John Pallohusky, 53, spent the stolen funds on gambling trips, lavish dinners, and online stock trading.

He spent more than $163,000 on Ameritrade and $75,000 at restaurants including Ruth’s Chris, Smith & Wollensky, Kinzie Chophouse, Petterino’s, Gibson’s and Lawry’s, the arrest warrant said.

This is just another example of the illegitimacy of unions, really. This guy has been doing this for two years. Did no one miss all that cash for two years? Were there no other union officials paying attention? And if none of this money was missed for 24 months, WHY does the union need this cash in the first place? Obviously no one needed all that money all this time if no one noticed so much was missing.
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Another Union Thief, This One a Cop”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - California - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - SEIU - Society/Culture - State Government - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

SEIU Fixing the Vote in Fresno, Too

November 21, 2009 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

A few weeks ago we reported on how the Services Employees International Union was attempting to fix the vote in Sonoma County, California so that Sonoma’s in-home healthcare workers would end up with SEIU representation instead of NUHW representation.

Well, Sonoma wasn’t an isolated case. The SEIU used the same vote fixing tactics in Fresno County.

Andy Stern’s SEIU is playing hardball, using techniques that harken back to the mob-infested old days in order to win the game of representation. And THIS is the guy that President Obama is taking close counsel from? A goon. A thug. A mob-like hitman.

Its the Chicago Way, alright. From Chicago to Fresno and Sonoma Counties all the way to the White House. This president and his cronies are instituting mob action everywhere they go.
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SEIU Fixing the Vote in Fresno, Too”

Anti-Americanism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - SEIU - Society/Culture - State Government - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Thug Attacks Young Boy Scout

November 17, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

**UPDATE** 11/20/09

17-year-old Kevin Anderson wanted to add another Eagle Scout badge to his well-earned collection and so spent some 200 hours over several weeks to clear a walking path along the river in east Allentown park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Little did young Mr. Anderson know it but he was about to prove once again that unions have a pernicious influence on governments everywhere. After Kevin’s good deed the city’s public employees union went gunning for the poor kid with threats and gyrations meant to shake down the city and scare off any citizen that might dare to imagine that they could perform any act of charity or community service for their fellows without the union getting its piece of the action.

In his best Sopranos impression, the thug president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Nicky Balzano began to issue his threats.

“We’ll be looking into the Cub Scout or Boy Scout who did the trails,” Balzano ominously warned the City Council.
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Union Thug Attacks Young Boy Scout”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Women Becoming Majority of Union Workers

November 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press had an interesting article reporting that women are fast becoming the majority of union members and will be the majority in 10 years if current trends continue.

As it stand now, women make up 45 percent of union members today, up from 35 percent in 1983. Apparently white men now only make up 38 percent of the union workforce, down from almost 52 percent in ’83.

The AP notes that this preponderance of women is changing the goals of union negotiators.

“When you have a majority of women in the labor movement, issues like work-family balance, paid sick days and paid parental leave become more important,” said John Schmitt, an economist at the left-leaning think tank and one of the authors of the report.

And what has caused this change? The growth of public, government unions. At this point, the AP reports, that 49 percent of all union members are now working for local, state, and federal workers in public employees unions. 61 percent of public employees are female.
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Women Becoming Majority of Union Workers”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

A Victory Against Obama’s Unionism in New Hampshire

November 11, 2009 by 3 Comments

-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”

Conservatives - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Liberals - Republicans - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Right To Work Prez Calls Out Newt’s Hypocrisy

October 31, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

National Right to Work President Mark Mix is calling on Newt Gingrich to rescind his endorsement of Dede Scozzafava, the liberal candidate chosen by New York’s GOP powermen for the special election for the 23rd District Congressional seat. The reason? Scozzafava is a supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act and Newt has said he isn’t.

Liberal Republican Scozzafava has announced her support of the EFCA and its card check feature, a bill that will give unions a free hand to intimidate workers during the election period for voting on union representation. On the other hand, Newt Gingrich is in such opposition to card check that he once sponsored a petition against the EFCA.

Back in March, Gingrich created a video for American Solutions decrying card check and informing the viewers that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost with card check. Newt strongly supported the American Solution petition drive titled Freedom Not Fear drive.
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Right To Work Prez Calls Out Newt’s Hypocrisy”

Business - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

A Reminder About What Teacher’s Unions Do in California

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Larry Sand gave a little talk at a local tea party in Antelope Valley, California event wherein he reminded us all of the political use of state teachers union dues and how that money supports an agenda that is essentially so anti-American.

The California Teachers Union, for instance, supported with its member’s dues money SB 1322 which was a bill that would put communists in the classroom! Arnold sensibly vetoed that bill, but the Teachers union (CTA) donated money to float this proposition.

Sand lays out a whole series of things that the CTA supports with member’s union dues all of which should set your blood to boil.

This isn’t just a California problem, though. This sort of abuse of union dues goes on in the teachers unions of every state.

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - SEIU - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Rep. Biggert Introduces Defund ACORN Bill

October 20, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R, Hinsdale, IL) introduced legislation last week intended to prevent misuse of federal housing counseling funds.

“It’s abundantly clear that ACORN and its affiliates cannot be trusted as a federally certified entity,” said Biggert, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. “Given the group’s clear links to illegal and inappropriate activities, how can we knowingly give them federal certification to divert precious resources from legitimate housing counselors working overtime to help struggling homeowners?”

For years federal funds have flowed into ACORN’s coffers for services given to low-income home buyers across the country. These services are intended to counsel low-income buyers on how to go about the mortgage process, to inform them of subsides and government services, and to assist the purchase.
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Illinois Rep. Biggert Introduces Defund ACORN Bill”

Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Union Fees Might Cause Another Trade Show to Exit Chicago

October 19, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of Chicago’s top five trade shows may be leaving the gigantic McCormick Place Convention Center and taking up business with Orlando, Florida. Why? Because the extremely high costs forced on Chicago by the various unions that have a hammer lock on the service side of the trade show business are driving trade shows to other states.

Crain’s Business reports that the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. is considering the move to sunny Florida as a cost cutting measure. The show has been held in Chicago since 1971 but organizers are considering the move because of a “need to maximize the return on investment for both exhibitors and attendees.”

That means that setting up a trade show in Chicago is not worth the expense. And that expense means union fees.
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Union Fees Might Cause Another Trade Show to Exit Chicago”

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Free Trade - Health - Illinois - Journalism - Liberals - Socialism - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Brave Mom Fights Forced Unionization and Gov. Quinn

October 15, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve been reporting to you of the outrageous under-the-radar actions of Governor Pat Quinn and his Executive Order 9-15. This EO both handed the private information of Illinois citizens to unions and set up a payoff for his union supporters by automatically unionizing hundreds of Illinois home healthcare workers whether they want to be unionized or not.

Well, one mother is fighting back. Pam Harris serves as the primary care specialist for her developmentally disabled son and in so doing receives some helpful funds from the state for that purpose. When she found out that Quinn’s EO gave her personal information to several unions she was concerned. And when she later found out that she would have to pay dues to a union even if she didn’t want to join one she became incensed.

In a report on our local Fox affiliate, Harris said, “When my doorbell rings at eleven thirty Sunday morning and there’s two people in purple shirts, one from California, one from Virginia– nice enough young people– nice enough, but that’s an invasion of my privacy.”

Harris is sure that no union will benefit her.
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Brave Mom Fights Forced Unionization and Gov. Quinn”

Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Railroad Union Chief Solicits Bribes from Lawyer, Gets Arrested

October 14, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Eddie Rodzwicz (don’t ask me to pronounce that one) is sure to claim he was railroaded. Like a good union thug he’ll likely try to blame everyone else. But whatever Ed claims about the charges filed against him it seems he’s run off the rails. It’s charges of bribe taking and soliciting bribes being pressed against Rodzwicz we are told.

It seems that this union criminal got up a full head of steam and chugged forward toward his troubles by contacting an attorney that was supposed to be taken off the union approved vender list because of the lawyer’s ethical problems and asking for a $20,000 bribe to surreptitiously leave the lawyer on the list despite the ruling against the lawyer. That way, if the lawyer would remit the $20,000 bribe, the union chief gets some tender in his box and the lawyer can keep getting union business.

Unfortunately for the bribe engineer the lawyer contacted the feds to let them know that the union boss was the little engine that could… take a bribe or two.

Did I mention that Ed Rodzwicz is the chief of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen?
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Railroad Union Chief Solicits Bribes from Lawyer, Gets Arrested”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - President - SEIU - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Pledge to Help SEIU ‘Turn The Nation Purple’

October 13, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you want to know how “connected” the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is to the White House, a video of then candidate Obama’s appearance at an SEIU campaign rally event is revealing. Obama revealed his intimate connection to the SEIU (from even before he ran for office) and promised to “turn the nation purple,” in an allusion to the SEIU’s corporate color scheme.

This is how close President Obama is to the SEIU and how engaged SEIU Local 880 is in politics in Illinois.

Join us and Say NO to ACORN.

Sign the petition and tell Governor Quinn that you want a real investigation to end corruption for good.
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Obama’s Pledge to Help SEIU ‘Turn The Nation Purple’”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - House of Representatives - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - President - SEIU - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Economic Freedom Alliance Targets EFCA

October 13, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A rather new group called the Economic Freedom Alliance (economicfreedomalliance.org) is now taking on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) by erecting billboards to target five key Democrat congressmen in hopes of getting their constituents to urge them to drop support of the EFCA.

In one section of Illinois, for instance, the billboards say simply “DoNotLetBillFosterKillJobs.com.” Bill Foster is a Democratic Representative from south west of Chicago who now holds the seat that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert once occupied.

Other Democrats that the billboards are targeting elsewhere in the country are Democrat Representatives Debbie Halvorson (Ill.) and Ike Skelton (Missouri), as well as Democratic Senators Evan Bayh (Indiana) and Claire McCaskill (Missouri).
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Economic Freedom Alliance Targets EFCA”

Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Education - Illinois - State Government - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

School Superintendent Kills Himself

October 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In Ottawa, Illinois schools superintendent John Harrison committed suicide over the weekend. Ottawa is south west of Chicago in LaSalle County.

The school is suffering a teachers unions trike at this time, but it isn’t known if the strike and controversy is connected to the suicide.

One interesting part of the report on the CBS News site, though, showed one aspect of today’s teachers unions that is galling.

Teachers went on strike Sept. 30. They’re objecting to a school board offer that would require them to chip in for family health insurance coverage. About 1,600 students attend the school.

Seriously? These teachers think they shouldn’t have to pay any part of their own health insurance coverage? I guess we shouldn’t expect teachers to be like everyone one else in the country, eh? Naturally these greedy unions think teachers should get free healthcare all paid for by the taxpayer!

At this point these greedy, anti-student teachers unions are more like criminal syndicates than organizations with the interests of the people at heart!
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School Superintendent Kills Himself”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - President - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Stimulus for Unions

October 8, 2009 by 1 Comment

-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”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Threatened by New House Healthcare Provision?

September 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Democrat leadership of the House of Representatives now wants to pay for H.R.3200 — the House healthcare bill — by charging a tax on the so-called Cadillac healthcare plans. This surtax is something that has been talked about in the Senate and forms an integral part of the Baucus bill, but this is the first time that House leaders have broached this revenue idea for inclusion in H.R.3200.

The idea, a classic class warfare styled policy, would tax what Congress considers high-end healthcare plans, purportedly only hitting “the rich.” But it is highly possible that this “rich man’s” surtax might also apply to millions of union members that have traded pay raises for higher levels of benefits over the last decade.

This surtax idea is one of the reasons that many of the unions had been pushing for the public option. Unions chiefs felt that the surtax would unduly affect their membership and that the public option would give union members a “free” place to go if they had to cut back on benefits or what have you.
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Unions Threatened by New House Healthcare Provision?”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Capitalism - Children - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Rules: Teachers Paid Not to Teach

September 23, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here is yet another story where union members undergoing disciplinary procedures can sometimes spend years being paid their full salary to sit home and watch TV, doing nothing, working not a minute of their day. In this case it is costing a local school system at least $2.25 million to pay teachers that aren’t teaching.

This story focuses on teachers in Buffalo, New York but it is a story repeated in unions of all sorts all across the country.

The problem is that unions are allowed to become so meddlesome in member’s disciplinary procedures, the unions are allowed to block them so easily, that disciplinary procedures take an inordinate amount of time. All too often boards of review and other provisions to determine the culpability of bad teachers and arrive at a suitable punishment are opposed tooth and nail by unions. Unions especially fight the ultimate punishment: firings.

To be sure, no one thinks that unions should be so powerless that teachers can be fired on a whim. There certainly must be fairness for both parties, teachers and school administrations (the employer) alike.
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Union Rules: Teachers Paid Not to Teach”

Budget - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

School Pensions Making Millionaires out of Retiring Employees

September 22, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Bill Zettler recently submitted a Freedom of Information request on the pensions of 13 retiring public school employees from District 211 in Palatine, Illinois and he found that the people of Illinois are on the hook for over $50 million in pension benefits promised to people retiring at the average age of 58.

Zettler found that these school employees are seeing an average of $96,000 a year in pension benefits whereas the average Social Security benefit is $13,500 a year. SS recipients also don’t get their benefits until they’ve reached 63 at least while the average retirement age of these public employees is 58.

I’ll get right to Mr. Zettler’s pullout quote, one that really puts the whole situation in perfect focus. “If the purpose of taxation is to provide for the common good,” Zettler said, “we may ask what common good is provided by making public employees multi-millionaires in their fifties?”
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School Pensions Making Millionaires out of Retiring Employees”

Anti-Americanism - Children - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

McClatchy: School Reformers are Against Teachers

September 22, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

For the McClatchy news chain, Rob Hotakainen chose an interesting way to spin a discussion on the seeming failure of late of teachers unions to push their agenda. Instead of writing that it is teachers unions that are “feeling squeezed from all sides,” Hotakainen writes that it is the “teachers” themselves feeling this squeeze. In other words, Hotakainen tried to make it seem as if reform forces are against teachers, not the unions that represent them.

The truth is, of course, that no reform minded government official or non-governmental organization is against teachers. They are against the fraud and waste of union practices and are against union intransigence that fights against the best interests of our children’s educations.

Hotakainen points out that both the California NAACP and local Hispanic groups — groups that are traditionally on the side of unions — have supported recent moves to increase state funding for privately operated schools and instituting merit pay for teachers. He then claims that this is causing “teachers” to feel beset by all sides, left and right.
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McClatchy: School Reformers are Against Teachers”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - Jobs - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Is it American to be Forced Into a Union? In Obama’s America it is!

September 21, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Welcome to Obama’s America where you are forced to become a union member even if you had no idea you were being inducted into one. In fact, in Obama’s America you won’t even know you are IN a union until you notice union dues are being withheld from your checks.

This is the case in Michigan where Sherry Loar and Dawn Ives work out of their home talking care of children for low-income families. One Friday the pair realized that union dues were being withheld from the checks they receive from the state for the subsidized daycare they perform for local families.

As it happens, neither woman voted to join a union nor even knew that they’d be forcefully inducted into one. They didn’t even know their job had a union.
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Is it American to be Forced Into a Union? In Obama’s America it is!”

Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

AFL-CIO Prez Tumka Asked a Few Tough Questions

September 20, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

So what about those union pensions, Mr. Trumka? Your union has severely underfunded your member’s pensions for years. Don’t you care if your members have enough to retire on? Isn’t that what your union promised to them?

Well someone is asking these questions, anyway. Unfortunately, it isn’t the bought-off Obama administration. It’s the Free Enterprise Alliance and they are starting with these billboards in Pittsburgh.

Too bad AFL-CIO bosses don’t care enough about their members to answer such pesky questions, eh?

Of course, the pensions for the bosses and union management are fully funded, so why should Trumka care? Boss pensions are juuuuust fine. As long as he’s getting his, why worry about those foolish, annoying, lowly members?

They are such a bother, youse guys know whot I’m talkin’ about?
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AFL-CIO Prez Tumka Asked a Few Tough Questions”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Mob Boss vs. Union Boss

September 16, 2009 by

This amusing, yet sad, video asks the question “should it be this hard to tell the difference between the two?” You’ll see all sorts of threatening, uncivil quotes and you’ll be asked if a famous Mob Boss said them or if AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said it.

Betcha can guess what’s coming…

Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Security/Safety - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Boss Admits to Using Members as Political Activists

September 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

An interesting admission by James A. Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades in Philadelphia, can be seen in an interview he did with the Philly Inquirer. It is an admission that conforms one of the things that anti-union folks have been saying for years, but one union officials are loath to admit.

While discussing the hard economic times, the Philly Inquirer asked how the recession was affecting the union. In his answer President Wilson admitted that his union uses out-of-work members for “political events.” Wilson mentioned that they lower dues to $1 a month after a member has been out of work for more than six months, but that isn’t just the kind hearted union looking out for its members. No, the union expects something in return for that lowering of dues.
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Union Boss Admits to Using Members as Political Activists”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - California - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Liberals - Republicans - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

California’s Mass Job Loss… Except in Government

September 13, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A recent report by the Sacramento based California Budget Project shows that two out of five working-age Californians are out of work. The jobless rate has not been this bad since 1977. California’s unemployment rate is one of the worst in the country at 12 percent.

Yet, union membership has grown in California despite the recession. And it’s no wonder when looking at the CBP study. On page three, for instance, we see a notation that reports that unionization in government jobs has grown substantially and is also at a much higher percentage of the total sector workforce in California than it is in the rest of the country.

Unionization rates were consistently higher in the public sector than in the private sector in 2008-2009. As Figure 2 shows, public-sector unionism was especially strong in Los Angeles as well as in California: during 2008-2009, well over half of all workers in the California and Los Angeles public sectors were union members. In the nation as a whole, the unionization rate for public-sector workers was 37.0 percent; much higher than the 7.5 percent rate found in the private sector, but well below the rates for public-sector workers in California (57.4%) or Los Angeles (56%).

So, while regular citizens are losing their jobs by the millions, government workers are in clover, riding the gravy train, on easy street.
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California’s Mass Job Loss… Except in Government”

Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Liberals - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Federal Agency Fights Card Check For Its Own Employees

September 11, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As the president and Congress considers passing the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) in which the “card check” feature is still a major provision, a federal agency is trying to prevent its own employees from using the card check practice to organize.

The Legal Services Corp., a congressionally chartered, taxpayer-funded entity has hired legal counsel to try and prevent its employees in its oversight office from using the card check procedure to become unionized.

Employees in LSC oversight offices, with the help of the IFPTE, appealed to LSC President Helaine Barnett in a July 20 letter, asking her to accept authorization cards signed by “an overwhelming majority” of workers signaling their intent to unionize. Ms. Barnett dismissed the request in a July 28 letter, saying that “authorization cards are often an unreliable indicator of support for a union,” according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by The Times.

Of course, it is a bit of amusing hypocrisy that a federally created agency is trying to stop employees using card check even as Congress is trying to pass a law that forces card check on the private sector. As they say on TV hucksterism, though, “But wait, there’s more.”
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Federal Agency Fights Card Check For Its Own Employees”