Ohio Gov.-elect John Kasich to overhaul state employees collective bargaining rules

On December 14, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich intends to overhaul current state employees’ collective bargaining rules (passed by Big Labor-financed state legislators and signed by a Big Labor-financed Governor) that he says allow unelected third parties to force the state of Ohio its counties and towns to raise taxes without any say by taxpayers.  Kasich also intends to dismantle federally imposed wage rules that drive up construction costs. 

A better idea would be to give all workers in Ohio the right to choose to pay or not pay union dues or fees, rather than being forced to pay dues and fees as a condition of employment.  Ohio needs a Right to Work law to protect all employees.

Reginald Fields of The Plain Dealer wrote:

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Public employees who go on strike over labor disputes should automatically lose their jobs, says Gov.-elect John Kasich.

“If they want to strike they should be fired,” Kasich said last week. “I really don’t favor the right to strike by any public employee. They’ve got good jobs, they’ve got high pay, they get good benefits, a great retirement. What are they striking for?”

Kasich has made it clear that dismantling Ohio’s collective bargaining law will be a top priority of his administration.

The 1983 collective bargaining law, which gives public employees a right to unionize, was implemented by a Democratic-controlled legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Richard F. Celeste.

In particular, Kasich is going after binding arbitration rules … “You are forcing increased taxes on taxpayers with them having no say,” Kasich said.

The Middletown City Council recently tabled a resolution asking the Ohio General Assembly to revise the state’s collective bargaining law.

City Councilman Josh Laubach, who authored the resolution, said the city had to dip into reserves to pay police and fire costs this year and is expecting a $2.5 million increase in safety personnel in 2011 despite adding no new positions, according to the Middletown Journal.

The 1983 collective bargaining law, which gives public employees a right to unionize, was implemented by a Democratic-controlled legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Richard F. Celeste. (more…)

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Posted in: Economics, Exclusive Representation, Government Grants to Unions, Legislation, Monopoly Bargaining, Ohio, Prevailing Wage, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees
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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…)

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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
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Waiting for Superman — Should You Hold Your Breath?

On June 15, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

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The most powerful force for failure and the status quo in education today are the teacher union officials who use their monopoly bargaining power to thwart even the simplest reform in the government school system. Things are so bad that the liberal producer of Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth has produced a movie about America’s education system and Big Labor’s efforts to stymie reform. It’s called Waiting for Superman. This awaited movie comes on top of another pro-reform documentary “The Lottery.”

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Posted in: Big Labor Ethics, Economic Impact of Unionization, Economics, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, NEA and Affiliates, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining, Public Employees, Union boss power
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Tale of Two Counties; Broke v. Balanced Budget

On June 1, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

The Washington Post take a deeper look at Montgomery County, MD and Fairfax County, VA — two counties separated by a few miles geographically but are light years away from each other with regards to the power state and county workers unions have over policy. It’s no surprise that Montgomery County — with is powerful union bosses is broke and Fairfax County has a balanced budget. 

It’s worth a read but the difference can be boiled down to a few sentences:

“As revenue dipped two years ago, Fairfax officials froze all salaries for county government and school employees with little ado. By contrast, Montgomery leaders were badly equipped to cope with recession. County Executive Isiah Leggett took office proposing fat budgets and negotiating openhanded union deals after he succeeded Mr. Duncan. Then, as economic storm clouds gathered, he shifted gears and cut spending — while still trying to appease the unions.”

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Posted in: Economic Development in RTW States, Economic Impact of Unionization, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Public Employees
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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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School Union Bailout

On May 17, 2010, By NRTW Committee Staff

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-AFL-CIO) is proposing a $23 billion bailout to ensure full employment for the teacher union members.

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Posted in: Economics, Forced-Dues for Politics, Government Grants to Unions, Public Employee Monopoly Bargaining
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