NILRR Right to Work News Clips March 09, 2018

A purple and yellow logo for the seju.


Newt Gingrich: Congress must fix Obama’s joint employer mess]

Fox news.com, March 04, 2018

Raymond J. LaJeunesse thoroughly analyzed this Democratic double-standard in a recent column for The Federalist Society. Also, one private labor and employment attorney separately noted, according to Allen Smith at the Society for Human Resource Management, that “Becker’s refusal to excuse himself from cases involving the SEIU set a precedent for Emanuel being involved in the Hy-Brand case.â€

Fate Of Public Union Agency Fees In Hands Of High Court

Law 360.com, March 06, 2018

William Messenger of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, arguing for the petitioner, juxtaposed restricting speech with compelling support of speech, insisting the latter was an unjustified intrusion on First Amendment rights. When pressed on why labor relations and labor peace are not a “compelling government interest,†Messenger asserted that there was no need to make that determination because agency fees are not the “least restrictive means.†He claimed that exclusive representation of employees by unions certified to represent them through the process determined by the state, without requiring agency fees, adequately protected government interests while balancing free speech rights. When pressed for a more narrowly tailored alternative, Messenger argued that agency fees were not necessary for exclusive representation and that collective bargaining that includes nonmembers does not impose an additional financial burden on the process. In response, Justice Sotomayor asserted that the government could only protect its interest by ensuring that unions represented everyone, which was ostensibly only fair if everyone footed the bill.

Uber and Lyft Drivers Under Assault From Seattle City Bosses

nilrr.org, March 08, 2018

The “gig economy†is often driven by new mobile apps that empower individual entrepreneurs such as independent Uber and Lyft Drivers. But Seattle city bosses have teamed up with their union-boss friends to put the squeeze on these entrepreneurs. They passed a city ordinance to force Uber and Lyft drivers to pay union dues. Under the terms of ordinance, if drivers refuse, they cannot serve Seattle.

With the assistance of National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys, independent drivers in Washington State who pick up customers with the help of a ride-sharing company are challenging the controversial Seattle ordinance that is designed to corral them into unions and force them to pay union dues or fees in order to continue practicing their trade.

Unions prepare to lose in the courthouse and strike back in the statehouse

calmatters.org, February 27, 2018

Predicting they will lose in the courthouse, California union leaders have begun fighting back in the statehouse. Last year, they successfully lobbied for a new state law that requires government workers, upon being hired, to go through an orientation session with union representatives. The legislation is in early conceptual stages and it’s too soon to say whether, if approved, it would cover all unions or just those in the public sector. But union-backed bills under consideration, Low said, include:

Editorial: Why would unions kill great teachers’ bonuses?

abq.com, March 09, 2018

This week, Gov. Susana Martinez signed off on a budget bill that provides for $5,000 and $10,000 bonuses for exemplary teachers in New Mexico. And while she used her line-item veto authority to strike the language giving teachers unions the ability to decide whether the school districts and charter schools they represent will participate, one union leader says her group might still be able to block the bonuses by invoking their collective bargaining rights under state law.

POWERFUL TEACHERS’ UNION ISSUES FIRST ENDORSEMENTS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

marylandmatters.com, March 18, 2018

The Montgomery County Education Association, better known as the teachers’ union, started rolling out its picks for local offices Thursday. The teachers’ primary-day “Apple Ballot†is a coveted endorsement; only the blessing of The Washington Post editorial page is close when it comes to influencing Montgomery County political contests.

Washington Bill Keeps Unions in Control of Medicaid Money

insidesources.com, March 07, 2018

Washington is one of several states that allow unions to organize personal caregivers who collect Medicaid funds to help the elderly and disabled. These states have passed laws that classify the caregivers as partial public employees. But now, lawmakers in Washington are trying to turn them private again as public-sector forced union dues are threatened.

“One of the items that the SEIU requested was legislation that would privatize the caregiver workforce,†Nelsen said. “The reason that distinction is important is because the Harris v. Quinn decision applied to partial public employees. Under state laws in Illinois, Washington, and other states care providers are considered public employees only for the purposes of collective bargaining.â€

A Test of Whether NY Republicans Are Worth Anything At All

nypost.com, March 07, 2018

As the Empire Center’s Ken Giradin has noted in these pages, the unions are pushing a bill to greatly limit when their members can opt out. The bill passed the Assembly last year and recently cleared a Senate committee without a single “nay.†To be clear, no ruling in Janus will “effectively end public labor unions,†as Gov. Cuomo charged at a recent labor rally. It would merely leave labor with less cash. But not so much less that public-sector unions will no longer be the most powerful special interest lobbying state government.

Martin Technologies Opening 60,000 Sq Ft Facility In Tennessee, Creating 250 New Manufacturing Jobs

shopfloor.org, March 06, 2018

In another major win for manufacturers in Tennessee, Martin Technologies, an engineering and manufacturing company, has announced that it plans to hire 250 new workers for a new 60,000-square-foot facility in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee:

Martin Technologies isn’t the only manufacturer investing in Tennessee. Last week, DENSO announced that the company plans to invest $190 million in one of its Tennessee manufacturing facilities. La-Z-Boy is investing $31 million to expand its facility in New Tazewell.

Boston Calling prosecutors say they may have to drop case

bostonglobe.com, March 07, 2018

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that they may have to drop extortion charges against two city officials accused of strong-arming organizers of a Boston music festival if a judge does not reconsider his planned instructions to the jury, the latest twist in a public corruption case that has dogged the Walsh administration for two years.

Antonucci: It will be a busy spring at UTLA

laschoolreport.com, March 06, 2018

While all that is going on, UTLA will be contacting members in an effort to get them to sign the new UTLA application form, which would require them to continue paying dues “irrespective of my membership in UTLA.†This is part of a nationwide effort by teacher unions to retain revenues in case of an adverse ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, which would eliminate mandatory agency fees paid by non-members.

And that doesn’t even include the governor’s and state schools superintendent’s races, where UTLA and its allies will be campaigning vigorously for Gavin Newsom and Tony Thurmond, respectively.

Hundreds Of New York Cops Kept Jobs After Misconduct Thanks To Police Union

dailycaller.com, March 06, 2018

Buzzfeed uncovered documents detailing the records of 319 NYPD officers who committed fireable offenses but were never terminated, largely thanks to employment contracts the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), the city’s largest police union, negotiated. The revelation puts New York City alongside Baltimore and many others that have struggled to get rid bad cops.

Hotshots take the Hill:

politico.com, March 06, 2018

More than 600 members of the largest firefighters union will descend on Capitol Hill today for their annual fly-in.

The International Association of Firefighters will urge members to take up the “Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act,†H.R. 4846 (115), sponsored by Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). The bill would prevent states from passing laws that curtail the rights of public safety officers to form a union. In addition to 13 Democrats, Kildee has three Republican sponsors for the bill. (Republicans tend to soften their usual opposition to public-employee unions when the employees in question are firefighters and cops, two GOP-friendly constituencies.)

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