The successes of anti-establishment presidential candidates are a powerful reminder that mainstream politicians are not managing America’s political economy or cultural evolution in a way that satisfies most of the electorate. That’s no surprise – it’s a tough job these days, with few historical precedents to offer guidance. Earlier this week an essay published in the...
An unexpected burst of plain speaking recently swerved the race for the Democratic presidential nomination off the customary narrative. Howard Dean, the former head of the Democratic National Committee and candidate for the party’s 2004 nomination, not only admitted but asserted that labor unions are super PACs. While on the campaign trail, Dean — a...
The unfortunate and untimely passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has Big Labor bosses and their liberal political allies cheering. Scalia would have been the decisive vote in a major Supreme Court decision affecting labor unions scheduled for this June (see Why Antonin Scalia was a jurist of colossal consequence). Justice Scalia’s influence would...
The Labor Prospect: What Scalia’s Death Means for Unions By Justin Miller, February 16, 2016, The American Prospect It’s nearly impossible to overstate what conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death over the weekend means for the labor movement. The loss of a conservative majority in the high court thwarts a sophisticated, multi-pronged conservative legal...
“The ‘Scalia Dividend’ Is a Rare Opportunity for Unions.” – Shaun Richman, In These Times, February 16, 2016 The implications of Antonin Scalia’s sudden and tragic death have already been painstakingly explored by anyone involved in union reform. There’s not much to add. But what members of the labor movement have to say about this new...
Cal State Faculty Union Plans 5-Day Strike for April By Lisa Leff, February 9, 2016, KQED News The union that represents California State University faculty said Monday it is preparing for a five-day strike at the system’s 23 campuses, by far the largest walkout since professors and instructors won collective bargaining rights in the early...
If you are bemused by the success of populist candidates for President, if you think national politics in America is at risk of becoming a circus spectacle, get ready. Because that circus is coming to California. Southern California businessman John Cox is collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that will require state politicians to wear the logos...
Cal State chancellor tackles tuition, diversity and salaries By Carla Rivera, February 2, 2016, Los Angeles Times Tuition increases will likely become a new reality for students in the California State University system because of the state’s disinvestment in higher education, Chancellor Timothy P. White said Tuesday. For decades, the 23-campus Cal State system relied on...
A labor union campaign against making West Virginia a right-to-work state is centered on scare tactics voters in Michigan would recognize. With help from International Union of Operating Engineers Local 132, the West Virginia AFL-CIO is warning of lower wages, reduced benefits, and more dangerous working conditions if the state adopts right-to-work. IUOE Local 132’s...
Is Right-To-Work Key To Job Growth? West Virginia, Other States Tackle A Heated Question By Cole Stangler, January 26, 2016, International Business Times West Virginia — a former union bastion whose embattled coal mines once hosted some of the most fabled labor battles in American history — could soon become the latest state in the...
California was once the State that everyone looked up to. With the best weather and natural resources, we were full of hope and innovation. We had the best public schools, a world class system of higher education, the best freeways, infrastructure to provide fresh water to our growing population, which also doubled as a source...
Summary: From a lift truck driver for a cold storage warehouse, to a worker at a peach farm, to an autoworker turned activist, to a teacher who helped create a local only union—in workplaces across the country—Americans are waking up and taking power into their own hands, no longer standing idly by while unions abuse...
Regional labor groups will join CSU faculty in potential strike By Alexei Koseff, January 19, 2016, The Sacramento Bee Ratcheting up the pressure in an ongoing dispute over raises, the California State University faculty union announced Tuesday that it has secured the support of more than a dozen regional labor councils for a strike that...
Sarah has worked for a major grocery store chain for the past 25 years. Adjusting for inflation, she makes less now than she did over a decade ago, especially since her hours were cut in order for her employer to avoid being required to offer her health insurance. Even more difficult, she is “on call”...