Union Special Privileges vs. Affordability
In addition to helping make the necessities and amenities of life more affordable, Right to Work laws help keep individual and family aggregate state-local tax burdens from spiraling out of control.
Union-Label Politicians in Minnesota Eager to Corral Independent Day-Care Providers Into Unions
As even pro-forced unionism legislators in the Land of 10,000 Lakes acknowledge, in-home child care workers and in-home personal care attendants are not public employees.
Nevertheless, government union bosses are demanding enactment of a bill empowering them to force thousands of self-employed Minnesotans whose clients receive state subsidies to fork over union dues or fees in order to stay in business.
This morning the Big Labor-controlled Minnesota state Senate voted to give American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME/AFL-CIO) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) union bosses what they want. The power grab now moves on to the state House of Representatives. A report today by Jim Ragsdale of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune (see link below) recounts the latest developments in the battle over S.F.778, sponsored by Sen. Sandy Pappas (Democrat-Farm-Labor, St. Paul):
The debate is believe to be the longest ever, at least in records kept by the Legislative Reference Library. Senators and staffers and union activists remained in the chamber, or nearby, the entire time.
Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie and other Republican foes attacked the bill as something child-care providers do not want, as a payoff to DFL-supporting unions, and as an unnecessary intrusion of government into the private sector.
“This is a horrible, horrible bill — the worst bill in my 11 years,” said Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester.
Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, said if the state can get involved in child-care businesses because some accept children with state subsidies, it could expand into other businesses.
“Do we take on the grocers because they accept WIC?” he asked. “Where doe it end?”
“This is a very, very sad day,” added Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont.
