Big Labor's Divide and Conquer Strategy for 2014

Shortly before returning from his 17-day vacation in Hawaii, the President resumed divisive rhetoric by reprimanding House Republicans for going on a “holiday break” and not staying in Washington D.C. to pass a measure to extend unemployment benefits for needy Americans. The benefits were allowed to lapse, as they were not included in the budget  signed by the President prior to his vacation.

Now, Congress prepares for a battle over jobless benefits. The first vote by the U.S. Senate was to restore the expired unemployment benefits. The President and his fellow Democrats allowed the benefits to expire and agreed to the budget as part of their plan to distract the American people.The President understands just how important the upcoming 2014 mid-term Elections are, and is attempting to deflect attention from the miserable failure that is Obamacare. This is merely their opening salvo in a desperate attempt to “divide and conquer” the Republican Party and the American people.

Additionally, as President Obama Urges Steps to Resolve Income Inequality, the Democrats are planning a minimum-wage push to create a “National Living Wage,” supported by his allies at the SEIU. Much like the tactics of his mentors in big labor, the President will not explain the byproducts of such action – the loss of jobs and a weaker economy, which Thomas Sowell addresses eloquently in his article,  No compassion in minimum wage laws. Common sense dictates that an Unprecedented Minimum-Wage Hike Would Hurt Jobs and the Economy. Even the democratic D.C. Mayor Vetoed the ‘Living Wage’ Bill (see also 5 Ways the Liberal Obsession With Income Inequality Hurts the Poor and Dems Believe Income Inequality To Be the Winning Issue In November).

Furthermore, in the background, the President  has quietly had his radical appointees at the National Labor Relations Board (see “Rogue NLRB”), the Department of Labor (DOL), and OSHA imposing new regulations such as allowing “micro-unions,” requiring reporting by employer-supporting “persuaders” (see DOL Changes the Rules Again), and allowing union access to employer facilities during OSHA inspections (see OSHA Opens New Door For Big Labor). These new regulations are all aimed to provide Big Labor the opportunity to process their Death by a Thousand Cuts-style Corporate Campaigns, with the end goal of forcing businesses to sign a Neutrality Agreement  and impose Card Check.

If this is accomplished, unions would be able to force unionize people quickly and collect badly needed dues. In turn, these unions will continue to provide political contributions to elect their allies and the ground game necessary to win the mid-term election. Make no mistake about it, big labor needs help and it is evident that they are Becoming Desperate. The UAW needs income so badly it is considering a 25% dues increase for its current members, which seems strange when their membership continues to diminish.

As discussed in Obamacare Provides Unfair Advantage to Big Labor, the President unilaterally postponed the “transitional insurance” fee for 2014, which eliminated millions of dollars in costs for the unions so they can pour the money back into the 2014 mid-term elections. The timing on all of this makes sense, as big labor has a vested interest in seeing Democrats win back both Houses and essentially providing the President Rule by Fiat, while trying to avoid extinction with support from their political friends.

David A. Bego is the President and CEO of EMS, an industry leader in the field of environmental workplace maintenance, employing nearly 5000 workers in thirty-three states. Bego is the author of “The Devil at My Doorstep,” as well as the just released sequel, “The Devil at Our Doorstep,” based on his experiences fighting back against one of the most powerful unions in existence today.