Union Politics

Professional Union Bully Hypocritically Accuses Activists of Mob Tactics Regularly Used by Big Labor

Anthony Riedel — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:40:24 -0400

Last week, AFL-CIO bosses viciously accused the grassroots citizens who are increasingly alarmed about unfolding Big Government power grabs (and who are expressing their legitimate concerns at Congressional town hall meetings on government run health care) of orchestrating "extremist disruptions" in coordination with "a growing number of health care reform opponents, including Republican leaders trying to kill President Obama’s reform initiatives."

AFL-CIO operatives are convinced that these so-called "extremist disruptions" are meant "to kill health care reform, not debate it, not refine it, not find a middle ground, just kill it."

Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer and heir apparent to AFL-CIO chieftain John Sweeney, had this to say:

Election Fundraising Fraud: Granite State Union Bosses Illegally Divert Worker's Dues Money to Union PAC

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:41:31 -0400

When Nashua, New Hampshire postal worker Philip Wakeman paid dues to the National Post Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), a division of the Laborers' International Union, he had no idea that union bosses would illegally launder his money into their political coffers.

In July 2006, Mr. Wakeman gave a check to the NPMHU union for the full amount of his annual union dues. On the "Memo" line at the bottom of the check, he wrote "Union Dues." A union official later acknowledged receipt of the dues and everything seemed fine – that is – until he received a bizarre phone call.

Research Institute Finds ‘Card-Check’ Forced Unionism Threatens Job-Based Private Health Insurance

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:22:03 -0400

The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) recently published a fact sheet discussing U.S. Census Bureau data from 1999 to 2007 that shows the "Card Check" Forced Unionism Bill and similar legislative "compromises" actually endanger workers' access to health insurance.

According to NILRR's observations:

Obama: "Tear Down This Notice!" Executive Order To Keep Employees In the Dark Takes Effect

Anthony Riedel — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:00:55 -0400

Regular Freedom@Work readers will remember our extensive coverage of Barack Obama's numerous executive orders (during the first month of his Presidency) paying back union bosses for their efforts getting him into the White House.

Yesterday, a provision in Obama's January 30 executive order took effect -- revoking former-President Bush's February 2001 executive order which required federal contractors to post notices in the workplace simply informing employees of their right to refrain from formal, dues paying union membership and withhold forced dues for everything but the documented cost of collective bargaining.

U.S. Supreme Court Agrees With Right to Work Foundation: Unions Have No Right to Payroll Deduction

Anthony Riedel — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:27:53 -0500

U.S. Supreme Court Agrees With Right to Work Foundation: Unions Have No Right to Payroll Deduction

More effective alternative would have been stopping government payroll deduction for all union dues

Washington, DC (February 24, 2009) — The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled 6-3 in Ysursa v. Pocatello Education Association that states may prohibit union officials from using payroll deduction to divert government workers’ money into union coffers.

Obama Makes First Major Payback to Big Labor

Nick Cote — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:47:56 -0500

Labor Secretary handed sweeping new enforcement powers, while workers remain in the dark about right to refrain from union membership

Washington, DC (January 30, 2009) – President Barack Obama issued two decrees today intended to corral millions more American workers into forced unionism.

“After spending more than a billion dollars in forced union dues to get Obama elected, the union bosses have received their first major payoff – two executive orders intended to grease the rails for coercive union organizing, set up the Secretary of Labor as federal labor law czar, and keep workers in the dark about their rights to refrain from union membership,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. “Obama’s two executive orders serve one basic goal: to seize more forced dues revenue to fund Big Labor’s political agenda.”

read more

Proposed Change to Win - AFL-CIO Merger Promises More of the Same: Union Politicking with Workers' Forced Dues

Will Collins — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:03:07 -0500

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reports that the SEIU-dominated "Change to Win" coalition and the AFL-CIO are considering a merger. The stated rationale for the proposed deal -- to improve "organizing" activities -- is all the more ironic in light of Change to Win's original decision to break-off from the AFL-CIO. Top bosses from the SEIU, Teamsters, and several other unions claimed left the AFL-CIO to form Change to Win because they wanted to focus on workplace organizing.

Teachers File FEC Complaint against NEA for Illegal PAC Money Laundering Scheme

Nick Cote — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:09:36 -0500

Today, the National Right to Work Foundation announced it will file a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission on behalf of two Alabama educators and itself against the National Education Association teacher union and two NEA affiliates for an illegal political fundraising scheme by the union hierarchy:

Washington, DC (January 13, 2009) – The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation announced today it will file a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) asking it to investigate charges made by two Alabama educators who discovered a union scheme to divert their money into the National Education Association’s (NEA) political action committee (PAC).

read more

Video: Foundation Discusses Blagojevich's Corrupt Ties to Top SEIU Union Bosses on Fox Chicago

Will Collins — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:10:02 -0500

A Fox affiliate in Chicago investigated Blagojevich's corrupt relationship with the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU). We've got the video, which includes a clip from Foundation VP Stefan Gleason:

For more on Blagojevich's connection to the SEIU, be sure to check out the Foundation's latest podcast.

Top 10 Forced Unionism Power Grabs on Big Labor's Agenda

Anthony Riedel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:54:43 -0500

In this week's "Top 10 List" from Human Events, the staff of Human Events listed the "Top 10 Things On Big Labor's Agenda." The list is telling, as it describes Big Labor's outrageous plans to to grab more coercive power and erode employees' rights in the workplace. Of course, the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act", more accurately called the "Card Check" Forced Unionism Bill tops the list:

1. Employee Free Choice Act
In addition to the notorious “card-check” provision that strips union members of their right to a secret ballot, this bill also provides for increased penalties for employers who commit allegedly unfair labor practices...

read more