Would you believe that a right-to-work law violates free speech because they'll be less adept at picking its members to advance its increasingly far-left agenda?
From AP:
Indiana's new right-to-work law should be struck down because it infringes upon unions' free speech rights by depriving them of the dues that fund their political speech, attorneys for a union challenging the law contend, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's so-called Citizens United ruling that eased restrictions on corporate campaign spending.The bar is open:
Attorneys for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 argue in a court brief that Indiana's new law, which allows workers to not pay union dues even if a union bargains on their behalf, interferes with the union's free speech rights and "impinges on this fundamental right of union membership."
The union is based in Countryside, Ill., and represents employees in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.
But the Indiana lawyer who crafted the argument that resulted in the 2010 Supreme Court decision says it would turn the ruling "on its head" if a judge accepted the union's argument.
SHOT: "US Union Pensions Hole Deepens To $369 Billion"
"The hole in the pension plans of U.S. labor unions now stands at $369 billion, Credit Suisse has calculated with the aid of new reporting standards. This raises the prospect of higher pension contributions for employers and deteriorating industrial relations. Multi-employer pension schemes, managed by trade unions on behalf of members working for many different employers, are now just 52 percent funded, the bank calculates with most of the burden to close this gap likely to fall on small and midsize companies." (Dan McCrum & Ajay Makan, "US Union Pensions Hole Deepens To $369 Billion," Financial Times, 4/8/12)
CHASER: Labor Bosses Plan To Spend $400 Million Dollars For Obama During 2012 Presidential Election
"Unions are gearing up to spend more than $400 million to help re-elect President Barack Obama and lift Democrats this election year in a fight for labor's survival." (Sam Hananel, "Unions Gearing Up To Spend Big In 2012 Election," The Associated Press, 2/22/12)
Larry Cohen, the president of the Communications Workers of America, got super-defensive about union accountability on the friend turf of Ed Schultz' MSNBC show--while talking up his radical 99 Percent Spring.
To learn more about what Schultz and Cohen were speaking about, visit ProtectingOurWorkers.com, a project of the House Oversight Committee.
The Workforce Fairness Institute continues to remain busy. From its web site.
MEMORelated post: Video: UAW members talk about their support of Occupy
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI)
DATE: Tuesday, April 10, 2012
RE: State Coalitions Formed To Protect Workplaces & Promote Pro-Growth Economic Policies
This past Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the U.S. economy added 120,000 jobs in March – a steep decline from previous months – and the unemployment rate remained above eight percent, which has now been the case for more than three years. With poll after poll showing that jobs and the economy are by far the top issues on the minds of American voters, these figures reinforce deep concerns that the economy has not turned the corner and raise serious questions about the actions government has taken over the past several years in its attempt to spur job creation.
As citizens and bureaucrats alike reflect on the recent economic data disclosure, employers across the country are faced with government policies that send the wrong message discouraging hiring and investment at the worst possible time. There remains deep uncertainty among businesses that can be directly attributed to the actions of the Obama Administration and its federal agencies. One such example is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The regulatory agency has issued rules that have penalized employees and employers, while rewarding union bosses – the president’s top political supporter – at the expense of economic growth.
As a result, Congress is working to undo one such rule issued just last year, which allows Big Labor to ambush businesses with union elections. This would essentially prohibit employers from having enough time to find professional counsel to navigate complicated labor laws and severely diminish the amount of time employees have to decide whether or not to form a collective bargaining unit. Utilizing the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which empowers the U.S. House and Senate to nullify a regulation imposed by a federal agency with a simple majority vote, Congress is set to vote on joint resolutions of disapproval and send to the president a legislative remedy to reckless ambush elections.
In conjunction with the CRA, Congress has before it legislation that undoes a recent NLRB decision allowing the formation of "micro-unions," which are units for the purpose of collective bargaining with as few as two people. These micro-unions would spread division, discord and disharmony in workplaces as little unions negotiate against one another, while business owners would become entangled in an expensive mess of union red tape and competing demands.
Next, legislation introduced in the U.S. House would protect private employee contact information from being provided to labor organizers during union elections. Given the long history of labor boss violence and intimidation, forcing employers to provide private information like a worker's phone number and email address puts them at risk.
To help shed light on these important issues which directly impact the confidence and certainty employers need and the government has undercut, the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) is establishing coalitions in key states to educate workers and encourage those seeking federal office to take a position on: ambush elections, micro-unions and private employee information.
Last week, WFI announced the formation of the Coalition to Protect Missouri Jobs and the Coalition to Protect Montana Jobs. In the coming weeks, additional coalitions will be launched.
Accompanying the introduction of these state-based organizations are detailed questionnaires (i.e. MT and MO) that are being provided to candidates in an effort to secure their stances on important workplace fairness issues. The announcements have received significant media coverage and our coalition partners in the coming weeks will be following up with candidates to seek their input on ambush elections, micro-unions and private employee information.
In addition, WFI will undertake a significant voter education campaign later this year. It will ensure those voting this fall understand union bosses with the aid of a taxpayer-funded federal agency stocked with unelected bureaucrats hand-picked by Big Labor want to diminish workers’ hard-earned and well-deserved rights, all for the purpose of rewarding a special interest in Washington, D.C. concerned with enhancing its bank account and political power at the expense of our freedoms and jobs.
We will continue to apprise interested parties about developments concerning our initiative and look forward to growing and announcing in-state coalitions, and holding those seeking to represent us to account for the stances they take or fail to take, which directly impact employees’ livelihoods and our nation's economy.
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