Bill Targets Massive Subsidies For Big Labor
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the “No Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime Act,” (S.4868), a bill to put an end to this corrupt practice in federal agencies.
With the outcome of the 2024 presidential contest far from certain as this Newsletter edition goes to press, the U.S. Senate and House could each potentially be Right to Work’s last firewall against the so-called “PRO” Act in 2025.
The core provision of this radical package of Big Labor power grabs, which is already officially sponsored or cosponsored by a majority of House members and 48 of the 51 members of the Senate Democrat caucus, would override all 26 state Right to Work laws on the books as of this year.
If the PRO Act becomes law, union bosses in all 50 states will be able to cut workplace deals granting them the power to force employees to pay dues to Big Labor, or be fired.
But National Right to Work Committee members are fighting back through their federal Survey 2024 program.
The program’s basic goal is simply to ensure that pro-forced unionism federal candidates are held accountable for their voting record, and for their campaign positions.
Retiring President Joe Biden promised from the outset of his administration that his would be the most pro-Big Labor in American history.
That’s one promise he’s kept.
He has relentlessly pressured Congress to pass the Right to Work-destroying PRO Act and send it to his desk for his signature.
He has supported elimination of the Senate filibuster at the behest of top union bosses. This would have cleared the way for passage of the PRO Act.
While the PRO Act is not yet law, largely thanks to staunch Right to Work opposition, Biden appointees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have already bureaucratically implemented a number of its provisions.
For example, the NLRB’s 2023 Cemex decision allows union bosses to use trumped-up charges against employers to overturn secret-ballot employee votes and seize monopoly-bargaining control over unwilling employees through so-called “card checks.”
And Vice President Kamala Harris is every bit as committed as Joe Biden has been to the expansion of Big Labor’s coercive power over employees and small businesses. She is determined, if she wins the White House in November, to finish what Mr. Biden started.
Committee President Mark Mix summed up what is at stake in the 2024 federal elections: “Today, roughly 57 million private-sector American workers live in states where they cannot legally be forced to pay dues or fees to a union as a condition of employment.
“But Kamala Harris wants to invalidate all private-sector Right to Work protections everywhere in the U.S. These are her own words, with regard to how to further empower union bosses: ‘It has to be about . . . banning Right to Work laws. That needs to happen.’
“To accomplish that unchanging Big Labor goal, Ms. Harris is vowing to go all out to ensure the entire PRO Act becomes law, including specifically the clause making forced-dues deals ‘valid’ nationwide notwithstanding any ‘State or Territorial law’ to the contrary.”
Even the PRO Act doesn’t go far enough for Ms. Harris.
While state and local employees have traditionally been regarded as subject to the jurisdiction of the states, not the federal government, she is vowing to push for enactment of a bill foisting union monopoly bargaining on state and local public workers nationwide.
Of course, Big Labor is well aware of the fact that the election of Ms. Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), will not, by itself, make this agenda a reality.
Mr. Mix commented:
“Before they can be signed into law by Kamala Harris, the PRO Act [H.R.20/S.567] and legislation overriding state laws to mandate union monopoly control over public servants in all 50 states [H.R.8426/S.4363] must first make it through Congress.
“With the House currently under leadership generally more oriented towards worker freedom, neither bill has advanced there this Congress. And even though the Senate’s leadership under Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.] is owned lock, stock, and barrel by Big Labor, he hasn’t attempted to move this legislation through his chamber, either.
“The thin margins in each chamber put both up for grabs. One or the other, or both, could act next year as firewalls against the PRO Act, federally-mandated union monopoly control over state and local civil servants, and a host of other Big Labor power grabs.
“But with Ms. Harris and powerful Capitol Hill Democrats vowing to end the filibuster in 2025 if necessary to ram through their agenda, a net switchover of just four House seats and mere retention of Senate control, with a Vice President Walz to break ties, could leave Right to Work without any firewall.”
To pave the way for 2025 enactment of radical forced-unionism legislation, the union political machine is targeting for defeat pro-Right to Work lawmakers in Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.) and Reps. Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Michelle Steel (Calif.), Zach Nunn (Iowa), Scott Perry (Pa.), and Jen Kiggans (Va.) have all publicly pledged to oppose the PRO Act and other Big Labor schemes on all votes.
All six have also pledged to support and work for the passage of a national Right to Work law, repealing all the current provisions in the federal code that authorize the termination of employees for refusal to join or bankroll an unwanted union.
“Union political strategists are hoping to replace all of these staunchly pro-Right to Work members of Congress with forced-unionism allies,” said Mr. Mix.
“None of the Democrat nominees in these six races have returned Right to Work candidate surveys, asking how they would vote on key compulsory unionism-related legislation.
“But all of them are eagerly accepting the support of union political operatives, which is primarily paid for with dues and fees extracted from workers. In 24 states, workers who refuse to pay money to a union they never asked for may still be fired for that reason alone. And one of these Democrat nominees, Florida Senate challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, even already cosponsored and voted for the PRO Act while serving a single term in the House in 2019 and 2020!”
Meanwhile, 100% pro-Right to Work candidates are facing off against union-label opponents in races in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas, among other states.
Mr. Mix reported on one case in point:
“Rep. Ruben Gallego [Ariz.] has never missed an opportunity to vote for Big Labor on the floor of House, voting twice for the PRO Act, and also for a host of other union-boss giveaways over his dozen years in Washington.
“But in his race for a promotion to the Senate, he is now facing a grassroots powerhouse in former newscaster Kari Lake.
“Ms. Lake is pledging to Arizonans that, if she wins in November, she will support Right to Work across the board.”
Survey 2024 is the principal Committee program for holding politicians’ feet to the fire.
“Big Labor has far more money at its disposal than Right to Work supporters do,” said Mr. Mix.
“But the union bosses do have one major problem.
“The general public, and even the workers they claim to represent, don’t agree with what they are selling.
“With members’ generous support, the federal survey has convinced candidate after candidate to pledge to defend employees’ Right to Work.
“And this fall, candidates who refuse to do so will be held accountable by the public.”
This article was originally published in our monthly newsletter. Go here to access previous newsletter posts.
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Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the “No Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime Act,” (S.4868), a bill to put an end to this corrupt practice in federal agencies.
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