Funding the Post-Janus Fight Against Government Unions

By Edward Ring
05/30/2018
A recent “messaging memo,” issued by “OpportunityAgenda.org,” provides expert marketing advice for activists who hope to mitigate the impact of the much anticipated Janus ruling. In that case, currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, the expected decision will empower government workers to opt-out of paying any union dues whatsoever. Depending on the details which will...

TAGS: Janus vs AFSCME, Right to Work

“We actually make communities safer and…the right-wing is threatened by that.”

By Larry Sand
03/06/2018
Union rhetoric about the Janus case has gone from hyperbolic to just plain crazy. If successful in the Supreme Court, the Janus v AFSCME case will free public employees from paying a union as a condition of employment in 22 states. Government workers in the other 28 states already have been spared the unions’ forced...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Bob Bowdon, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Choice Media, Friedrichs v CTA, Janus v. AFSCME, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, Right to Work, teachers union, Trey Kovacs

After Janus

By Larry Sand
11/21/2017
If the Janus case is successful, will it be the first of many shoes to drop?  Janus v AFSCME is due to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court early in 2018, with a decision announced in June. If the lawsuit is successful, no teacher or any public employee in the U.S. would have to...

TAGS: Act 10, collective bargaining, Forced Unionism, Janus v. AFSCME, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, Mike Petrilli, Rick Hess, Right to Work, Scott Walker, teachers union, wage compression

Former labor leader blasts forced unionism

By Larry Sand
08/23/2017
Apostate speaks plain and simple truth to the powerful unions. We are in the middle of the fifth annual National Employee Freedom Week, a nation-wide effort to inform employees about their union membership options. In 22 non-right-to-work (NRTW) states, an employee can become a full-fledged member, an agency fee payer (avoids paying for the union’s...

TAGS: Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Employee Freedom Week, National Right to Work Committee, Right to Work, teachers union

Will Janus open the right-to-work door?

By Larry Sand
06/13/2017
A lawsuit on track to be heard by the Supreme Court could free all public employees from paying forced union dues. The Friedrichs lawsuit should have done the trick. The case, which would have made belonging to a public employee union optional as a condition of employment nationwide, was set to pass muster with the...

TAGS: "free rider", F. Vincent Vernuccio, Forced Unionism, Friedrichs, James Sherk, Janus v. AFSCME, Jason Hart, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Right to Work, teachers union

Course Correction Time for Teachers Unions?

By Larry Sand
03/07/2017
Unlikely elsewhere, but in California, just fuggedaboutit. As I wrote recently, the teachers unions had a bad week in early February. Anti-forced unionism lawsuits, the emergence of yet another right-to-work state and the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary all combined to make for a miserable few days in Unionland. But unlike waking from...

TAGS: Alex Caputo-Pearl, Betsy DeVos, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Dean Vogel, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, Right to Work, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

The Unions’ Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

By Larry Sand
02/14/2017
Which meant it was a very good week for the rest of us.  Last week, labor unions took a series of body blows. First, it was announced Monday that Missouri had become the 28th right-to-work state. The Show-Me State showed the unions that worker freedom now takes precedence over their forced dues racket. Not only that, but...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Betsy DeVos, California Teachers Association, Center for Individual Rights, Eric Heins, F. Vincent Vernuccio, Friedrichs, Larry Sand, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, Mike Petrilli, National Education Association, release time, Right to Work, school choice, seniority, teachers union, tenure

Right-to-Work on the Move

By Larry Sand
01/31/2017
Since November, Kentucky has joined the right-to-work club and four new employee freedom cases have emerged. On January 7th, Kentucky became the 27th right-to-work state in the nation. The term “right-to-work” (RTW) very simply means that workers don’t have to pay dues to a union as a condition of employment. In a few short years, the movement...

TAGS: F. Vincent Vernuccio, Forced Unionism, Janus v. AFSCME, Jason Hart, Larry Sand, Liberty Justice Center, Mackinac Center, National Education Association, National Right to Work Foundation, Rebecca Friedrichs, Right to Work, student spending, teachers union, Tom Gantert, worker freedom

“The Phonys”

By Larry Sand
01/17/2017
It’s award season and the teachers unions have entered the crowded field. The Oscars. The Grammys. The Tonys. And we now have new award for the teachers unions: “The Phonys.” Ask any teacher union leader about what they stand for, and you will get an earful about how they champion kids, parents and, of course,...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Chicago Teachers Union, Larry Sand, Michael Mulgrew, Randi Weingarten, Right to Work, teachers union, United Federation of Teachers

Government Unions v. Everyone Else

By Larry Sand
01/10/2017
“All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management.” The above caveat about government unions – usually known by the kinder and gentler “public employee unions” – was not issued...

TAGS: ALEC, Donald Trump, government unions, Koch Brothers, Mike Antonucci, National Right to Work Foundation, public employee unions, Rebecca Friedrichs, Right to Work, United Auto Workers