NILRR Right to Work Clipsheet April 22, 2016


A black and white image of an eagle with its wings spread.

 

Judge Rules Wisconsin’s Right To Work Statute Illegal — Now What?

Forbes.com, April 20, 2016 RJL helped with article

So, why is RTW illegal in Wisconsin?

Judge Foust states that under RTW, “a free-rider problem is born – the ability of nonmembers to refuse to pay for services unions are compelled to provide by law.†And that, in turn, violates the state constitution because, reasoned Foust, it deprives the unions of their property without just compensation.

Worker Advocate Renews Offer of Free Legal Aid to Wisconsin Employees in Response to Judge’s Anti-Right to Work Ruling

www.nrtw.org, April 22, 2016

“The recent ruling against Wisconsin’s Right to Work law will not deter the National Right to Work Foundation from providing free legal assistance to union-abused Wisconsin employees. The decision itself is far outside the legal mainstream and flies in the face of rulings that have upheld the constitutionality of state Right to Work laws in state and federal courts across the country. We are confident that the Wisconsin Supreme Court will reverse this ruling and reaffirm Wisconsin employees’ right not to pay union dues as a condition of employment.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE NLRB THIS SUMMER

Politico.com Tipsheets, April 21, 2016

The Columbia case may prompt the board to overturn its 2004 precedent in Brown University, which ruled graduate student teaching assistants ineligible for collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act. The new case has pits graduate students against the entire Ivy League, which filed a brief saying graduate student work is primarily academic in nature, and that collective bargaining would disrupt academic freedom. Anti-union organizations like the National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Fund and groups representing university administrations have also submitted briefs siding against the unions.

Nonunion Chrysler Worker Sues Over Forced Union Dues

The Daily Caller Online, April 20, 2016

“It is indefensible that more than three years after Michigan’s Right to Work laws were enacted, union bosses are still refusing to accept that they no longer have privileges that allow them to confiscate a portion of a worker’s paycheck against their will,†NRTW President Mark Mix said in a statement. “No worker should ever be forced to pay union dues or fees just to get, or keep, a job.â€

New NLRB Election Rules Haven’t Helped Unions Grow as Expected

Wall Street Journal Online, April 20, 2016

A new federal rule imposed last year to speed up union-organizing elections hasn’t helped increase labor’s foothold in private-sector workplaces, as business groups feared.

Fresno appeals court hears ALRB mediation access case

Fresno Bee Online, April 20, 2016

Lawyers representing Gerawan Farming, media organizations and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board presented their arguments before the 5th District Court of Appeal Wednesday in a case that could give the public access to a previously closed labor mediation process.

After hearing the arguments, the panel of three justices recessed. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.

How two GOP candidates plan to appease urban, rural portions of 15th state Senate District

Penn Live.com, April 20, 2016

Regarding education reform, DiSanto said he believes in getting rid of Common Core and de-unionizing teaching by making Pennsylvania a Right to Work state.

Could Minnesota Become the Next Wisconsin for Union Bargaining?

Public News Service Online, April 21, 2016

Republican Representative Steve Drazkowski’s proposal would limit unions’ collective-bargaining rights, restrict employees’ personal political activities, and make union dues optional. The bill also would negate the most recent contract negotiations with about 30,000 state workers.

Rauner ‘Is The New ISIS Recruit,’ Teachers Union President Karen Lewis Says

dnainfo.com, April 21, 2016

With the “countdown” running on a possible Chicago Teachers Union strike next month, President Karen Lewis addressed the City Club on Wednesday, lashing out at Gov. Bruce Rauner and calling him “the new ISIS recruit” and “liar.”

Virginia port union official resigns after audit finds unauthorized fund

Virginian Pilot Online, April 19, 2016

Robert J. Smith III, business agent-financial secretary of International Longshoremen’s Association Local 970, resigned after the audit found that “union funds were deposited and withdrawn allegedly for non-union purposes,†wrote Thomas Little, international vice president for the ILA in Hampton Roads, in an email.

The amount of money involved could be as much as several hundred thousand dollars, sources familiar with the matter said.

Verizon’s Political Strike

Wall Street Journal Online, April 13, 2016

On Wednesday, more than 36,000 Verizon workers on the East Coast walked off the job after their unions rejected the telecom’s latest contract offer in a 10-month negotiation. The Communication Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers wanted a public spectacle, and did they ever get one.

Some 99% of the strikers work for Verizon’s legacy “wireline†business, or its traditional fixed phone service plus its fiber optic Internet service. This unit generates only 7% of Verizon operating income, down from 60% in 2000—wireless is more profitable—and as more customers ditch land lines, it is only natural that these old-fashioned networks will require fewer workers to operate and maintain.

 

 

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