Unions

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - News - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Fed. Employee’s Labor Chief’s Demands Presented to Obama

November 25, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

And it begins. President of the National Treasury Employees Union, one of the Federal government’s largest labor unions, has drawn up her demands for president-elect Obama to fulfill as payback for union support for his candidacy.

Colleen M. Kelly has announced her demands and two of them are quite controversial. The first, that the employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) get unionized, shows that unions want to be in a place to impede our national security. The second, the firing of all current members of the Federal Service Impasses Panel, shows that unions want to eliminate any oversight that might hinder union corruption and give them a freer hand to hide their own illegal activities.

Thus far, the Bush administration has succeeded in stopping the unionization of employees of the TSA and for good reason. Should the TSA be unionized, this would eliminate any possibility that the government could fire or even regulate the people that are supposed to be making sure our airlines are safe and free of terrorists. This would not only add another layer of distance between government (and therefore we the people) and its employees, but it would also make it harder to control the security of our airports. In fact, it would make it impossible for government to control the safety of our airports.

Continue reading “Fed. Employee’s Labor Chief’s Demands Presented to Obama”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Another Example of Hypocritical Politics on Secret Ballots

November 24, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As the Democratic caucus angles to pass the badly named Employee Free Choice Act, a law that will actually take away the choice of a secret ballot for millions of America’s workers, we get one more example of how Democrats in Congress allocate things for themselves that they refuse to allow others to enjoy.

In the nasty infighting between Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) and John Dingell (D., Mich.) over the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce committee in the House of Representatives, a secret ballot was held of the members of the House after which, Waxman came out the victor.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Chief of Staff Refuses to Talk ‘Card Check’

November 21, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Wall Street Journal reports that in a meeting with business leaders, Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel refused to reassert the Obama administration’s determination to pursue “card check.”

He was asked his views on the push by labor unions to allow workplaces to be organized with the signing of cards attesting to union support rather than a secret ballot. Mr. Emanuel declined to say whether the White House would support the legislation, but he said the unions are addressing the concerns of a middle class that has seen U.S. median income slide over the past eight years, while health care, energy and education costs have soared.

This is not to say that Obama is necessarily distancing himself from “card check” or from the Employee Free Choice Act, but Emmanuel’s reticence to bring up the issue and reassert the administration’s dedication to the plan is a sign that, if we are lucky, they realize that it isn’t a good move… at least for now.

At the least we’ve got a breather from this jobs killing, union propping law. Let’s hope it is a sign of dropping it but now is not the time to assume.

Continue reading “Obama Chief of Staff Refuses to Talk ‘Card Check’”

00Publius Contributor - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Energy - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

LA’s Water and Power Board Allowing Union to Program ‘Green ‘ Spending W/O Public Participation?

November 20, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

According to the website CityWatchLA.com, it looks like the Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners seems to be so cozy with its public employees union that it is planning massive new “Green” programs without taking them before the public for approval.

In a piece on a proposed Rate Payers Advocate position to monitor the DWP, Jack Humphreville gave us this interesting tidbit:

The DWP Board of Commissioners claims to be our Watch Dog, and to some degree it may have been when Nick Patsaouras was there. But now, where is the Board on the multibillion dollar Green Initiative? What public outreach has been held? Indeed, the City Council is asking questions that DWP won’t even report back on for months. Who is watching out for the Rate Payers when its main union has a stranglehold not only on labor, but on management too?

And isn’t this same City Council that recently approved, without a dissenting vote, the multibillion dollar Green Initiative without the benefit of DWP’s analysis, a thorough vetting by the Energy and Environment Committee, or even informing the Rate Payers and Neighborhood Councils, despite the fact that the monopoly elements of the initiative could easily cost Rate Payer hundreds of millions of dollars?

The union has so much cash to disseminate amongst politicians in LA that anything it wants it gets, apparently. And it gets it whether the voters are told about it or not.

This is just one more reason that unions are anathema to good government.

Continue reading “LA’s Water and Power Board Allowing Union to Program ‘Green ‘ Spending W/O Public Participation?”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Calif. Lawmakers Try SEIU Intervention

November 19, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Services Employee International Union (SEIU) is still making plans to initiate a hostile take over of its sister union in California, the United Healthcare Workers (UHW), by imposing a trusteeship upon them, ousting the UHW’s elected officers.

Now more than 240 lawmakers and community organizers in California have signed an open letter calling for the SEIU to jettison its hostile plans and to peaceably settle with the UHW.

The signers include some of the most prominent Democrats and liberal community organizers in the San Francisco Bay Area. But thus far the entreaty seems to be falling on deaf ears at the SEIU’s main office in Washington DC.

This entire dustup shows the ruthlessness with which SEIU President Andy Stern uses to control the SEIU. Stern imagines his reach will eventually go as far as to begin to control aspects of our government. This sort of powermongering should serve as a warning to anyone imagining that Andy Stern is a desirable addition to Obama’s governing council.

Stern is so headstrong that, to satisfy his need for personal power, he even seems to be willing to stick his finger in the eye of pols and activists on his own side.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Denver Post Now Against Card Check?

November 18, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Now that their messiah, The One, “O”bama is fairly elected… NOW the Denver Post comes out to attack the Democrat’s and the union’s idea of “card check”? Apparently so, because on November 16, the Post had an editorial titled “Paying off labor harmful to unity.”

And, boy, they don’t just mince around the issue, either.

Obama and the Democratic majority should resist the urge to pay off organized labor by passing the divisive and unnecessary law known as “card check.”

Nothing equivocating with that line, sure enough.

Continue reading “Denver Post Now Against Card Check?”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Killing Detroit

November 17, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Dan Ikenson of the CATO Institute has another great posting on the “cancer” that is unions in the U.S. auto making industry.

A Cancer on the Big Three

If you’ve followed developments in the auto industry at any time during the past couple couple decades, you’ve probably heard of GM’s “Jobs Bank.” This nausea-inducing scam was the concoction of the UAW in the 1980s. Rather than allow GM to layoff workers when conditions warranted, the UAW had GM assign workers to the Jobs Bank, where they were paid almost full wages and benefits NOT to work. The Jobs Bank was pitched nominally as a retraining program, where workers would acquire the skills and train themselves in the technologies and techniques of the future, or where “workers” could perform community services.

Continue reading “Unions Killing Detroit”

00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Denver Post Now Against Card Check?

November 17, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Now that their messiah, The One, “O”bama is fairly elected… NOW the Denver Post comes out to attack the Democrat’s and the union’s idea of “card check”? Apparently so, because on November 16, the Post had an editorial titled “Paying off labor harmful to unity.”

And, boy, they don’t just mince around the issue, either.

Obama and the Democratic majority should resist the urge to pay off organized labor by passing the divisive and unnecessary law known as “card check.”

Nothing equivocating with that line, sure enough.
Continue reading “Denver Post Now Against Card Check?”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Auto Bailout Becoming a Sop to Unions?

November 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

With the precedent set of a bailout from Washington, the automakers are crawling and sticking their hands out for a new bailout for them. But, will a bailout for the Auto Industry actually go to the Industry or will it be a sop to unions?

Unfortunately, it looks like an auto industry bailout will feature some of those millions going to unions to fund weakly funded and over indulgent union benefit plans. This should not stand as it is no bailout for industry but a propping up of unions that have negotiated benefits that destroy the ability for our nation’s carmakers to be competitive in the world market. These over indulgent benefits are one of the biggest reasons our automakers are failing in the first place. A government prop for these destructive benefits is good money going after bad.

Continue reading “Auto Bailout Becoming a Sop to Unions?”

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Airline Unions Want Obama’s Help Bankrupting Airlines

November 11, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

During the campaign it came to light that Barack Obama had claimed that he wanted to bankrupt America’s coal industry and make all our electrical rates skyrocket. Well, now that he is president elect Obama, airline unions are hoping that he’ll also come to their aid and help bankrupt the airlines. At least, that is what the things these unions want Obama to help them with will do.

The union that represents American Airlines flight attendants recently announced hopes that Obama would intervene in upcoming negotiations and help the unions rollback previous benefit cuts that they’d agreed to the last negotiations. “Perhaps the time is nigh for righting the wage and benefit cuts which have weighed unevenly on the labor groups,” the union said to its members.

With the costs of fuel falling, some analysts are saying that the airline industry might see profits for the first time in a long while, and this has left labor unions salivating to abscond with these profits for themselves.

But, in a still weak economy and with uncertain fuel prices, this is a recipe for disaster. Unions aren’t willing even to let things settle before making a mad dash for the cash and with Obama in office they assume he will force business to bow to union demands, especially where it concerns strikes in the transportation industry, an area that Federal oversight is thick.

This is more evidence that unions would rather see their own livelihoods destroyed than allow their businesses to be profitable.

Continue reading “Airline Unions Want Obama’s Help Bankrupting Airlines”

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Unions Prepared for BIG Payday With New Prez

November 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we’ve been warning here on the blog, unions are ready for a big payoff for having pumped hundreds of millions of their members’ dues money into Barack Obama’s campaign and The New York Times published a story that presents it all as a wonderful thing, naturally.

And, in keeping with the Times’ journalistic malpractice, quite a few things are misrepresented in favor of the unions. Take “card check” for instance. Check out how the Times describes the fact that this horrible law will take away one of the oldest democratic rights there is. (My bold for emphasis)

Continue reading “Unions Prepared for BIG Payday With New Prez”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Elections - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Stunning Defeat of SEIU by Puerto Rican Teachers Union

November 6, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) thought that it had things all wrapped up in Puerto Rico this year. This most powerful of American unions even held its annual convention on the sunny isle to showcase its power to overawe its intended prey. Apparently the small, local teachers union had other ideas, though.

The SEIU blew into Puerto Rico to gobble up the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR), or in English, the Puerto Rican Federation of Teachers. The SEIU’s plan was to add that small union its ever growing list of unions it has gobbled up and quashed in the U.S. But, it looks like the locals weren’t as interested in being gobbled as the SEIU thought.

In a stunning upset, the members of the FMPR voted against allowing their union to become a part of the SEIU. On October 23, the final vote was announced and it revealed 14,675 teachers voting to join the SEIU and 18,123 against.

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00Publius Contributor - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

California: 3rd Top SEIU Official Steps Down Ahead of Corruption

November 2, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yet another Top Service Employees International Union (SEIU) chief has stepped down from her office at the troubled and corrupt California branch of the union this month according to the L.A.Times.

Annelle Grajeda is the third major SEIU leader to be forced to step down just ahead of major legal troubles over corruption. Grajeda’s boyfriend, Alejandro Stephens, has also been ordered to repay tens of thousands of dollars he received from the state council that Grajeda heads.

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00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Communism - Congress - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

What a Democrat Win Will Mean

November 1, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Michael Sandler over at The Hill has some ominous warnings about what a landslide Democrat victory next week will mean to unions and the economy.

Sandler warns that unions will find a resurgence in influence in government, especially with an Obama presidency.

With those obstacles removed, Democrats could quickly push forward with legislation allowing labor unions to organize without secret-ballot elections and a bill expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Other possibilities include the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would overturn a Supreme Court decision restricting equal pay lawsuits; a measure that would narrow the role of a “supervisor” for collective bargaining purposes; and a mandate for paid sick leave for companies with 15 or more employees who work at least 30 hours a week — all left over from the last Congress.

“I think they want to strike while the iron’s hot and grab everything they can,” said Marc Freedman, director of labor law policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The “card check” plan of destroying the ages old democratic concept of the secret ballot will irreparably harm the safety and integrity of employee’s vote on union matters. Instead of the secret ballot, employees will have to openly sign “cards” in public so that their vote is open for all to see. This will surely enhance union thugs’ ability to identify employees who vote against the union line in order to spotlight them as an “anti-union” employee and, therefore, to be targeted for attention and union intimidation.

Continue reading “What a Democrat Win Will Mean”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Campaign Cash Hidden Behind Shell Groups

October 31, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Unions are gunning for Republicans this election cycle at an accelerated rate due to the blood in the water of a supposed Democratic landslide ostensibly to be led by Barack Obama.

Not only are unions openly supplying millions to campaigns that oppose the GOP, but they are also doing so by hiding behind organizations that do not “bear their name,” as USA Today put it.

Some big labor unions are spending millions to attack vulnerable Republican senators who have long opposed their agenda in Congress, sometimes channeling their money into non-profits that don’t bear their names, federal records show.

Citizens for Strength and Security, for example, has spent more than $1 million in recent weeks to attack North Carolina’s Elizabeth Dole, who is locked in a contentious battle with Democrat Kay Hagan. Unions are among the group’s major financial backers, including the 2-million member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which contributed $220,000 in September.

Mostly this is over the woefully inaptly named Employee Free Choice Act that most Republicans oppose.

Continue reading “Union Campaign Cash Hidden Behind Shell Groups”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Calif. Teachers Outraged Over Dues Going to Gay Marriage Cause

October 31, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Pacific Justice Institute reported that teachers in California are outraged that over one million dollars of their dues money has been spent by union leaders to promote gay marriage and to fight Proposition 8, a proposal that would restore the traditional definition of marriage in Calif.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, recently claimed that if gay marriage becomes recognized in California, school kids will be confronted with increased pressure to accept gay marriage as normal behavior and will be propagandized in school.

“If CTA has its way, we can expect to see more first-graders taking field trips to lesbian weddings, more elementary-age students subjected to transgender teachers and events like ‘Coming Out Week,’ and more students taught that gay marriage is normal. We do not believe those values represent most Californians, or even most teachers. There is a way teachers can say ‘Enough’ to CTA’s radical agenda. Under federal and state law, teachers and all other unionized employees whose religious values are not honored by their unions have the right to disassociate and divert the full amount of their union dues to charity.”

As I’ve said before, donations to extremist causes like this by unions is further proof that the political agenda of union leaders has strayed far from their proper venue of their worker’s rights and needs. The issue of gay marriage is none of a union’s business, yet here is the CTA donating over a million dollars of its members’ dues to a cause that is completely outside its purview.

Unions are no longer interested in the workers and are only interested in gaining political power to wield without benefiting members.

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00Publius Contributor - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Denver Chamber of Commerce Sells Its Soul to the Unions

October 30, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we’ve discussed before, Colorado has several Amendments on its ballot this election season. One of them is Amendment 54. (See full text in PDF format here)

Basically, Amendment 54 is a corruption fighter. It prohibits any company that holds a no-bid government contract from donating to political campaigns. This law would stop politicians from taking kick-backs from companies that receive contracts from the state.

Naturally, the unions in Colorado oppose this Amendment. They are not happy to be told they aren’t allowed to fatten the larder of the politicians with whom they negotiate. It makes it easier for unions to get politicians to do what they want them to do when those politicians have a pocketful of union cash at hand. (this law does not, by the way, stop individual union members from donating to the political candidate of their choice.)

Here is where the Denver Chamber of Commerce comes in. As reported earlier this month, unions made a few backroom deals with ostensibly pro-business groups in order for the union promise of pulling off the ballot Amendments 53,55,56 and 57, all of which were anti-business measures. That being the case, the Denver Chamber has pledged to help the unions defeat Amendment 54.

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00Publius Contributor - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Chief Forced Charity Employees to do Political Work

October 27, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It the investigation into the corruption of Calif. SEIU head Tyrone Freeman keeps getting better… well, actually worse. Now it is being revealed that Service Employees International Union chief Freeman regularly forced employees of a charity he headed to do political hack work — a practice barred by law.

Six people who worked for either the union or the charity told The Times that Freeman, and others at the labor organization acting on his behalf, ordered the nonprofit’s staffers to join partisan get-out-the-vote drives and other campaign efforts during and after their regular hours. The former employees spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation and legal jeopardy.

The former workers say that employees were required to distribute fliers, walk precincts and staff phone banks for individual candidates and the Democratic ticket during the days leading up to primary and general elections.

Naturally, Freeman is giving that innocent look of “what, me?” He is denying all allegations despite the several workers and other witnesses saying the opposite.

Like the old saying goes, deny, deny, deny.

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00Publius Contributor - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Union Chief Forced Charity Employees to do Political Work

October 24, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It the investigation into the corruption of Calif. SEIU head Tyrone Freeman keeps getting better… well, actually worse. Now it is being revealed that Service Employees International Union chief Freeman regularly forced employees of a charity he headed to do political hack work — a practice barred by law.

Six people who worked for either the union or the charity told The Times that Freeman, and others at the labor organization acting on his behalf, ordered the nonprofit’s staffers to join partisan get-out-the-vote drives and other campaign efforts during and after their regular hours. The former employees spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation and legal jeopardy.

The former workers say that employees were required to distribute fliers, walk precincts and staff phone banks for individual candidates and the Democratic ticket during the days leading up to primary and general elections.

Naturally, Freeman is giving that innocent look of “what, me?” He is denying all allegations despite the several workers and other witnesses saying the opposite.

Like the old saying goes, deny, deny, deny.

Continue reading “Union Chief Forced Charity Employees to do Political Work”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Another Sad Card Check Story

October 23, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In an op-ed on newsblaze, Brad O’Leary gives us news of the testimony of a former union organizer that saw the intimidation of workers that the “card check” concept fosters and it pretty much confirms the common sense worries over the institution of the woefully incorrectly named “Employee Free Choice Act.”

As we’ve discussed before, the EFCA includes provisions for “card check,” a plan where union organizers can do away with the secret ballot prospective union members have always had the benefit of having in the past. The secret ballot, a most standard of democratic practices, will be eliminated giving the unions full reign to intimidate workers into agreeing with union desires since the employee’s vote will be open for everyone to see as it is cast.

As O’Leary says, “Workers questioning or unwilling to side with union organizers have been subjected to a wide range of harassment, including fear of losing their jobs, identity theft and having their families targeted.”

Continue reading “Another Sad Card Check Story”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Labor Leaders Cannot Wait to Cripple Businesses, With Obama’s Help

October 22, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As the Washington Post reports, it seems that in these tight economic times, big labor is admitting that it cannot wait until President Barack Obama comes to its aid by signing the Employee Free Choice Act, thereby dooming many American businesses to economic ruin.

The Post’s story was mostly just re-hash of items we’ve talked about here on the blog for many a month. But one paragraph stuck a chord. After revealing how undemocratic the union’s “card check” ideas are, the Post talked a little bit about what big labor wants to do once Barack wins election.

Aside from the card-check proposal, organized labor leaders say they plan to soon pursue measures that would result in expanded paid leave and health-care benefits, which small-business advocates say could cripple some struggling firms. With allies in Congress and the White House, union officials would also likely push for tougher workplace safety laws and enforcement, tighter restrictions on trade agreements and increases in the minimum wage.

In other words, in these shaky times, labor plans to destroy businesses. And they expect Barack Obama to help them do it.

Continue reading “Labor Leaders Cannot Wait to Cripple Businesses, With Obama’s Help”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

New Book: Mobsters, Unions, and Feds – The Mafia and the American Labor Movement

October 21, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

James Jacobs has released his latest in a series of exposes on Organized Crime in the USA. This time in “Mobsters, Unions, and Feds: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement,” he focuses on how the Mob has infiltrated and distorted the labor movement in the U.S. to its own illegal, violent ends.

Jacobs meticulously chronicles the connections between the Mob and unionism and makes those connections irrefutable. Several reviews out there praise Jacobs for his effort, but a few complain that he isn’t “sensitive” enough to the ostensible goal of unionism, the workers. Of course, worrying about the supposed plight of the workers was NOT the goal of this book. The purpose of this book was to chronicle the Mob’s ties to unions. The “plight” of workers is a wholly other subject.

Check it out at Amazon.com.

Continue reading “New Book: Mobsters, Unions, and Feds – The Mafia and the American Labor Movement”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Even USA Today is Against ‘Card Check’!

October 20, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

USA Today is well known for having a liberal editorial page, but even they can’t stomach the anti-democratic debacle that is the inaptly named “Employee Free Choice Act.” Of course, it’s because of the unAmerican “card check” provision in this bill.

+++++++

Our view on labor laws: No way to form a union

Workers deserve to hear both sides, vote in private.

When citizens go to the polls on Nov. 4, they will be free to vote their conscience — regardless of pressure from relatives, friends or co-workers — after having had a chance to weigh the alternatives. Campaigns and secret ballots are sacrosanct elements of American democracy.

So it’s surprising and disturbing that organized labor wants to do away with both these elements when workers decide whether to form a union.

Continue reading “Even USA Today is Against ‘Card Check’!”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Union Lies During Third Debate

October 19, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As I was live blogging the third debate, I noted that Obama was not telling the truth about the union organizers being assassinated in Colombia. I did not elaborate too far except to say that such murders were down %80 since Uribe came to office and that it was not legitimate for the Democrats to continue to hold past assassinations against him in light of his fantastic efforts to stop it.

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal also noted this Obama lie and noted that it was a lie pushed by unions in the USA.

+++++++

Obama Makes It Up 
Repeating union distortions.

In Wednesday night’s debate with John McCain, Barack Obama defended his opposition to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement this way: “The history in Colombia right now is that labor leaders have been targeted for assassination, on a fairly consistent basis, and there have not been any prosecutions.” Among the many falsehoods in this Presidential campaign, this is one of the worst.

It is true that Colombia has a history of violence. But since President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002, that violence has been substantially reduced. The homicide rate through the end of 2007 was down by 40.4% and the rate among union members was down almost 87%. There is nothing “consistent” about a drop to 26 union member murders in 2007 from 155 in 2000.

Continue reading “Obama’s Union Lies During Third Debate”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Business Unfairly Fire Union Organizers… or Maybe not

October 16, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Center for Union Facts has done some research to dispel a common union lie. Union activists claim that businesses unfairly fire workers attempting to organize the work place and that this is a contributing factor in why unions are falling in membership. Apparently, however, this claim does not seem to compare well with the truth as a new booklet from the CUF reveals.

Since its peak in the 1950s, union membership in the private sector has steadily dropped. To explain the decline, labor leaders have scapegoated businesses for intimidating employees during organizing campaigns. To justify the claim, they cite statistics from union-affiliated researchers which suggest that a significant number of employees are fired in the organizing process. But data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) do not—in any way—substantiate the notion that tens of thousands of employees are wrongly fired each year.

By logically linking organizing campaigns with Unfair Labor Practices, we determined that only 2.7 percent of union organizing campaigns feature an employee illegally fired (and offered reinstatement, typically with back pay). Furthermore, we demonstrate that other research on the subject relies on outdated assumptions that do not represent current NLRB data on the issue.

Download the whole booklet in pdf format HERE.

Continue reading “Business Unfairly Fire Union Organizers… or Maybe not”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Too Many Loopholes in New Union Reporting Rules

October 13, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On October 10 we reported that the OLMS had instituted some new reporting rules for union finances. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, however, is still unhappy with the new rules saying that there are too many loopholes and that the Dept. of Labor admits as much.

At issue is a loophole that permits unions to hide funds and expenditures under an exclusion called the “sensitive information” exception.

This “sensitive information” exception to full disclosure is simply a loophole allowing union and trust fund officials to unilaterally determine what disclosure must be made public, and then hide a vast array of questionable expenditures. Financial reports of trust fund operations and expenditures can never be considered “confidential” information, because this money is owned by the employees, not the union or trust fund officials. Fiduciary agents have no right to maintain secret records or engage in secret transactions that are purposefully hidden from principals – the employees who are the actual owners of the funds.

So, the new reporting procedures won’t be useful for catching the very fraud and waste that the procedures were meant to catch in the first place.

But instead of closing the loophole, DOL merely pays lip service to these serious concerns. The fact is — as long as this loophole exists, corrupt union bosses will be able to withhold disclosure of any expenditures they wish, claiming an exemption. DOL officials “reiterate” or “emphasize” that their sensitive information loophole should be used “sparingly.” They say abuse of the loophole will be investigated. But why even have it? There is no justifiable reason, as Foundation attorneys had explained.

The NRWLDF is saying that the loopholes are so egregious that the new reporting procedures are a sham in the final analysis.

Don’t expect this glaring error to be corrected under an Obama administration.

Continue reading “Too Many Loopholes in New Union Reporting Rules”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Update on Colorado’s Amendment Propositions 47, 49, 54

October 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The folks at the Aspen Times have come out in support of Amendment 54 this week. In November Coloradans will be tasked with voting on three Amendments that are ostensibly anti-union measures of which 54 is one. The Times also reports that several other union oriented amendments have been removed from the ballot.

The Aspen Times came out against Amendments 47 and 49 but for a curious reason.

To us, the first question to ask about all these measures is whether they merit a constitutional amendment. There should be a compelling reason to amend the Colorado Constitution, and we don’t think a tug-of-war between business and labor belongs in the state’s most fundamental guiding document — regardless of which side you’re on.

Unfortunately, the time to fight that battle is before such measures end up on the ballot, not after! Still, the point is well taken on merits.

The Times does see “merit” in 47, though.

Continue reading “Update on Colorado’s Amendment Propositions 47, 49, 54”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Another Union Thug Pleads Guilty to Corruption

October 11, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

From time to time here on the blog we like to highlight the convictions, imprisonment and punishment of union thieves. It warms our heart here at the blog to see such criminal union thugs cut down by the law, to see them finally get their just deserts. We only wish that more of them found their proper ends sooner. But, when they are caught we rejoice at the justice done.

Today we have what, if we were in an HBO TV series, might have been a member of Tony Soprano’s bunch (is New Jersey sick of this allusion yet?) with the admission of guilt by one Kenneth Campbell, 57, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey. It seems that Kenny was a corrupt union boss that used union funds to buy his Dad a car, buy himself expensive TVs and the like and also took more than $250,000 in bribes.

Kenny boy was a union boss of Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers but now faces up to 40 years in prison.

Continue reading “Another Union Thug Pleads Guilty to Corruption”