Tough mom fights back against unions and Pat Quinn

Two days ago an estimated 15,000 members of public-sector unions held a rally outside Illinois' state capitol calling for a 33 percent increase in the state income tax. Many of them were members of SEIU and AFSCME. What do they want? More taxpayer money for themselves. They also want more dues-paying members.

But a reluctant target of unionization are fighting back on several fronts, including filing a lawsuit in federal court. More on that in a bit.

Governor Pat Quinn, Rod Blagojevich's former running mate, received SEIU's endorsement in February's Democratic primary election. At a press conference announcing the endorsement, Quinn referred to AFSCME as "my good friends."

And how does Quinn take care of his "good friends?" Filling their coffers, or trying to, with fresh dues money--which can be used to finance campaigns of Democratic politicians such as Quinn.

Quinn signed an executive order in June authorizing an election asking a group of home health care workers who care for developmentally-disabled adult sons and daughters if they wanted to join a union.

Pam Harris of Western Springs has been leading the fight against Quinn and the unions. "My primary concern is that someone else will be telling me how to best care for my son," says Harris. "Union dues would be a deduction from what we have available to provide for my son's needs. And then I would be giving my money to a union to exercise their political muscle on issues I may vehemently disagree with."

"We are NOT 'public employees,' Harris adds. "We are parents who take care of our adult sons and daughters with significant disabilities in our homes, in the community so they can thrive and live safely with meaning and purpose. We will not allow our constitutional right of free political expression and association to be violated by the governor of Illinois."

Last fall those Illinois home health care providers voted, and they overwhelmingly voted against SEIU and AFSCME.

With assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, some of those union-targeted home health care providers filed a class-action lawsuit in Chicago to stop the Quinn/SEIU/AFSCME attempt at unwanted unionization. A future election might succeed, since most of these parents don't take the unionization-drive seriously--a low turnout election could go the way of the unions. Remember, this is the state whose Democrats nominated pawnbroker/steroid abuser/prostitute patronizer Scott Lee Cohen as lieutenant governor in that same primary in which Quinn prevailed. The turnout was very low.

Union bosses are eager to implement stealth and forced unionization, utilizing such schemes as card check and the successful lobbying for the appointment of radical Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board.

As well as utilizing Pat Quinn.

But Pam Harris, a tough mom, is fighting back.

Technorati tags: Illinois politics illinois politics Democrats Patrick Quinn SEIU labor politics AFSCME illinois politics Blagojevich Patrick Quinn pat quinn efca card check craig becker