Our pal Billy Ritter, Governor of Colorado, was not so “august” enough as to allow either the legislature nor the people of his fair state to have a chance to vote on whether they wanted a union to gain a huge amount of power over the state’s public workers there. Instead of allowing the democratic process to reign supreme, Billy boy decreed his payoff to big labor by executive order not long ago.
Ritter has issued an executive order that will create a “bargaining partnership” between the state and its public sector workers. But, not to worry, Billy assures us, it has a “very clear” no-strike provision.
Color me unconvinced. After all, the existence of a union presupposes that they will have the power to strike and walk off the job in case their thuggish demands are not met. Otherwise, what teeth would any such organization have and why would it bother to exist?
Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman (a Republican) is not very happy and he and other GOP state office holders claim they will ignore the Guv’s Monarchical degree. “This effort is clearly not in the interest of Colorado’s taxpayers and will not lead to more efficient government,” Coffman said.
Naturally, the louts that work for the state are thrilled by this overstepping of their union beholding Guv.
“I’m extremely excited,” said Lance Christensen, a state archivist. “This is huge. This is really the first step that we’ve been able to take in actually improving government efficiency.”
No doubt he’s excited… but improving government efficiency? HOW? By giving workers even LESS reason to do their job?
Tony Gagaliardi, Colorado director of the National Federation of Independent Business, thought it wasn’t such a great idea though, and he uttered what is to be the understatement of the year.
“I’m surprised the governor would circumvent the legislative process to take this route.”
Who could possibly be surprised? The good Guv is a Democrat, after all. And the only thing Democratic about any American Democrat is the name. That’s where it begins and that’s where it ends.
In areas where government enjoys a monopoly, public-sector unions are worse than unnecessary, they’re dangerous. When they strike, they can hold the public hostage, shutting down entire sectors. Private-sector unions are constrained by a company’s ability to recover its costs from customers who are free to take their business to a competitor. Public-sector unions have no such constraint, knowing government can’t go out of business and has the power to tax its “customers.”
Dead on, Mike. A perfect explanation on why a union for government workers is not only dangerous, but is down right unethical and undemocratic.
Thanks for undermining state government, Billy. I’m sure the unions will fill your pockets with their “thanks.”
The Associated Press brings us a doozie of a story about the creation of an entirely new area of union representation created in order to represent a workforce that mostly doesn’t even know they have a union in the first place. For that matter, this new union representation has a workforce the majority of which didn’t vote to join. This was one neat trick for the union, for sure. In essence the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) created a new branch of their union out of whole cloth with the approving nod of 11 Democrat state administrations.
How did they do it? They sent a postcard in the mail and since a bunch came back saying they’d like the idea, wham-o-change-o a union was created out of thin air. But here is the thing: there was no vote, there were no mass meetings, there was no election of leadership… the unions just sent out a few postcards and decided they were now authorized to create a new union for a workforce that had no such union.
The SEIU has decided that in 11 states they now represent child-care providers that work out of their homes. Again, there were no meetings, there was no vote. Just some postcards.
In New York, for instance, the AP reports that this presumptuous new union organization represents 28,000 child-care providers. How did it happen? Well, see, the SEIU sent out postcards and got back 8,382 that said they wanted to join such a thing if it were to be created. So, as far as the SEIU is concerned with less than 30% of the 28,000 New York child-care providers saying it was a good idea that gives them the right to claim they are now representing ALL of the rest of them!
The statesman William Jennings Bryan remarked long ago that “on Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.” If that’s true, liberal politicians eyeing a feast from Big Labor’s table have a lot to recognize this holiday.
Labor leaders have opened their house and treasury to left-of-center politicians and promised a cornucopia to those who toe the union line. Planning to break its previous donation record, the AFL-CIO said it will spend more than $50 million to elect friendly politicians. Its member unions will spend a whopping $200 million. The powerful Service Employees International Union will likely surpass $70 million.
It’s no wonder SEIU’s president just confessed to the New York Times that he faces an “identity crisis” between being a labor leader and an “ATM” for Democrats.
Of course, labor leaders expect some thanksgiving for their generosity. Officials from the newly formed Change To Win coalition recently announced a $14 million surcharge on member dues to fund a war chest specifically aimed at “electing candidates that will help pass the Employee Free Choice Act. Read the rest of this entry »
Despite that the Democrat Party is desperately trying to defund this worthy agency, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) is still going after union crime and corruption. Democrats want to turn a blind eye to union criminality and that is why they want to destroy this policing agency. After all, the graft that Democrats get under the table as well as over the table from unions feeds their greed, so if the Democrat Party eliminates the biggest agency that prosecutes union corruption and crime so much the better for their back pockets.
So, let us give a hand to the OLMS for their work.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced its criminal enforcement data for October 2007. OLMS obtained 16 indictments and five convictions during the first month of fiscal year 2008, and court-ordered restitution in October amounted to $63,499. These indictments and convictions primarily involve union officers and employees who have embezzled union funds.
“OLMS begins this new fiscal year with renewed vigilance on behalf of rank-and-file union members,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Labor-Management Standards Don Todd. “Our efforts have resulted in convictions of individuals found guilty of wrongdoing against unions, and we are proud of our results in protecting America’s union members. Since fiscal year 2001, OLMS investigations have yielded a total of 856 indictments with 806 convictions and court-ordered restitution of more than $102 million.” Read the rest of this entry »
There is an old joke of a gingerbread man who was running away from a hungry farmer and came to a river. A fox told him he could help the cookie man get across the river and away from the farmer. The cookie asked if the fox would eat him after they crossed, but the fox said he wouldn’t because “he only wanted to help” the gingerbread man. So, the living cookie agreed and sat atop the fox’s nose as they swam across the river. As soon as they got to the other side, the fox ate the cookie man because, after all, the fox is a fox and cannot be trusted.
This little folk tale is a mirror of real life, only in this case the fox is the unions and the gingerbread cookie’s fate is that of the worker under the union thug’s thumb and this tale is a perfect allegory to the situation in Chicago with a corrupt Teamsters union being expected to investigate and punish one of their own corrupt locals.
The fox guarding the hen house is also a fine allegory for this situation.
The full story is at the Chicago Tribune, but here is the key paragraph:
The recommendation came in a sweeping call by the anti-corruption unit for an in-depth look at wrongdoing and mob ties among Chicago-area Teamsters locals. But the group’s report, which was never made public, was rejected by Teamsters officials.
In other words, the union was supposed to take the recommendations of this anti-corruption unit but decided to ignore the report issued from that very unit in their desire to safeguard their own corrupt pals.
Go read the whole mess over at the Trib, but you’ll find that the Teamsters don’t give a hoot about cleaning up their own corruption.
It is also interesting that the union pointed to the existence of the anti-corruption unit as evidence that they were, indeed, cleaning things up. Of course, if you just ignore the report and go on with business as usual, are you cleaning anything up?
Uh, no would be the answer to that.
Just more evidence that the union isn’t interested in lawful operations.
Why are so many people fooled by unions? It is because unions care about the little guy they are told. It is because unions are supposed to be against the “rich,” or so gullible people are led to believe. Well, here is another case that proves the lie to that claim.
Realtors and business groups in Florida are squaring off against big labor unions in an attempt to pass a property tax cut amendment in the Sunshine state. The labor unions oppose this legislation because they claim it would “cost” local governments and schools “$12.4 billion in lost revenue over the next 5 years.” Why are they worried about that so-called loss? Because it might cause cities and schools to cut some deadwood jobs and that means union jobs cut.
In other words, to save union jobs in our bloated local governments and to save the jobs in failing schools, unions are trying to INCREASE taxes on EVERYONE.
Once again, unions prove how much they are out to help “the little guy.” This time by trying to tax him out of his home.
Here are five reasons why forced association with unions breeds corruption and why right to work laws are good to stem that coercion.
Freedom to Associate Also Means Freedom Not to Associate - The average man on the street, as well as constitutional scholars, understands that any genuine personal right should include the freedom to refrain from exercising that right.
Right to Work Bolsters Job Creation, Personal Income Growth - In addition to freeing millions of Americans from the yoke of forced union dues, a national Right to Work law would at the same time help to improve our nation’s economy.
Right to Work’s Benefits Reach Citizens at All Income Levels - In addition to protecting the freedom of association and promoting economic development, Right to Work laws are an anti-poverty program with a proven record of success.
Passage of a National Right to Work Law Would Eliminate All Forced-Dues Politicking by Private-Sector Union Bosses - Not passing a national Right to Work law means not only that American workers will be denied a brighter economic future. It also means that millions of private-sector workers will continue to be forced to contribute to political candidates they do not wish to support.
A National Right to Work Law Would Reduce Union Corruption - The incestuous relationship between forced union dues and corruption was captured perfectly by the late U.S. Sen. John McClellan (D-Ark.): “Compulsory unionism and corruption go hand in hand.” McClellan was referring to the corruption inherent within labor organizations that depend on the forced tribute of workers.
OK, we here at the UnionLabel blog are all about being fair. Here we have a report that the folks at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City have filed a complaint against the good ‘ol folks of Local 54 (Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, Hotel & Motel Trades Council, AFL-CIO) for unsavory and, perhaps, illegal union tactics. But, far be it for us to automatically accept the word of a casino.
But here is what the casino’s General Manager said:
“Not only are the tactics in direct violation of our agreement, but this is a classic case of the union’s leadership trying to further its own agenda with callous disregard for employees who must suffer the consequences, both financial and job-related, when we cannot maintain certain levels of business,” Tropicana General Manager Mark Giannantonio said. “These kinds of tactics go beyond advocacy and it’s high time that someone stood up for the interests of the 3,700 people working on our property who are being hurt by the union’s destructive intent.”
So, a casino guy. OK. But let’s consider this. We ARE talking about a union here! So, who do we believe? Well, as America’s Founding Fathers said during the debates over the ratification of the Constitution, “let history be our guide.” And a perusal of history finds us unable to be too overawed by the innocence, truth and peacefulness of Local 54.
Speaking of “peace”, these fine peaceful union folks have been photographed carrying signs that proclaim “No Contract, No Peace!,” so their peaceful intentions are certainly above question.
Of course, it should go without saying that since the 1990s this particular local has been mixed up with the mob and had various officials accused and convicted of embezzlement… but then, seemingly what union hasn’t? Even as late as this month The New York Times reported that claims of unsavory tactics of Local 54.
In announcing a civil suit aimed at taking over Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, Attorney General Dick Thornburgh said the Philadelphia-based Bruno/Scarfo crime family had used violence and intimidation to control Local 54 for 20 years and to systematically loot its health and welfare funds.
Tony Soprano would be proud of his old home state, New Jersey. Apparently the Council members of Paramus Borough, New Jersey hired as their new borough administrator a mobster who was once cast out of his union job by the Feds.
The monitor in 1996 removed Agathos as president of Local 69 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union in Secaucus, asserting that he maintained mob ties and embezzled funds.
Yet the Paramus Borough Council said that they would hire Iacono for the $135,000 a year job even if they had bothered to look into his past.
So, you see, crime DOES pay… at least in the Soprano’s New Jersey.
The WaTimes has an interesting story today about the newest scare and strong-arm tactics that unions are using to force their will on employers and employees who do not want them around.
Everything from hiring faux protesters at less than union scale to picket a business to using the internet to attack companies that refuse their representation is being used by this newest crop of union thugs. And they are getting a nice rap sheet from the government because of it!
Welcome to the modern world of labor warfare. Call it RICO 2.0. For the second time in as many weeks, an employer has filed a civil-racketeering case against a major union, opening a new battleground in the fight over how unions get (and keep) members.
For decades, employers, government officials and honest union members used RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) lawsuits to fight mob influence in the labor movement. It was “On the Waterfront” in real life. Some people got killed, some things fell off the back of trucks, and some businessmen were muscled into toeing the union line.
But as times have changed, so has the style of union extortion.
