UAW has a formula to help their members -- spend more on politics

UAW has a formula to help their members -- spend more on politics

The UAW has a formula to help their members -- spend more on politics.  The current strategy will soon, according to the blog Truth About Cars, lead to another bailout -- this time solely for the union: It’s said that people do resemble their dogs. The UAW surely looks more and more like the GM of old. For years, the UAW has spent more than it took, forcing it to live off its savings. Once again, the UAW wants to change this – two years from now. Until then, it will happily go on making losses. Said Bob King to Reuters: “We are spending a lot of money, and we’re investing money in organizing. And we’re investing money in rebuilding the ability of the UAW to win good contracts and win good legislation for our membership.” King told Reuters that in two years, the UAW wants to be cash-flow positive by adding members and managing costs.

NLRB  Overreach not Overlooked by House Education and Workforce Committee

NLRB Overreach not Overlooked by House Education and Workforce Committee

In their aggressive overreach to help the union bosses, the National Labor Relations Board has a devastating strong of courtroom losses that are putting them back into place.  The House Education and Workforce Committee looks at their grasp for more power: [Last] week, the Obama National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) suffered yet another defeat in federal court. On Monday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg – appointed to the federal bench last year by President Obama – rejected the board’s recent ambush election rule. During the final days of 2011, the Obama labor board jammed through the regulatory process sweeping changes to long-standing rules governing union elections, changes that undermine employer free speech and worker free choice. As Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline noted: The Obama board’s rush to enact this rule before it loses its quorum confirms what my Republican colleagues and I have suspected all along – this board is not fighting for the best interests of our workforce, but instead is determined to advance an activist, pro-union agenda at any cost. Yet in their haste to adopt a flawed rule, board members Mark Pearce and Craig Becker neglected to follow the law. Citing Hollywood icon Woody Allen, Judge Boasberg writes: Eighty percent of life is just showing up. When it comes to satisfying a quorum requirement, though, showing up is even more important than that. Indeed, it is the only thing that matters – even when the quorum is constituted electronically. In this case, because no quorum ever existed for the pivotal vote in question, the Court must hold that the challenged rule is invalid. The decision represents a victory on behalf of workers and employers, and is hopefully not the last. As the Wall Street Journal noted, “Given the NLRB spectacle of the last three years, this probably won't be the only time the commission loses in court—or the only time that judges need to invoke Mr. Allen to describe its absurdity.”

Big Labor Joe Manchin Dances to Forced-Unionism's Tune

Big Labor Joe Manchin Dances to Forced-Unionism's Tune

Sen. Joe Manchin is often seen as one of the more conservative Democrats in the Senate but when it comes to the rights of workers, Manchin still dances to the tune of the union bosses.  The Huntington News in West Virginia takes him to task for his ongoing relationship: Sad news [last] week for Big Labor and its D.C. allies like President Obama and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. When no one is looking, Senator Manchin reverts to form and backs the President and his NLRB in a transparent Big Labor power grab. Monday, Federal Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down a new rule "passed" by two members of the National Labor Relations Board. Interestingly, Judge Boasberg is an Obama appointee. Ironically, this rule designed to circumvent proper procedure was cancelled because the court found that the NLRB itself did not use proper procedure in promulgating the new rule. Simply put, the court found that no quorum was present as those backing the new regulation tried to ram through their favor for Big Labor.

Big Labor Joe Manchin Dances to Forced-Unionism's Tune

Big Labor Joe Manchin Dances to Forced-Unionism's Tune

Sen. Joe Manchin is often seen as one of the more conservative Democrats in the Senate but when it comes to the rights of workers, Manchin still dances to the tune of the union bosses.  The Huntington News in West Virginia takes him to task for his ongoing relationship: Sad news [last] week for Big Labor and its D.C. allies like President Obama and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. When no one is looking, Senator Manchin reverts to form and backs the President and his NLRB in a transparent Big Labor power grab. Monday, Federal Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down a new rule "passed" by two members of the National Labor Relations Board. Interestingly, Judge Boasberg is an Obama appointee. Ironically, this rule designed to circumvent proper procedure was cancelled because the court found that the NLRB itself did not use proper procedure in promulgating the new rule. Simply put, the court found that no quorum was present as those backing the new regulation tried to ram through their favor for Big Labor.

Sen. Jim DeMint -- Pro-Freedom

Sen. Jim DeMint -- Pro-Freedom

The Senate's premiere champion of worker's rights, Sen. Jim DeMint, outlines his support for a balanced approach to labor law.  From Greenvilleonline.com: When people ask me if I’m pro-business or pro-labor, I say I’m neither: I’m pro-freedom. Freedom is the only political principle that cannot be bent to serve special interests. Remember how 7-Up used to call itself the un-cola? Well, freedom is the un-special interest. Freedom, protected by the Constitution and the rule of law, works for everyone. It allows everyone — left or right, young or old, rich or poor — to make their own choices according to their own values. Government’s job shouldn’t be to tilt the field for one team or another, but to guarantee a level playing for everyone. That’s why I’m against forcing workers to join unions, congressional earmarks for favored groups, government bailouts of Wall Street, and energy subsidies — both for oil companies and for green energy. Freedom isn’t perfect, but it is fair. And any time government hands out favors, they’ll be unfair to someone. When Washington picks winners and losers, in the end taxpayers always lose, and Ex-Im is no exception.

Tim Kaine:

Tim Kaine: "Friend of Labor Bosses"

Virginia is a battleground state for the presidency and for control of the US Senate this year. Former GOP Senator and Right to Work champion George Allen is running against former Obama's handpicked Democratic National Committee Chairman and while  Virginia governor and Tim Kaine. Kaine claims to support the state's Right to Work law, but does not support a national Right to Work law. The Richmond Times Dispatch noticed how President Obama in a speech deriding Right to Work called Tim Kaine a "friend of labor." "Friend of labor" is a euphemism for "friends of the union bosses." American workers who have 'friends' like these, who needs enemies: In a recent speech calling Tim Kaine a "friend of labor," President Barack Obama took a swipe at states — including Virginia — that have right-to-work laws. Not surprisingly, he misrepresented not only the laws but the facts. The president says right-to-work laws are an attempt to "take collective bargaining rights away." No, they aren't. Unions can still bargain collectively in right-to-work states. What they can't do is make union membership a condition of employment. The president also said he likes to call right-to-work "right-to-work-for-less laws." Good one. But studies about wages in right-to-work versus non-right-to-work states differ; some say they're higher, others say they're lower. And others note that both economic output and wages have risen faster in right-to-work states.

Tim Kaine: "Friend of Labor Bosses"

Tim Kaine: "Friend of Labor Bosses"

Virginia is a battleground state for the presidency and for control of the US Senate this year. Former GOP Senator and Right to Work champion George Allen is running against former Obama's handpicked Democratic National Committee Chairman and while  Virginia governor and Tim Kaine. Kaine claims to support the state's Right to Work law, but does not support a national Right to Work law. The Richmond Times Dispatch noticed how President Obama in a speech deriding Right to Work called Tim Kaine a "friend of labor." "Friend of labor" is a euphemism for "friends of the union bosses." American workers who have 'friends' like these, who needs enemies: In a recent speech calling Tim Kaine a "friend of labor," President Barack Obama took a swipe at states — including Virginia — that have right-to-work laws. Not surprisingly, he misrepresented not only the laws but the facts. The president says right-to-work laws are an attempt to "take collective bargaining rights away." No, they aren't. Unions can still bargain collectively in right-to-work states. What they can't do is make union membership a condition of employment. The president also said he likes to call right-to-work "right-to-work-for-less laws." Good one. But studies about wages in right-to-work versus non-right-to-work states differ; some say they're higher, others say they're lower. And others note that both economic output and wages have risen faster in right-to-work states.

Right to Work is about Freedom and Jobs not Political Parties

Right to Work is about Freedom and Jobs not Political Parties

President Obama, pandering to a crowd of Democrat party AFL-CIO union activists, attacked Right to Work laws as being more about politics than economics when the inverse is true -- opposition to Right to Work laws is about the Big Labor-owned Democrat party not economics. The President's own Department of Commerce's proves our point: Somethings never CHANGE, no matter how much we HOPE it does. Today the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis posted annual personal income data for 2011 on its web site. The data show that Right to Work states continue to enjoy a substantial income growth advantage over forced-unionism states. The Right to Work growth advantage is especially strong when it comes to private-sector compensation – that is, the wages, salaries, bonuses and benefits businesses provide for their employees. From 2010 to 2011 alone, private-sector compensation increased by 2.2% in the 22 Right to Work states, after adjusting for inflation with the U.S. Labor Department’s consumer price index (CPI-U). In the 28 compulsory-unionism states, real private-sector compensation increased by just 1.7%. (Just this month, Indiana became the 23rd Right to Work state as the law banning forced union dues and fees signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels in early February took effect.) Over the past 10 years, from 2001 to 2011, real private-sector compensation in Right to Work states grew by 12.5%. That increase is four times as great as forced-unionism states’ aggregate gain of just 3.1%.