NILRR Weekly News Clips March 22, 2013

Private sector union decline dates to the late-50s Washington Examiner Online, March 21, 2013 Slate columnist Matt Yglesias posted the above chart yesterday as part of a post arguing that “America’s Private Sector Labor Unions Have Always Been in Decline”. He notes: [P]rivate sector labor unions have been in decline in the United States pretty…

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The Pension Fund That Ate California

Steve Malanga tells the story of the largest government union pension fund – CalPERS, in the City Journal.   After spending years dogged by unpaid debts, California labor leader Charles Valdes filed for bankruptcy in the 1990s–twice. At the same time, he held one of the most influential positions in the American financial system: chair of the investment committee for…

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Michigan Governor Snyder Curbs Detroit Union Bosses’ Power

Michigan Governor Snyder’s passage of a bill allowing an emergency manager to be appointed,curbs Big Labor’s monopoly bargaining power. Chad Livengood and Sean D. Lewis have the story in the Detroit News: The new law is called Public Act 436 of 2012. Emergency managers would have the ability to reject, modify or terminate labor union…

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California’s Monopoly Bargaining Debacle

It has long been suspected that California government employee unions wield enormous power, with glittering, golden retirement plans. Ivan Osorio analyzes a report by Bloomberg reporters on openmarket.org. This isn’t a case of a handful of isolated incidents. The team of Bloomberg reporters found a pattern of fiscal irresponsibility characterized by: â– Lack of control in…

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Union Rep Has Ties to Healthcare and Lucrative Contracts

It’s not what you know, it’s how many close ties you have when you’re a union official. Dave Low, Executive Director of the California School Employees Association, and is in charge of an organization of other government union employees, Californians for Healthcare and Retirement Security. Records show that he was also a consultant to Blue…

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“How Government Unions control America and rob Taxpayers Blind”

A shocking look at the underside of government employee unions, Brad Decker interviews Mallory Factor on his best-selling book “Shadowbosses,” in The Washington Times. His new bestseller, “Shadowbosses,” shines the light on how “government unions control America and rob taxpayers blind.” You can find out more about Mr. Factor’s work at: malloryfactor.com. Decker: Your new…

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NILRR News Clips – May 4, 2012

“The Free Rider Argument is a Carefully Crafted Fraud” Legal Newsline, May 1, 2012 The IUOE asserts that the Indiana law violates the equal protection and contract clauses of the Constitution because it does not require nonunion employees to pay for bargaining. . . “The ‘free-rider’ argument is a carefully crafted fraud,” [National Right to…

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NILRR News Clips – April 6, 2012

Right to work has worked Point of View: Oklahoma economy has grown Newsok.com, March 31, 2012 According to federal Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data, total private-sector employment in Oklahoma increased by 8.1 percent from 2003 to 2010. Oklahoma’s job gain was more than triple the average for forced-unionism states (then 28 in number) and…

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