California government employee unions spent nearly $100 million in the lead up to the November election to convince voters to approve new taxes and reject a measure that would have barred unions and corporations form using legal bribery — campaign contributions — to influence state lawmakers. Now, two of these unions — one representing firefighters...
Yesterday was a historic day for American freedom and for the rights of Michigan citizens as Governor Snyder signed Right-To-Work (RTW) into law! As usual, Big Labor showed their ugly side while protesting, utilizing its most radical members, naïve tagalongs and likely paid operatives to storm the Michigan State Capitol in an attempt to intimidate...
Here are links to the top stories available online over the past week reporting on union activity including legislation, financial impact, reform activism, etc., from California and across the USA. Michigan Labor Fight Cleaves a Union Bulwark By Monica Davey, December 10, 2012, New York Times With Democratic furor escalating and party leaders warning that...
Today Michigan joined Indiana to become a recent addition to the U.S. states where joining a union cannot be a condition of employment. Last week the both houses of the Michigan legislature passed Senate Bill 116 which extended right-to-work protection to all private sector employees. Today they passed House Bill 4003 which extended right-to-work protection...
UPDATE (December 7, 2012): A article today in the Fresno Bee (‘Needy’ Workers Will Get Jobs on High-Speed Rail) about the “Community Benefits” policy approved on December 6, 2012 by the California High-Speed Rail Authority contains a stunning revelation: Five teams of contractors have been invited to bid on the first major contract for a stretch of the rail route between...
Incumbent legislators are rarely voted out. That’s why the 1,705-vote defeat of Assemblywoman Betsy Butler by fellow Democrat Richard Bloom is noteworthy. This defeat of an entrenched politician with close ties to the Democratic Party machine should be seen as a victory for recent reforms enacted by the voters, including the Open Primary law –...
Everyone has an explanation for why the California Republican Party was dominated in the last election. Immigration, demographics, social issues, taxes, etc. But all the blathering has ignored the elephant in the room: money. Big business and big labor teamed up and spent big money to elect Democrats. And they used party central committees to...
Motown’s Mental Breakdown: As unions and the city council resist reform, bankruptcy looms for Detroit Editorial, December 3, 2012, Wall Street Journal The political gospel according to Democrats is that the auto bailout saved Detroit. If only it were so. Alas, costly labor agreements have driven Motown like GM and Chrysler to disrepair. Perhaps the...
Editor’s Note: This investigative report authored by John Hrabe offers yet another compelling example of how public sector unions and corporate special interests collude to elect Democrats. Why? Because Democrats support more government and more taxes – especially when those taxes are used to fund the bloated payroll of a unionized government and the extravagant...
Here are links to the top stories available online over the past week reporting on union activity including legislation, financial impact, reform activism, etc., from California and across the USA. Jeb Bush hammers teachers unions at education summit By Ben Wolfgang, November 27, 2012, Washington Times In the fight to reform American schools, former Florida...
One insufficiently expressed reason that government unions are fundamentally different from private sector unions is that nearly all entry level electoral positions are invisible to nearly all voters. They are relatively uncontested minor political offices where nobody knows the candidates, and often candidates have to be found. And who usually steps up as candidates? The...
One woman’s refusal to let union bosses take her money to spend on their political agenda has been vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court after nearly a decade of legal battles. Even better, the Court suggested it is open to further restraints on union money grabs. “I strongly supported one of the propositions and was...
Last Tuesday’s re-election of President Barak Obama will allow him to continue his Rule by Fiat and to push his socialistic agenda. This, in turn, will rejuvenate Big Labor’s most coveted objective, “Card Check.” The President will continue his drive to circumvent Congress through the use of Executive Orders and regulatory actions, with a goal...
Righeimer: Call off Costa Mesa layoffs By Mike Reicher, November 20, 2012, Orange County Register Costa Mesa Councilman Jim Righeimer, who led the council’s efforts to privatize city services, is now calling for administrators to rescind pink slips issued to employees last year and to negotiate a deal with the city labor union, he told...