NILRR News Clips – May 25, 2012

Union Bosses Set Forest Fire Captain’s Religious Rights Ablaze

www.nrtw.org, May 21, 2012

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys, Susanville firefighter John Valentich filed the charge against the CDFF union with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission located in San Francisco.

What’s Up at Ave Maria: Law school making history in its temporary home

Naplesnews.com, May 25, 2012

Milhizer seemed especially enthused about the recent establishment of the Reed Larsen Professorship of Labor Law, which came into being in conjunction with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. The chair will be held by John Raudabaugh, a former member of the National Labor Relations Board and an experienced labor and employee relations attorney. Its establishment “is a mark of the school’s maturation,” said Milhizer, who expressed hope that more chairs would be created over time.

Labor board suspends implementation of new rule

Legal Newsline.com, May 21, 2012

The National Labor Relations Board announced Tuesday that it will suspend implementation of its controversial new unionization election rule.

Prof. John Raudabaugh of Ave Maria School of Law in Florida is a former member of the National Labor Relations Board. He has been critical of the current NLRB.

One Picture Worth 1,000  Words

Donna, or as she is known in adult circles, “De-Twit†decided that taking a whack at a Nikki Haley piñata was exactly the way to show how mature and serious union leaders/members are in this troubled economy.  The video of her antics, which took place at an apparent going away party for the outgoing AFL-CIO president in North Carolina, went viral.

Judge rules Wisconsin public union members must opt in on dues

twincities.com, May 18, 2012

Specifically, he struck down a part of the law that said unions had to be recertified annually by getting a majority of all potential members to vote to keep a union, rather than simply a majority of those voting. He also struck down a provision that barred the state from deducting dues from the paychecks of those who chose to join unions.

Isakson Blasts Federal Labor Board’s Approval of New Union for Bergdorf Goodman Shoe Department

Press Release, Office United States Senator Johnny Isakson, Georgia, May 17, 2012

“The labor board seems to have run amok as far as I’m concerned. Micro unions in any place of business cause discord and are a way to upset an organization that otherwise is not upset. There is not a problem as far as unions being able to organize, but there is a huge problem in that the labor board continues to try to overturn decades’ worth of labor laws that have served us well in order to tip the scales in favor of labor unions,†said Isakson. “The recent decision at Bergdorf Goodman is an example of the labor board’s doing through regulation what we ought to be doing through legislation on the floor of the Senate.â€

Two Newly Released Smartphone Apps About Unions Target Different Audiences

Daily Labor Report Online, May 23, 2012

“More importantly, it empowers activists to know exactly how their congressmen voted, busy HR professionals to keep tabs on the latest labor issues, and state legislators to know how to improve their state’s union laws, all from their phone!†CEI Labor Policy Attorney Vincent Vernuccio said.

AFL-CIO Snaps Up Former NLRB Member Craig Becker

Daily Labor Report Online, May 23, 2012

The AFL-CIO May 22 announced it has named Craig Becker, a former member of the National Labor Relations Board, to serve as co-general counsel for the labor federation, joining current General Counsel Lynn Rhinehart.

Union Members Excluded from WhistleBlower Protections Fired by their Bosses

Heritage.org, May 23, 2012

 . . .whistle-blower protections do not protect employees of labor unions. Unions can legally fire their own employees for raising allegations of corruption.

 This happened to several veteran employees of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 in Indianapolis. They reported alleged financial impropriety by the local’s president to the union’s executive board. The president fired them the next day.

Teachers union accuses ousted member of being a ‘spy’ for CPS

Chicago Sun-Times Online, May 16, 2012

Wigler was accused of sending CPS labor relations chief Rachel Resnick a 50-bullet-point email at 11:51 p.m., Aug. 24, detailing what CTU officials told union delegates during a special meeting the evening before, CTU officials say.

Superintendent Surely Does Not Put Kids First

Intercepts, Education Intelligence Agency Online, May 22, 2012

Mark Manley is the president of the Xenia Education Association, but he also holds the position of district spokesman.

“His heart is with the (union) members; when we have issues that come up, he can put that hat on and I respect that he does that,†said superintendent Deborah Piotrowski.

Romney vs. Obama and the teachers’ unions

Washington Post, May 23, 2012

The teachers unions don’t fight for our children. That’s our job. And our job keeps getting harder because the unions wield outsized influence in elections and campaigns. . .

NLRB Allows Wobblies To Get Away With Posting Falsehoods

Overlawyered.com, May 24, 2012

 Part of the campaign involved putting up posters that called into question the healthfulness of sandwiches prepared in MikLin’s shops. The posters erroneously stated that employees were not allowed to call in sick, and implied that persons eating the sandwiches risked illness by doing so.Hauge at Minnesota Employer calls the decision “creative†and warns readers that (assuming the decision is not overturned at the board level) the NLRB may be increasingly inclined to extend protection against “retaliation†to a wider swath of “untrue, malicious and/or disparaging†talk during union campaigns. At least when it comes from the pro-union side.

Rank and File Boilermakers Fed Up with International Bosses

Kansas City Star Online, May 16, 2012

“Believe me, a lot of the membership is fired up,†said Ed Lacey, a past president of Boilermakers Local 83 in Kansas City. “We’ve been frustrated for years with the International. They’re not accountable to anyone.â€