Uncategorized | California Policy Center

Union Controlled California Legislature Passes Law to Undercut Local Project Labor Agreement Reforms

On April 26th Governor Jerry Brown signed SB829 into law, a bill sponsored by the State Building & Construction Trades Unions. After heavy lobbying by labor unions and with minimal public debate, SB829 was passed in the State Senate and Assembly on a straight party line vote. SB829 is an attempt to undercut Proposition A,...

By Bill Baber

U.S. Senate Fails to Stop New NLRB Regulations Allowing “Ambush” Unionization

The “Taking of American Freedoms,” as chronicled in my new book The Devil at Our Doorstep, reached a new high under the Obama administration this past week, but the mainstream media continues its refusal to report on this administration’s continued march toward socialism. Over the past week, the U.S. Senate and the Department of Labor...

By Dave Bego

Union Watch Highlights

Union sues Indiana, says right-to-work law is slavery By Michael P. Tremoglie, May 1, 2012, Legal Newsline The International Union of Operating Engineers on April 18 amended the complaint of their previously filed lawsuit that asks a court to invalidate Indiana’s newly enacted right-to-work law. The amended complaint now alleges that the law violates the...

By Jack Dean

Congress Clashes with NLRB

President Obama’s Rogue NLRB, driven by Chairperson Mark Pearce and the President’s radical recess appointees, have encountered serious roadblocks the past several weeks as they continue their quest to achieve EFCA Through the Backdoor (see Labor Board Chief to Push Union Organizing Rules). This past week, the GOP Senators pushed back when they announced they are Suing...

By Dave Bego

Union Watch Highlights

UAW weighing GE protest By Bryce G. Hoffman, April 24, 2012, The Detroit News The United Auto Workers will join other labor unions and activist organizations on Wednesday in what is being billed as a major protest aimed at disrupting General Electric Co.’s annual shareholders meeting — part of a nationwide effort, called the “99...

By Jack Dean

San Jose’s Pension Initiative will be a National Bellweather

San Jose union officials are celebrating a decision last week by the Sixth District Court of Appeals, which struck some city-drafted language from a June ballot measure designed to reduce pension benefits for newly hired city workers and require existing workers either to pay more for their current pension plan or switch to a lower-benefit...

By Steven Greenhut

Employees Revolt Against Forced Unionism

Emboldened by President Obama and his recent recess appointments to the Rogue NLRB the SEIU appears to be stepping up its patented Persuasion of Power. The SEIU’s “persuasion of power” is projected through its notorious Corporate Campaigns is vividly chronicled in my new book, The Devil at Our Doorstep. In simple terms, the SEIU’s corporate campaigns are...

By Dave Bego

Union Watch Highlights

Wisconsin property tax bills fall as Scott Walker’s reforms start to kick in Editorial, April 17, 2012, Wall Street Journal The public employee unions and other liberals are confident that Wisconsin voters will turn out Governor Scott Walker in a recall election later this year, but not so fast. That may turn out to be...

By Jack Dean

Union Watch Highlights

Jerry Brown, unions agree to delay contract talks until after tax vote By Jon Ortiz, April 10, 2012, Sacramento Bee Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to extend the labor contracts of four state worker unions, pushing aside a potential obstacle to his quest for a tax increase later this year. The agreements affect roughly 24,000...

By Jack Dean

Right to Work on the Move Across America

Recent polls indicate Americans are fed up with Big Labor’s schoolyard bully tactics and their utilization of taxpayer money to support political candidates and liberal agendas. Additionally, Americans are tired of government deficits driven by public sector pay, overblown benefits, and restrictive work rules. Americans, including union rank and file members, are tired of Big...

By Dave Bego

Union Watch Highlights

Federal judge declines unions’ request to block consent agreement By Christine MacDonald, April 2, 2012, Detroit News A federal judge today declined to issue a restraining order sought by city union leaders to halt action on a proposed consent agreement between Detroit and the state. Judge Arthur Tarnow instead set a hearing for 2 p.m....

By Jack Dean

Property Tax Repeal on North Dakota Ballot

The granddaddy of property tax revolts is now underway in North Dakota. The North Dakota group, Empower the Taxpayer writes “On June 12, 2012, the voters of North Dakota will have the opportunity to make North Dakota truly ‘Legendary’, as the first to pass a state constitutional amendment that will abolish the property tax, prioritize...

By Mike Shedlock

Union Watch Highlights

New York’s Governor Loses a Round to the Unions on Pensions Editorial, March 26, 2012, Wall Street Journal Andrew Cuomo has had a good run in his first year as New York Governor, with some useful education reforms marred by a tax increase. But the likely 2016 Democratic Presidential candidate just went toe-to-toe with public...

By Jack Dean

Nonpartisan Recognition of Public Sector Union Conflict of Interests

A very effective tactic in the war for public opinion is to accuse the person voicing disagreeable perspectives of being biased or otherwise having ulterior partisan motives. While we prefer to focus on the validity of the arguments (and the calculations) when discussing the impact of public sector unions on the sustainability of public institutions,...

By Editor