NILRR Right to Work Clips June 21, 2018
freebeacon.com, June 17, 2018
The Pirlotts sought out a lawyer locally to defend their right to withdraw but could not find one to take the case. That’s when they turned to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation to fight the union’s handling of the withdrawal petition. The foundation handed the case to Glenn Taubman, who was just six years removed from law school.
“It was one of the first Beck enforcement cases, which shows just how much of a political hot potato the board viewed these cases at the time,” Taubman said.
The union treated the couple as pariahs. Mrs. Pirlott said her co-workers began turning their backs on her at the cafeteria. She paid them no mind until the threats began coming in at home and at the workplace.
“One of the people on my crew who I thought was my best friend threatened to break my kneecaps,” she said. “I did start carrying a gun in my glove compartment … a little Ruger pistol, 9 millimeter.”
. . . said Shirley. “It wasn’t ever about the money–it was about beating the union. The win is the best part.”
Overturning ‘fair share’ union fees would restore balance
startribune.com, June 20, 2018
The Abood decision sanctioned a massive transfer of wealth, with no accountability, from the paychecks of public employees into the coffers of unions, which quickly became a formidable and well-funded political machine.
That machine has warped the electoral and legislative process for almost half a century, making us feel more divided than we really are. Government unions are a major player in determining who runs for office and who wins. Unions try to elect who they will bargain with, so they can sit on both sides of the table. The relationship between government and public unions has grown too cozy. That is not good for employees, taxpayers or public policy.
If the court finds for Janus, in the short term we could see increased labor unrest, but over time, as unions and elected officials adjust to a restored constitutional order, our public sector should be more, not less, civil. A Janus win could usher in a new era of labor peace and a healthier public-sector unionism as leaders get focused on employees as customers instead of taking them, and their money, for granted.
SEIU Scraps Health and Safety Program. Too Much Politics?
laborpains.org, June 21, 2018
According to Jordan Barab, a former Labor Department official under President Obama and longtime union staffer, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is scrapping its health and safety program.
It’s a curious personnel decision, given the SEIU’s marketing shtick. Like many unions, the SEIU often touts the “pivotal role” it plays “securing legislated labor protections and rights such as safety and health, overtime, and family/medical leave and in enforcing those rights on the job for all workers.”
The SEIU is not alone:
In 2005, the AFL-CIO merged its health and safety program with its government affairs department, which tells you a lot about Big Labor’s priorities. Amid declining investments in health and safety, labor unions have ramped up political advocacy spending, shifting their focus from worker representation to political gamesmanship. After its $100 million Fight for $15 campaign saw drastic cutbacks last year, the SEIU quickly pivoted to a $100 million campaign aimed at electing pro-union Democrats in the Midwest.
the74million.org, June 21, 2018
Nearly two-thirds of Americans – even a majority of those in labor households – believe workers should be able to choose whether or not they pay union dues, according to a new poll released just days before the Supreme Court is expected to make a major ruling on the issue in the case Janus v. AFSCME.
Teachers union launches false attack in Colorado governor’s race
9news.com, June 20, 2018
Colorado’s largest teachers union, the Colorado Education Association, is making a blatantly false claim in the race for governor in a newsletter sent out to its 35,000 members.
LIST: The top 25 organizations giving to political groups in 2018.
theblaze.com, June 20, 2018
the most, the left has an even greater advantage.
The top 25 organizations and their donations
No. 2: Carpenters & Joiners Union – $14.6 million
No. 3: Laborers Union – $10.3 million
No. 6: American Federation of Teachers – $6.3 million
No. 8: Operating Engineers Union – $3.8 million
No. 9: American Federation of State/County/Municipal Employees – $3.7 million
No. 15: American Federation of Government Employees – $2.2 million
No. 16: United Steelworkers – $2.2 million
No. 17: United Food & Commercial Workers Union – $2.1 million
No. 21: Communications Workers of America – $1.8 million
No. 22: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – $1.7 million
No. 24: National Education Association – $1.4 million
Thank You: Boeing Declines Union’s Invitation To Bargain, Setting Up Micro-Unit Appeal
natlawreview.com, June 20, 2018
It is now being reported that Boeing is declining to negotiate with the micro-unit, as it intends to appeal the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) decision to allow the vote to proceed. Boeing has stated from the outset that it does not believe a micro-unit is appropriate, but the full NLRB in Washington, D.C., has not yet formally weighed in on the issue. The company’s refusal to bargain is a step toward a formal appeal of the issue.