In our latest podcast, Foundation attorney Bruce Cameron sits down with radio host Phil Heimlich to discuss the plight of two Ohio teachers whose religious beliefs compelled them to object to their union's controversial political advocacy.
A local Detroit news station followed two union bosses around for the better part of a year, recording their work-related activities. Some of the "benefits" of union representation include union bosses getting paid to drink on the job, collecting massive overtime checks when they're off work, and running personal errands on the rank-and-file workers' dime. Unfortunately, these perks are only available to union bosses, but we're sure workers are incredibly grateful for such top-notch "representation."
Union officials' bad habits are subsidized by employees' forced union dues, which fund their position within the union's bloated hierarchy. When union bosses claim overtime when they're really off work, their co-workers are also forced to pick up the slack.
Adding insult to injury, states (like Michigan) that lack Right to Work laws force all workers - even those who object to union "representation" - to pay for union activities.
If two corrupt union bosses can rack up hundreds of hours of phony overtime pay per year, imagine how many jobs could have been saved at the collapsing Big Three automotive companies if America eliminated compulsory unionism. We need our workers to be free and our industries competitive.
Speaking of the Wall Street Journal, its editorial on Pennsylvania teacher union bosses' pathetic and disgaceful practice of ordering teachers to abandon schoolchildren during frequent strikes is also quite informative:
Teachers unions routinely claim that the interests of students are their top priority. So we would be interested to hear how the Pennsylvania affiliate of the National Education Association explains the proliferation of teacher walkouts in the middle of the school year.
According to a recent study by the Allegheny Institute, Pennsylvania is once again the worst state in the country for teacher strikes. No less than 42% of all teacher walkouts nationwide occur in the Keystone State, leaving kids sidelined and parents scrambling to juggle work and family, potentially on as little as 48 hours notice required by state
law.
The strikes take place despite the state's ranking in the top 20% nationwide for teacher salaries in 2006-2007 -- the most recent data available -- with an average of $54,970. Those paychecks go even further when adjusted for the state's cost of living compared to top-spending school districts in places like California.
Unsurprisingly, the status quo is perpetuated by the unions' corrupt relationship with local politicians:
Pennsylvania taxpayers aren't pleased. Last year, a bill to prohibit teacher strikes was introduced in the state legislature by Todd Rock and 28 co-sponsors, only to be sidelined thanks to union opposition. According to a group called Stop Teacher Strikes, 75% of state legislators between 2004 and 2006 received teacher union money. The office of Governor Ed Rendell, who received more than $500,000 in teachers union political action committee cash for his 2006 re-election bid, called the strike ban a "radical response" to the problem.
Simon Campbell, president of Stop Teacher Strikes, explained the connection between compulsory unionism and failing schools at this year's Concerned Educators Against Forced Unionism (CEAFU) conference:
The Foundation's latest Right to Work video report features two outstanding and principled nurses from Houston, Texas. When California Nurses Association union bosses and the Tenet Medical Corporation cut a backroom deal to unionize several Houston-area health care facilities, they set up sham election procedures and imposed a gag rule to block any discussion by nurses of the downsides of unionization. Several nurses turned to the National Right to Work Foundation for help:
The Foundation's previous coverage of the case is available here and here.
Right to Work President Mark Mix discusses Obama's upcoming appointment of forced unionism activist Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor with Neil Cavuto of Fox News:
For more on Solis, here's somebackground on her career and political views.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation!
Year round we distribute and give away hundreds of books so that employees know their legal rights, and so that Americans understand why the fight for employee free choice is so vital. But with the holiday season upon us, a reminder about the FREE books you can receive from the National Right to Work Foundation seems in order.
If you act now, you can order two free books Stranglehold - How union bosses have hijacked our government by Reed Larson and Union Dues and Religious Do Nots by Foundation attorney Bruce N. Cameron, and they should arrive in time for Christmas.
In Stranglehold, Reed Larson reveals the astonishing story of how organized labor has acquired incredible, hidden power over local, state, and national government in America.
Union Dues and Religious Do Nots is a guide for employees who find their forced full-dues-paying union membership in conflict with their sincere religious beliefs and want to explore ways to save their conscience.
Order these books today - they would make the ultimate stocking stuffer for the Right to Work supporter in your family!
In this week's episode, Foundation VP Stefan Gleason sits down with Stanley Greer, Senior Research Director at the National Institute for Labor Relations Research, to discuss the proposed $25+ billion auto industry and UAW union bailout, and the close connection between compulsory unionism and Detroit's economic woes. Check it out:
You can also listen to the Foundation's podcast via iTunes or manually subscribe to the feed.
[Note: Some Firefox users have reported audio distortion when using the player above. To ensure the podcast plays correctly just click here to listen.]
Interested in learning about the connection between the Big Three auto bailout and compulsory unionism? Check out the latest Right to Work video:
The UAW has consistently leveraged its position as the Big Three's monopoly bargaining agent to extend forced unionism throughout the automotive sector. Now they're screaming for a federal bailout to save the entire industry. Should government really be in the businesses of saving compulsory unionism?
The answer, of course, is no. Forced unionism should be eliminated, not subsidized.
In the latest episode, Foundation VP Stefan Gleason sits down with Matt Brouillette of the Pennsylvania-based Commonwealth Foundation to discuss the compulsory unionism stranglehold over much of America's educational system. Check it out:
You can listen to the entirety of The Commonwealth Foundation's radio program here.
You can also listen to the Foundation's podcast via iTunes or manually subscribe to the feed.
[Note: Some Firefox users have reported some audio distortion when using the player above. To ensure the podcast plays correctly just click here to listen.]
Our latest Right to Work video features Simon Campbell, a concerned Pennsylvania parent who founded stopteacherstrikes.org in the wake of a debilitating public school strike. At the annual Concerned Educators Against Forced Unionism Conference, Campbell explained the connection between compulsory unionism and teacher strikes:
As always, check back regularly at the Foundation's YouTube Channel for more Right to Work video updates.
