Forced Dues

Job Losses Increase Pressure For Reform

On September 1, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

(Source: August 2010 NRTWC Newsletter)

Grass-Roots Right to Work Efforts Expanding in Midwestern States

Pro-forced unionism politicians like Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich., shown here with former Vice President Gore and President Obama) have lost credibility due to the extraordinarily poor economic performance of forced-unionism states. Credit: Radiospike.com

All across America, Right to Work states have long benefited from economic growth far superior to that of states in which millions of employees are forced to join or pay dues or fees to a labor union just to keep their jobs.

But over the past decade, the contrast between Right to Work states and forced-union-dues states has been especially stark in the Midwest.

Four Midwestern forced-unionism states — Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana — suffered absolute private-sector job declines over the past decade that were worse than those of any of the other 46 states. Midwestern forced-unionism states (the four just mentioned, plus Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota) lost a net total of 1.88 million private-sector jobs.

Combined, these seven forced-unionism states had 8.1% fewer private-sector jobs in 2009 than they did back in 1999.

Meanwhile, the five Midwestern Right to Work states (North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas) experienced an overall private-sector job increase of 2.3%.

Moreover, from 1999 to 2009, real personal income in Midwestern Right to Work states grew by 17.3% — an increase two-and-a-half times as a great as the combined real personal income growth in Midwestern forced-unionism states.

State Right to Work laws prohibit the firing of employees simply for exercising their right to refuse to join or bankroll an unwanted union.

At this time, 22 states have Right to Work laws on the books. However, because of intensifying grass-roots efforts in many of the remaining 28 forced-unionism states, the number of Right to Work states could be on the rise over the course of the next few years.

Recession’s End Won’t Suffice to Revive Big Labor-Controlled States (more…)

Michelle Malkin: Obama’s Big Labor ethics loophole

On August 18, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

Michelle Malkin highlights the non-existent ethical standards applied to Obama Big Labor politcal appointees like SEIU/AFL-CIO lawyer Craig Becker who Obama appointed to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

Everything you need to know about President Obama’s fraudulent ethics pledge can be summed up in four words: SEIU lawyer Craig Becker.

It’s no surprise that Becker now refuses to hold himself accountable for the ethics pledge he himself signed in April. As the past two years have taught us, Team Obama’s operational slogan is: Rules are for fools. The contractual ethics commitment states: “I will not for a period of two years from the date of my appointment participate in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients, including regulations and contracts.” Yet, Becker has participated in numerous NLRB cases involving the SEIU and its affiliates — and is parsing the definition of “former employer” by arguing that local SEIU chapters are “separate and distinct legal entities” that don’t fall under the ethics rules.

The National Right to Work Foundation, which has fought both national and local SEIU officials in court on behalf of rank-and-file workers’ rights, eviscerates Becker’s lawyerly blather. SEIU’s own constitution considers local affiliates “constituent subordinate bodies” of the national union, the foundation notes. “Moreover, in 2009 over 85 percent of the SEIU’s receipts came from a per capita tax on the locals’ membership dues and fees. The national union even has the power to assume control over its locals if they do not conform to International policies.” (more…)

Tagged with: AFL-CIO • Craig Becker • homecare • Michelle Malkin • NLRB • recess appointment • SEIU
Posted in: AFL-CIO, Arbitration, Big Labor Ethics, Card Check, Card Check, Economics, Exclusive Representation, Forced Dues, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Monopoly Bargaining, NLRB, NRTWLDF, Obama Administration, Personnel Alert, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Right to Work, SEIU

Big Labor Malfeasance and Gov. Ted Strickland

On August 9, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

The Columbus Dispatch puts the blame squarely on Gov. Ted Strickland for his cronies funneling no-bid contracts to his union boss buddies at the expense of a school for the blind, home-care worker freedoms, and more:

Misfeasance

As executive director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission, Richard Murray was supposed to act as a good steward of the millions of dollars Ohio pours into new school buildings every day. Instead, a report by the Ohio inspector general shows, he has abused his position to push the interests of unions, including the one to which he belongs, at substantial cost to the state and local school districts.

His unprofessional behavior disqualifies him for this position.

Murray’s union advocacy comes as no surprise; his career before Gov. Ted Strickland appointed him included more than 12 years as Ohio director of the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, a union advocacy group. He is a member of Local 423 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

Strickland’s decision in September 2009 to summarily oust well-regarded former Executive Director Michael Shoemaker, a fellow Democrat, and replace him with Murray shows that the governor, too, is far more interested in doing favors for one of his primary constituencies — labor — than in working for Ohioans’ best interests. In fact, Murray says he was instructed by the Strickland administration to treat construction unions as “constituents” and to improve relations with them. (more…)

Tagged with: LIUNA • Local 423 • Michael Shoemaker • Ohio School Facilities Commission • Richard Murray • Ted Strickland
Posted in: Economic Impact of Unionization, Economics, Forced Dues, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Ohio, Political Activity, Public Employees

Elena Kagan Supports Forced Union Dues for Politics

On July 29, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

Right to Work President Mark Mix sat down with nationally-syndicated radio host Lars Larson to discuss Obama Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan’s support for forcing workers to contribute to union political activism.

NRTW Podcast

Tagged with: dues for politics • Elena Kagan • Lars Larson • Mark Mix
Posted in: Economics, Forced Dues, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Legislation, Monopoly Bargaining, National Right to Work Committee, Obama Administration, Union boss power

Obama Labor Bureaucrats to Bypass Congress?

On July 16, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

‘Electronic’ Voting Would Facilitate ‘Card Check’-Style Abuses

Three of the four current NLRB members who were appointed or reappointed by President Obama are veteran union lawyers. All three are expected to vote in lock-step to expand Big Labor's forced-unionism privileges.

(Source: July 2010 NRTWC Newsletter)

Since the beginning of 2009, Big Labor has had a cheerleader in the Oval Office. At the same time, ample majorities of both chambers of the U.S. Congress have been willing to vote for virtually any power grab sought by union officials, as long as they could do so without running into intense, across-the-board constituent opposition.

Consequently, top union bosses have expected to see enacted in the current Congress legislation that would help them sharply increase the share of all private-sector workers who are under union monopoly-bargaining control.

Their original vehicle for achieving this objective was S.560/H.R.1409, the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act.”

Sponsored by union-label Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Congressman George Miller (D-Calif.), S.560/H.R.1409 would grease the skids for Big Labor workplace takeovers in several ways. Most famously, it would effectively end secret-ballot elections in union organizing drives, replacing them with so-called “card checks.”

That means, if S.560/H.R.1409 became law, union organizers would have far more (more…)

Tagged with: Card Check • Craig Becker • George Miller • H.R.1409 • NLRB • S.560 • SEIU • Tom Harkin
Posted in: Card Check, Card Check, Economics, Forced Dues, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Legislation, Monopoly Bargaining, NLRB, NRTWC Newsletter

Union Lawyer Admits Forced Unionism is the Goal

On July 14, 2010, By NRTWC Staff

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation was in court this week in Michigan defending home-based day care workers from the threat of forced unionism. During the course of discussion with the judge, a lawyer for big labor admitted the effort was a “slippery slope” for forcing people into unions. Under the union lawyer’s theory, anyone who takes a subsidy from the state, including Medicare or perhaps even Social Security, could be unionized. It’s an amazing admission and likely a peek into the future of Big Labor’s union organizing strategy. As union bosses help drive jobs overseas, they will have to be looking for other areas to coerce people into monopolyt unions.

Posted in: Big Labor Ethics, Forced Dues, Forced-Unionism Abuses Exposed, Michigan, NRTWLDF

Teachers Speak Out

On July 13, 2010, By NRTWC Staff

Not all teachers are under the thumb of the teacher’s union. Larry Sand in California is taking them on, head-on including their recent dues increase on teachers. Sand writing in the Mercury News notes:

With the school year complete, and the political season in full swing, it’s a good time to examine teachers’ relationship with their union and its political spending. In California, some 325,000 teachers and other education professionals are represented by the California Teachers Association. While teachers across the state have voted to take pay cuts to save colleagues’ jobs, one would figure the CTA might lower its dues. Well, it hasn’t. In fact, CTA has raised dues $18 per teacher for 2010-2011.

Posted in: Forced Dues, Government Grants to Unions, Intimidation Tactics

Big Labor Plays with Fire

On July 12, 2010, By NRTWC Staff

National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix makes the case against the nationalization of labor laws to give police and fire unions monopoly bargaining power. The House leadership has attached the monopoly bargaining provision to the war funding bill and it now heads to the Senate.

Posted in: Exclusive Representation, Forced Dues, National Right to Work Committee, Police/Fire Monopoly Bargaining, Police/Firefighters/EMTs, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees

‘Big Labor Picked the Wrong Guy to Bully’

On July 12, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

ROTC Instructor Wins Small Victory Over Teacher Union Bosses

(Source: July 2010 NRTWC Newsletter)

According to the most recent available federal data, there are roughly 73,000 public elementary and secondary schoolteachers in Massachusetts.

Reportedly, more than 99% of these educators must allow the agents of a single teacher union to negotiate with their employer over matters of pay, benefits and working conditions if they wish to continue working at a public school.

And the vast majority of Bay State teachers under union monopoly bargaining are also compelled to fork over dues or fees to their “exclusive” union bargaining agent, or be fired.

However, as they recently demonstrated, top bosses of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA/NEA) union and its affiliates aren’t content with extracting forced union dues and fees from the vast majority of teachers in the state.

The fact that even one teacher is working in a public school without paying tribute is enough to set them off.

For 14 years, retired U.S. Marine Maj. Stephen Godin has vexed the bosses of the MTA-affiliated Education Association of Worcester (EAW) union by serving as a junior ROTC instructor at North High School without paying them for the privilege. (more…)

Tagged with: Cheryl DelSignore • Massachusetts Teachers Association • Matthew Leen • Richard Tisei • Stephen Godin
Posted in: Big Labor Ethics, Forced Dues, Intimidation Tactics, NRTWC Newsletter, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees, Union boss power

When Big Labor plays with fire, taxpayers get burned

On July 9, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

Empire State pupils enrolled in K-12 public schools fell by more than 121,000 over the last 10 years, schools added 14,746 teachers and 8,655 non-teaching professionals to their payrolls

NRTW President Mark Mix commentary in the Washington Examiner:

July 8, 2010 Near midnight last Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow forced unionism apologists in the U.S. House of Representatives disgracefully amended a “must-pass” war funding bill to include language that is designed to force police officers, firefighters, and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) into “exclusive” union bargaining in every state in the country.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that policies expanding public sector monopoly unionism have played a major role in driving many states to the verge of insolvency. (more…)

Tagged with: AFSCME • AFT • Barry Hirsch • David Macpherson • Gerry McEntee • Huffington Post • Mark Mix • NEA • Public Employees • Washington Examiner
Posted in: AFSCME, Economics, Forced Dues, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Intimidation Tactics, Legislation, National Right to Work Committee, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees, Union boss power

Michelle Malkin: Obama’s Big Labor ethics loophole

Big Labor Malfeasance and Gov. Ted Strickland

Elena Kagan Supports Forced Union Dues for Politics

Union Lawyer Admits Forced Unionism is the Goal

Teachers Speak Out

Big Labor Plays with Fire

When Big Labor plays with fire, taxpayers get burned

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(Source: August 2010 NRTWC Newsletter)

(Source: July 2010 NRTWC Newsletter)

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