NILRR Clipsheet September 11, 2015
A chance to make union dues a choice
The Supreme Court could end a corrupt practice of public-sector labor
Washington Times Online, September 6, 2015 Mark Mix
Thanks largely to favors granted by pliant politicians, government union officials enjoy extraordinary special privileges and wield immense political clout. This influence often comes at the expense of taxpayers and independent-minded civil servants, but an impending Supreme Court decision could change all that.
Consider the injustice of forced union dues
Lebanon Daily News Online, September 05, 2015 Mark Mix
While forced unionism is just plain wrong; coercing workers into subsidizing union officials also holds back a state’s economy.
COMMENTARY: Celebrate right-to-work states like Texas
The Monitor Online, September 07, 2015 Mark Mix
Workplace choice, employee freedom and better economic performance are part and parcel of the right-to-work package. So what’s not to like? This Labor Day, citizens of right-to-work states have much more to celebrate than a three day weekend.
Put an end to forced union dues
Pittsburgh Tribune Online, September 06, 2015 Mark Mix
So as you celebrate this Labor Day, consider the benefits of a right-to-work law. Consider your unemployed neighbor who might find a job. Consider the new manufacturing plant that might open its doors. Consider what you might do with an extra $2,000 of spending power in your pocket.
Will your state be the next right-to-work state?
The labor vote is still lucrative in Iowa
The Des Moines Register Online, September 07, 2015
Iowa is one of 25 states with a right-to-work law that allows workers to be covered by a union contract without joining, according to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
nilrr.org, September 06, 2015
Meanwhile, roughly 1.55 million tax filers were residing in a Right to Work state in 2013, but filed from somewhere else in the U.S. in 2012. That means a net total of roughly 146,000 tax filers moved from a forced-unionism state to a Right to Work state between 2012 and 2013.
Mark Mix: This Labor Day, celebrate the Right to Work advantage
Tulsa World Online, September 06, 2015
If you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re likely one of the millions of Americans living in one of 25 Right to Work states, including Oklahoma.
This commentary also appeared in the following papers: The Times and Democrat, Orangeburg, SC, September 06, 2015, Roanoke Times Online, September 05, 2015,
BIDEN BLASTS ECONOMY; ‘DEVASTATING FOR WORKERS,’ ‘I’M MAD, I’M ANGRY!’
grabien.com, September 07, 2015
Biden, who is openly considering running against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, thanked “my friend” Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO. “
No union mines left in Kentucky, where labor wars once raged
Washington Post Online, September 06, 2015
Kentucky coal miners bled and died to unionize.
And now the last union mine in Kentucky has been shut down.
What Makes American Workers Great
National Review Online, September 06, 2014
What’s less often appreciated is that its sanctimony is based on falsehood, too. The unions are not, contrary to the popular bumper sticker, the “people who brought you the weekend†or the 40-hour work week.
Unionists push attendance at Detroit Labor Day parade
freep.com, September 04, 2015
The burst of volunteerism is part of an effort to begin rebuilding attendance and interest at Detroit’s Labor Day parade, whose decline has mirrored that of the entire union movement, said labor historian Mike Smith, an archivist at the University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library.
California Unions Launch Pre-Emptive Strike Against Possible End to Mandatory Dues
reason.com, September 11, 2015
Efforts were underway to pass a “public employee orientation” mandate in which all newly hired public employees — including public-school employees and transit workers — must attend a program sponsored by the recognized local union. The “orientation” would take place during the workday. Employees would be required to show up in person. State taxpayers would pick up the costs. That bill has just died in the Assembly yesterday, but is expected to return next year.
MISSOURI UNIONS RESORTING TO UNDERHANDED TACTICS TO OPPOSE RIGHT-TO-WORK
breitbart.com, September 10, 2015
Preserve Middle Class America calls itself a “grassroots coalition of citizens and organizations.†It opposes right-to-work laws, claiming they “make it harder for middle class families to protect their wages and job security.†In reality, the “grassroots†group is run by the Teamsters union. The mailing address listed for Preserve Middle Class America is the Teamsters Local 245 headquarters and the group has received nearly $2 million from various union and teamsters groups including the Teamsters National Headquarters in Washington, DC.
We Are Missouri is another secretive anti-right-to-work group that should instead be called We Are Big Labor. We Are Missouri’s website lists no leaders names, no union affiliation, and no mailing address, but the AFL-CIO Headquarters in Washington, DC has funneled some $45,000 in payments to them for “state legislative advocacy.†Call-to-action forms on their website are also hosted by the AFL-CIO, suggesting some collaboration.
Teachers’ unions causing chaos in Washington State
Washington Examiner Online, September 10, 2015
Teachers’ unions have students’ best interests at heart, just trust them.
On Sept. 4, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled the state’s charter school law unconstitutional. As a result, nine schools with more than 1,200 students are waiting for a county court to tell them how long they can stay open. It’s possible that the state legislature will save the schools, by giving them special funding outside traditional school funds. But immediate action would require Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, to call a special legislative session.
The Washington State Supreme Court has nine justices, all elected by voters. Seven of the nine justices got the maximum allowable financial donation from the Washington Education Association, according to Danny Westneat, a columnist with the Seattle Times. The WEA is the state’s largest teachers’ union, with 85,000 members.
In Seattle, more than 5,000 teachers are on strike. Consequently, all 53,000 public school students in the city were unable to attend school on Wednesday and Thursday, with classes on Friday still in question.
Labor Dept. gives $25m to union-affiliated programs
Washington Examiner, September 10, 2015
The Labor Department gave about $25.5 million in grants to union-affiliated apprenticeship programs, the agency announced Wednesday.