Forced Unionism States

Fact Sheet: Families Benefit from Right to Work Laws

Anthony Riedel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:37:26 -0400

The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) has released a telling study comparing Right to Work states with forced-unionism states in a variety of statistical categories. The statistics, provided by various governmental departments and agencies as well as respected non-profits, show the stunning economic and personal benefits families enjoy from their states' popular Right to Work laws.

The last five years of available data shows that workers in Right to Work states not only enjoy higher non-farm private-sector job growth (9.1% versus 3.6% from 2003-2008), but their real personal incomes are also growing faster (15.8% vs. 9.1% from 2003-2008) and they enjoy a higher disposable income ($34,878 vs. $32,811 in 2008) than their counterparts in forced unionism states.

Sickening Blagojevich Legacy Ready to Metastasize to Rest of Country

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:27:49 -0400

The alarming trend of politicians forcing workers into union ranks continues in Illinois as Governor Pat Quinn -- in order to win Big Labor's political support -- is resurrecting the sordid legacy of disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich (and Gray Davis of California) subverting workers' rights to benefit forced dues-hungry union bosses.

Fact Sheet: States with High Rate of Union Monopoly Bargaining Suffering a Horrific "Lost Decade"

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:36:02 -0400

Last week, the pro-worker think tank National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) released a Fact Sheet entitled “Negative Employment Growth Since November 2001” that details how highly-unionized states are suffering a "lost decade" in terms of private-sector job growth, while the least-unionized states have benefited from a nearly 1.5 million private-sector job growth:

As of 2001, the year of the last national recession prior to the current one, 9.7% of private-sector employees nationwide were under “exclusive” union representation. But in 16 states – Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,. Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin – 11.0% or more of private-sector workers were unionized.

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Compulsory Unionism Bankrupting States: Workers Flee to Right to Work States for Jobs

Anthony Riedel — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:15:56 -0400

As the current economic downturn continues, many states across the nation are starting to find it increasingly difficult to stay afloat after having capitulated to the union bosses' extortionate demands. Last week, the Wall Street Journal cited the National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) -- an anti-compulsory unionism think tank that exposes the harm forced unionism inflicts on workers -- when discussing Big Labor's contribution toward the severe financial difficulties California, New York, and New Jersey are experiencing and the migration of workers leaving these forced-unionism states:

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:

Seven Employees Force Settlement with Teamster Local Union Brass

Anthony Riedel — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:24:07 -0400

Seven Employees Force Settlement with Teamster Local Union Brass

Right to Work Attorneys help employees after union officials levy more than $200,000 in confiscatory fines

Chicago, IL (May 29, 2009) – With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, seven employees who refused to abandon their jobs during a strike forced a settlement with a local union after union officials levied exorbitant and illegal retaliatory fines against them.

NRTW President Mark Mix: "Freedom in the workplace always wins -- even in Michigan."

Nick Cote — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:02:42 -0400

Thursday's Detroit News extensively quotes National Right to Work president Mark Mix in an informative piece about why Michigan needs a Right to Work law.

Right to Work protections in 22 states ensure that no worker can be compelled, as a condition or employment, to join or pay dues to an unwanted union.

Greedy Detroit Union Boss Threatens Firings: Teachers, Your Money or Your Jobs!

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:05:46 -0400

The Detroit Free Press reports that the Detroit Federation of Teachers union is threatening to have up to 70 teachers fired for not paying forced union dues. A school district error is mainly responsible for the mix up.

Yet, because of the clerical error, union official Mark O'Keefe stated that the "fair" thing to do would be to fire the teachers who fail to pay the full union dues.

No, Mark. The "fair" thing to do is to not require teachers to pay ANY union dues as a condition of teaching Detroit's schoolchildren.

Snakepit of Corruption: SEIU Union Bosses' Scandals Pile Up

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:51:39 -0500

Last year, Freedom@Work reported on the allegations of corruption against Tyrone Freeman, former boss of the largest Service Employees International Union (SEIU) affiliate in California. Freeman spent nearly three-quarters of a million dollars of rank-and-file workers' forced union dues on his wife's and mother's companies and on a luxurious fat-cat lifestyle. The Los Angeles Times later reported Freeman's SEIU affiliate "charity" failed to spend a single cent on its charitable mission in two of the four years it has been in existence.

Public Employee Union Officials Sued for Forcing Employees to Stay in Union Ranks

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:16:31 -0500

Union bosses’ illegal scheme violates employees’ constitutional rights

Harrisburg, PA (February 9, 2009) – Three Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) employees filed a federal suit challenging two Pennsylvania laws that unconstitutionally prohibit workers from leaving union ranks.

National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys, providing CATA employees Brenda Hall, Karen Ilgen, and Martha Hoy with free legal aid, filed the suit today in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Union officials rebuffed the employees’ repeated requests to resign from formal union membership in the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) local affiliate 1203B and District Council 83 unions.

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