Union Bosses Order Government Employees to March at Union Political Event

On March 3, 2011, By NRTW Committee Staff

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BigGovernment.com posted excerpts from a New Jersey State Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA), a SEIU Firefighter union, official’s e-mail:

Ocean City Fire and Rescue Services Captain James P. Smith sent, at taxpayer expense, the verified email below demanding that firefighters attend a union political rally on Thursday, March 3rd at 11:00 a.m. His e-mail manifests the tyrannical power that monopoly bargaining power over government employees creates for union bosses:

This rally is MANDATORY for all members. To quote President Lavin “I expect EVERYONE of our members to be in attendance. The only excuse is that you are on duty in the firehouse or that you’re in the hospital!!! Your second job is not a valid excuse!!!”

President Lavin was strong in his message “YOU SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND” and he was adamant when he stated “DO NOT EXPECT HELP FROM THE FMBA EVER AGAIN IF YOU DON’T ATTEND THIS RALLY!!!”

Allow me to repeat how strong President Lavin feels about your attendance at this rally next Thursday. … “DO NOT EXPECT HELP FROM THE FMBA EVER AGAIN IF YOU DON’T ATTEND THIS RALLY!!!”

We will take attendance on Thursday to see which locals are present and which locals can expect assistance in the future…. tell them to man up and be there.

Smith’s e-mail illustrates the problems of government employee monopoly-bargaining and forced-unionism; and the fiefdoms it creates for these union officials, Lavin and Smith. Hopefully someone will check to see if they use any taxpayer-funded union time to attend this rally and demand a refund

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Posted in: Government Grants to Unions, Intimidation Tactics, Labor Organizations, New Jersey, Political Activity, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining
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Right To Work States take 9 Congressional Seats from Forced-unionism States

On January 10, 2011, By NRTW Committee Staff

Americans overwhelming choose Right To Work freedom when they are given the choice. As Diana Furchtgott-Roth points out in her Real Clear Politics article, people prefer the choice to job or not a join a union:

The American people have been voting with their feet, the Census Bureau announced on Tuesday, leaving states with heavy union influence and choosing to live in “right to work” states with higher job growth where they cannot be forced to join a union as a condition of employment.

But the National Labor Relations Board, now dominated by Obama appointees, is deaf to the preferences of voting Americans. It wants to do everything in its administrative power to tilt the playing field towards unionization-even if it means higher unemployment and lost jobs.

As a result of geographic shifts in population uncovered by the 2010 Census, nine congressional seats will move to right-to-work states from forced unionization states. Some winners are Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, and South Carolina, while losers include New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and New Jersey. Over the past 25 years job growth in right-to-work states has been over twice as high as in unionized states.

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Posted in: Legislation, Right to Work, State RTW
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Change in Wisconsin

On December 16, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

 Newly elected Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is not backing down from a fight to protect taxpayers.  Walker has proposed reforming the state’s collective bargaining laws to protect taxpayers.  The Wall Street Journal takes note: 

Wisconsin Governor-elect Scott Walker has laid out an ambitious agenda, such as turning the department of commerce into a public-private partnership and lifting the cap on school vouchers. But his boldest idea may be rescinding the right of government employees to collectively bargain.

Mr. Walker floated the idea last week in response to union opposition to his modest proposal to require employees to contribute 5% of their pay to their pensions and to increase their health-care contributions to 12% from as low as 4% today. Even along the Left Coast most state workers contribute 10% of their salary to pensions. The Republican estimates that these changes would save the state $154 million in the first six months. Over two years they’d reduce the state’s $3.3 billion budget gap by nearly 20%.

The ability of public workers to form unions and bargain collectively is a phenomenon of the last century when state and local governments were relatively small. But it has proven to be a catastrophe for taxpayers, as public unions have used their political clout to negotiate rich deals on wages, pensions and health care. California governor-elect Jerry Brown greased the wheels for his state’s long fiscal decline when he allowed collective bargaining during his first stint in the statehouse in the 1970s.

Republican Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana and then Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri rescinded collective bargaining by executive order in 2005, and the change made it easier to cut spending and restructure government services. In Wisconsin, the legislature would have to rewrite the Employment Labor Relations Act, but Republicans will control both the assembly and senate and have the political incentive to go along with Mr. Walker.Rescinding public collective bargaining rights restores a better negotiating balance between taxpayers and government employees who ostensibly work for them. Political officials are no longer on both sides of the bargaining table—representing taxpayers in negotiations with the unions while seeking union cash and endorsements when running for re-election. (more…)

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Posted in: Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees, Wisconsin
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NJ Teacher Union Bosses Expose Themselves

On October 27, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff
Gov. Chris Christie comments on ‘teachers unions gone wild’

Forced unionism in the public schools creates moments like these, and Governor Chris Christie appropriately states that the referenced video exposes more about New Jersey teacher union bosses than anyone else:

I don’t care, candidly, that they chant and sing about me in a not very nice way.  I’m the Governor of New Jersey, there are gonna be people who say bad things about me every day.  That’s fine, I don’t care, I really don’t.  This video is not about the things they say about me, this video is about the things they say about themselves. About themselves.  And if you need an example of what I’ve been talking about for the last nine months about how the teachers’ union leadership is out of touch with the people and out of control, go watch this video.  It’s enlightening, it’s enraging. (h/t Andrew Breitbart at BigGovernment.com)

Below is  the video from Project Veritas to which Governor Christie refers. (WARNING!  Some union boss language is vulgar and not suitable for children!)

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Posted in: Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, New Jersey, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees, Union Work Rules
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Top Union Boss Huffs and Puffs, But Cannot Blow the Facts Down

On August 3, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff
(Source: June 2010 Forced-Unionism Abuses Exposed)

It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes or an Hercule Poirot to deduce that state policies promoting “exclusive” union bargaining and forced union dues and fees in the public sector have played a major role in driving multiple states to the verge of insolvency this year.  All it takes is the willingness to look at, and respect, the facts.

In 2009, according to respected labor economists Barry Hirsch and David Macpherson, 41% of public employees nationwide were subject to a contract negotiated by their employer with a union monopoly-bargaining agent.

However, in 22 states, none of which authorize forced union dues for government employees and most of which don’t authorize public-sector union monopoly bargaining, either, fewer than 30% of public servants were unionized.  Not one of these 22 low public-sector-unionization states was to be found on Business Insider’s list, published just last month, of the nine states “most likely to default.”  (more…)

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Posted in: Forced-Unionism Abuses Exposed
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Christie Battles Big Labor

On June 4, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is doing his best to ensure the Garden State does not go bankrupt but he can’t do anything about the moral bankruptcy of New Jersey’s labor union bosses who have spent $5 million in critical TV ads trying to ensure the spending spigot continues unabated..

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Posted in: Big Labor Ethics, Do Union Bosses Speak, Economic Impact of Unionization, Economics, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Intimidation Tactics
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Ticking Time Bomb

On May 25, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

 

USA Today examines the financial ticking time bomb that is the public workers pension system.  Thanks to the handiwork of the union bosses America’s fiscal ledger is starting to look like Greece:

Even the most casual observers know the federal government has a serious debt problem that’s propelling the USA toward the same cliff as Greece. Less well known is that certain states and localities are even worse off. Or at least their problems are coming to a head sooner, as they have fewer options for kicking the proverbial can down the road.

States can’t print money, and they have limits on borrowing. Much of their shortfall, moreover, is the result of pension obligations that are binding contracts, not just political promises. The looming shortfalls were hidden in recent years through a combination of outright deceit and overly rosy projections for annual investment returns. But the truth is now emerging.

Last month, a panel from Stanford University concluded that California’s public employee pensions were underfunded by $500 billion. That’s about $35,700 per California household. Nationally, the American Enterprise Institute estimates that state pension funds are more than $3 trillion short. (more…)

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Posted in: Economic Impact of Unionization, Economics, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees, Union boss power
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