Right to Work Blog

Roddy Stinson, a columnist at the San Antonio Express-News has an interesting take on the Texas Attorney General’s efforts to protect the Lone Star State’s Right to Work Law from being undermined by the Michigan-based International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (IUSPFPA):

Sometime between now and Aug. 24 at the federal immigration and customs processing center near Port Isabel, a “Notice to Employees” will be posted …

By order of the 117th State District Court in Nueces County.

Upon request by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas.

Informing the employees that a “permanent injunction” protects them from being threatened, suspended or discharged if they “choose not to engage” in joining the “International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America.”

One small step for security guard Carlos Banuelos.

One giant leap for Texas’ right-to-work law.

Meanwhile, 840 miles away, a similar notice will be posted at another federal processing center in El Paso under an order by El Paso County’s 171st State District Court.

One small step for security guard Juan Vielma.

Another giant leap for Texas’ right-to-work law.

Henceforth, every security guard at the Port Isabel and El Paso facilities will independently and without coercion decide whether he or she wants to fork over $30 a month to the Michigan-based IUSPFPA.

Please join this independent Texan in a moment of thanksgiving for …

Banuelos and Vielma — whose defiance of the union and endurance of Big Labor Pain have been reported here extensively.

Attorney General Abbott and his staff, who came late to the aid of Banuelos and Vielma, but who on arriving wasted no time and took no prisoners on their way to court to seek the permanent injunctions.

The staff of the Virginia-based National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, whose early arrival at the battle on behalf of Banuelos and Vielma played a decisive role in the successful defense of Texas’ right-to-not-join-a-union law.

Of course, nothing is ever easy or simple when dealing with the federal government, as this caveat in each court order shows:

“In the event (a facility) is determined to be a federal enclave through a final adjudication by a court of competent jurisdiction, the injunctive requirements of this Judgment shall no longer be in effect.”

Here’s why:

The judicial door to the injunctions was opened by a federal administrative law judge, who ruled that the Texas facilities involved in the dispute were not federal enclaves (which are exempt from state law).

The union is expected to appeal that ruling.

So future court actions could lift the injunctions and, again, force Banuelos and Vielma to make a choice between (a) losing their jobs and (b) joining the International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America and helping to support (in salary, allowances and “disbursements for official business”) …

David Hickey, president — $163,929

Steve Maritas, director of organizing — $120,401

Mark Crawford, regional vice president — $91,304

Bobby Jenkins, regional vice president — $107,101

Kerry Lacey, regional vice president — $92,320

Michael Swartz, regional vice president — $94,696

Dennis Eck, secretary/treasurer — $100,602

Howard Johannssen, senior adviser to the president — $92,991

Not to mention …

The union’s Detroit law firm, Gregory, Moore, Jeakle, Heinen & Brooks — $445,949.

A charity golf outing — $11,871

A “Summit Hotel” stay — $8,392.

Those numbers are from the union’s 2006 U.S. Department of Labor report, so the names, numbers, hotels and golfing sites might change from year to year.

But the Big Labor costs to members will forever remain the same.