Right to Work Blog

AFL-CIO Union kingpins John Sweeney and Karen Ackerman will outline their $40 million forced-dues funded campaign at a press conference on Wednesday. According to the AFL-CIO, the 2006 mid-term mobilization is the largest in AFL-CIO history spending workers forced dues and fees in 21 governors’ races, 15 Senate races and more than 50 House races.

It seems everyday you can read about more “investments” in the political process by organized labor all made possible by coerced-union dues.

Today’s story is generated by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, AFSCME, which announced the creation of a new 527 political organization, to be headed by union chief Gerald McEntee. Called “Foundation for the Future,” its goal is to raise and spend $17 million over the next six years to influence the 2012 redistricting process in favor of pro-forced unionism politicians.

It is amazing what you can do when the dollars just roll in.

The effort to defend and restore worker’s rights is often won incrementally in state legislatures and courthouses across America. The National Right to Work Committee and its sister organization, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, fight to protect workers from the injustice of forced unionism wherever and whenever workers need protection. Workers in Phoenix, Arizona won’t be coerced to pay union dues, thanks in part to the effort of the National Right to Work Foundation.

Determined to undermine AZ’s Right to Work statue, local 2384 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the AFL-CIO argued that the city should deduct a percentage of dues, perhaps up to 80%, from the paychecks of non-union members “since the union was working for all the employees in the “bargaining unit,” regardless of membership. The city of Phoenix, to its credit, refused to insert this outrageous demand into its contract with the union.

The matter ended up in court where a judge ruled in the city’s favor. Refusing to take “no” for an answer, the local Bosses appealed the decision, and the State Court of Appeals concluded just last week that the proposals were “impermissible under Arizona’s constitution and right to work statues.”

Judge Lawrence Winthrop, writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, said the concept, known as so-called “fair share,” better called forced fees, would violate the constitution. He said the “clear intent” of voters in approving the Right to Work amendment “was to ensure the freedom of workers to choose whether to join and participate in a union.”

“Allowing the proposed ‘fair share’ fee would be contrary to the intent voiced by Arizona citizens because it would essentially render meaningless the distinction between union membership and non-membership,” Winthrop explained. “Nonmembers would be forced to contribute to, and thus support, the union.”

Union officials crying over the loss could fix the problem in a “New York Minute” – by only representing those workers who voluntarily ask for help. When presented with this option, it is the union elite who slam the table and threaten political death to politicians who might help. They know the secret to their monopoly power is very simple: force workers under their monopoly control and then complain about the burden and ask for relief (forced payment of union dues or fees as a condition of employment).

Not this time and not in Arizona.

Chalk one up for the good guys.

Big labor favorite, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held a press conference on August 16th in Denver, Colorado and promised that she would steer the country in a new direction if Democrats won the House of Representatives this November. The assembled group of local Democrats proclaimed that the party is no longer dominated by special interest groups like organized labor.

It’s hard to take them at their word — the press conference was held at the headquarters of a labor union.

Forbes magazine has announced that Virginia has been named the “Best State for Business” in America. Virginia is, of course, a Right to Work state. In fact, eight of the top ten states rated by the magazine are Right to Work states. Right to Work means freedom and jobs.

Fallout and reaction continues from the announcement of an AFL-CIO agreement with “day worker” advocates.

With a growing inability to recruit new union members, Big Labor officials are desperately seeking new ways to boost their membership and their revenues, even if the new recruits are not in the United States legally. The number of day workers who congregate at hiring centers, street corners and parking lots is estimated at 200,000. According to the Los Angeles Times, most are “undocumented,” (Politically Correct translation: illegal). Since Big Labor sees the potential of more members, the “day workers” now get the AFL-CIO as an advocate for amnesty.

Some local unions have not taken kindly to the agreement. In Allentown, Pa., union rank and file are backing a law prohibiting the hiring of illegal immigrants. Vernon M. Briggs, Jr., a Cornell University labor economics professor, said organized labor’s support for illegal immigrants could, in fact, encourage more (illegal) immigration, depressing demand and wages for American workers whom the AFL-CIO claims to be working for.

“Fighting for people who are not supposed to be working in the first place? What kind of union is that?” Briggs said.

Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports tighter restrictions on immigration, said it was surprising that the AFL-CIO was embracing day laborers when many American workers oppose the influx of immigrants, convinced that they take away jobs and push down wages.

“The union leadership wants one thing, and union members want another,” said Mr. Camarota. Referring to the main labor movement as controlled by Big Labor’s Bosses he continued, “[I]t’s completely out of touch with the interests of American workers.”

The count continues to go higher as more pro-forced unionism, Big Labor Republicans have been stabbed in the back by “their allies.”

This time it’s New York Congressmen John Sweeney (R) and Sue Kelly (R).

Sweeney and Kelly have been reliable votes for Big Labor privilege over rank and file workers during their tenure in Congress. The “deal” was simple. Don’t make Big Labor mad and they will leave me alone. Never mind what is good for America’s working people, just don’t upset the union elite. It was widely anticipated (and surely expected by Sweeney and Kelley) that the AFL-CIO State Federation would not recommend an endorsement in these races. But with blood in the water, union officials and their political operatives are going for the kill.

Sweeney is running against Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand who proclaimed that the AFL-CIO bosses were the voice for a “new direction in this country.” She has picked up the endorsement of a number of labor unions who have endorsed Sweeney in the past. Kelly is facing former pop star John Hall of Hall and Oates fame.

The AFL-CIO did it again. It abandoned another anti-Right to Work, pro-forced unionism Republican and endorsed his Democrat opponent. This time is was Rep. Randy Kuhl of New York. The AFL-CIO joined the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) in switching their long-time support from Kuhl to his Democrat opponent Eric Massa.

The amazing thing about this political move is that Kuhl had a 100% rating with the Big Labor Bosses in the New York State legislature. And since coming to Congress, Kuhl has walked the forced-unionism line right well in Washington. In fact, Kuhl has sponsored the AFL-CIO’s “litmus test” issue of card check unionism.

AFL-CIO representative Peggy Costello said, “In years past, we’ve based our endorsements on voting records. Randy Kuhl’s record in the NY State legislature was generally acceptable.” She added that it was “time to clean house.” Kuhl, a first term congressman, has overstayed his Big Labor welcome.

These political back stabbings should really not come as a surprise to pandering Big Labor Republicans. Voting with the bosses 100% of the time is not enough.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME) just announced plans to spend a large portion of the latest $60 million per capita forced- dues increase to try to impose government-run health care in the United States.

Union chief, Gerald McEntee said he would push for a Canadian-style socialized health care system in the United States but acknowledged that the nation was not “ripe” for such an idea.

Translation: union officials will force their “members” to pay for another scheme that they do not support. Forced unionism works – for Gerald McEntee.

Straight from the horses’ mouth – American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union boss Gerald McEntee proclaims his union’s number one priority.

Is it
Worker safety?
Higher pay?
Health care?
Pensions?

Nope.

Priority # 1: Dumping the GOP

“With less than three months until Election Day, here’s the bottom line for every activist in the progressive movement: the only thing that matters is returning power to the people of this country. . . . Republican Party rule has been a disaster for America. Everything we progressives do in the next few months must be done with an eye toward tossing these guys out in November. . . . For our part, AFSCME just passed our ‘21 Century Initiative,’ which gives us the resources to begin mobilizing a 40,000-member army of volunteers to register 90 percent of our 1.4 million members to vote and turn them out on Election Day. In addition, we’ll commit unprecedented resources to our ‘labor-to-neighbor’ strategy, targeting union members, their families and friends.” Gerald McEntee, AFSCME, The Huffington Post, 8/11/2006.