Our Last EmployerReport.com Post

This e-mail was sent to our subscriber list on November 5th:

Dear Readers:

As the subject line above indicates, this is our last (and probably most important) EmployerReport.com post to you. After more than two years, of providing labor union news updates and opinions, we believe it is time to retire EmployerReport.com. However, we are not going away…But more on where we're headed at the bottom of this post.

Despite the fact that the presidential race was decided early last night, we were up well into the wee hours of the morning trying to get a handle on the Senate landscape. However, our telephones began ringing early (as it has been for the past week) with employers concerned about what lies ahead. So, here are four answers to questions that you may have about last night's election:

First question: As President, will Obama bring unity to the country and bi-partisanship to Washington? In a word, Nope.

For all the talk by the media pundits of President-Elect Obama moving to the center and being a "unifying" president, do not believe it for a minute. President-Elect Obama's first appointment this morning was of Rahm Emanuel to be the White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel is a partisan pit-bull (lipstick or no lipstick) and is "hard-wired to go for the jugular," as described in this 2006 article.

Second Question: What about EFCA?

Here's our analysis of things to come on the EFCA landscape:

Don't Breathe a Sigh of Relief on EFCA Yet. While many of the political pundits have stated that the Democrats have not gained a filibuster-proof Senate, you should not allow yourself to be lulled into complacency by thinking EFCA can't pass. If you believe that employers and their employees are out of the woods on EFCA, think again.

Given that Obama's election was all but certain, we have been saying for the past several months to watch the Senate as that is where EFCA will either live or die. As of this writing, the Democrats have a six-seat advantage (56-44) over Republicans in the Senate, which includes Independent Joe Lieberman (CT) and Independent/Socialist Bernie Saunders (VT), both of whom are EFCA supporters.

However, there are still four contests undecided: Alaska*, Georgia, Minnesota, and Oregon.
Even if Democrats don't pick up two of these contests, EFCA stands a good chance of passage, as written. Here's why:

We've been saying for months that the GOP needs to hold at least 42 Senate seats because there are at least two (and likely more) GOP Senators from "union states" that could buckle under Democrat and union pressure. Specifically, Arlen Specter (PA), Susan Collins (ME), as well as two of the contested seat holders above (Norm Coleman of MN and Gordon Smith of OR) may all be gutless when it comes to EFCA. If Coleman and Smith lose their seats, then the Dems only need to pick off two GOPers on EFCA and it's done.

* Note on Alaska's undecided seat: Although it appears that GOP Senator (and
convicted felon) Ted Stevens may actually win his election, it is likely that, if he does, he will be expelled from the Senate. This creates another vacancy that can go either way, depending on what Sarah Palin does.

It appears possible for either of two scenarios under Alaska's law to play out: 1) As governor, Palin could appoint someone (including herself) to fill Stevens' soon-to-be-vacated seat, or 2) there must be a special election held.

If there is an election, it is likely to assume that Stevens' opponent Mark Begich will win. So, to the GOP, a special election should be out of the question--but it all depends on Sarah. [An interesting Huffingtonpost post today speculates that Palin may, in fact, assume Stevens' spot so that she can gain a more national presence for 2012. Although, after her treatment by the media and the left over these past two months, we might question why she would pick Washington over Wasilla.]

So, this brings us back to EFCA…

Either two things will happen by early February—both of which do not bode well for you or your union-free employees:

1. EFCA passes as it stands with some arm-twisting of some gutless GOPers…

OR, as an entirely feasible scenario begins to develop (and is being quietly bandied about):

2. EFCA gets passed in the House immediately following President Obama's Inauguration but gets caught up in the Senate and "compromise legislation" is drafted that contains shortened election time-frames (think two to three weeks), increased penalties for Unfair Labor Practices and a temporary drop on the binding arbitration provision.

(Now, hold on for a moment before giving a collective sigh of relief over option 2…)

Here's how we see this playing out: Assuming that arm-twisting the GOP doesn't work (which we're not convinced of yet), and a compromise is worked out (as described above), the GOP (and the business lobby) will lose their main argument that EFCA is "anti-democratic." Why? Because unions and Dems can then say that they've kept workers' secret-ballot vote intact, dropped binding arbitration, and merely increased penalties on corporate 'scofflaws.'

Under this scenario, unions will still go forward with an all out organizing blitz and succeed in many cases, but fail in some others. It is these failures that they will use to trot out the 'victims evil corporation's union-busting efforts' to justify the need of further labor law reform.
Now, in 2010, they'll use some other issue to pick off a few more Republicans in the Senate (like opposition to the "Fair Pay Act" or FMLA expansion, and a host of other job-killing bills, etc.).

Once a couple more GOPers are picked off, EFCA will be passed in its original form, this time without any sort compromise, filibuster or fight.

Third Question: What else should employers expect?

On the labor front:

Besides the actions on EFCA (as stated above), you should expect the following:

Within the next couple of weeks, you will likely see the pick for Obama's Secretary of Labor to come directly from the union movement. Although Change to Win's Anna Burger has been floated around and the SEIU was Obama's primary backer early on, she may, in fact, be too controversial for an Obama administration since she and her boss (SEIU's) Andy Stern led the break-up of the AFL-CIO three and a half years ago. However, a Burger appointment should not be ruled out.

The R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Act will likely pass without much of a fight. This is the union-backed bill that will cause many people employers now consider supervisors to become "non-supervisors" by altering the National Labor Relations Act's Sec. 2[11] definition of a supervisor. While many people do not yet realize the ramifications of this bill, it has been flying under the radar for more than a year and we don't expect the GOP will want to waste the political capital of a filibuster (if there are enough GOP senators to muster one) to fight this bill.

Expect a VERY pro-union National Labor Relations Board, since this will be unions' "payback" to the Bush years. You should expect the majority of decisions going solidly against employers.

Expect the Department of Labor to re-interpret attorney's legal advice on union campaigns (specifically the drafting of materials) to be considered "persuader" activity under the LMRDA. There was an attempt to do this during the final days of the Clinton Administration, but was quickly undone when Bush took office.

Expect a ban on the use of permanent strike replacements during economic strikes to come mid-year (perhaps a little later).

Expect the Labor Department to relax unions' reporting requirements on their financial reports to come early next year. This is something that will likely occur before March 31st, when most unions are required to have their LM reports in to the DOL.

Expect expanded use of union-only Project Labor Agreements.

Expect passage of the Public Safety Employee-Employer Cooperation Act which unionizes local public safety employees (i.e., EMTs, paramedics, fire and police personnel), although this would be worthy of a GOP filibuster, there are no constituents (aka voters) to offend by its passage, so it is difficult to imagine a filibuster taking place on this.

On the HR front:

We give high probabilities to the passage of the following:

* Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the bill that removes the statute of limitations on pay discrimination claims and subjects employers to potential years of back pay.

* Passage of an expansion to FMLA to include parenting responsibilities, as well as paid sick leave.

* Note: Both of these merit a filibuster and the business lobby will likely pursue one to come from the GOP. However, the Democrats would probably love that since they could further demonize the GOP in 2010 for being "anti-woman" and "anti-family."

Fourth Question: What should be done?

It's time to get a lot more aggressive. Although we (and a few others) have been forewarning of this day and EFCA before the name Barack Hussein Obama ever became known to the nation, too few businesses and their associations paid attention. Finally, when people started waking up and despite the millions poured into EFCA education, it was too little too late…

Now, it's time to ratchet it up a notch (or ten).

As we told you (and the world) some time ago, America's voters were the victims of the largest and most expensive union campaign in history. The problem for employers (as well as the GOP), however, is that the advisors and strategists running campaigns in DC do not run union campaigns. So, from our standpoint as ex-union organizers and agents who handle union campaigns for a living, the pathetic outcome of last evening is not surprising at all because we've known what the unions have been saying all along.

Here's some simple advice: F*** the Focus Groups.

The GOP and business lobby have had and continues to have the wrong message (the exception being the new ad from EmployeeFreedom.org which focuses on job security). As we've been calling EFCA the "Kill American Jobs Act" for more than two years, people only came to the realization in the last few weeks that EFCA equals unemployment. That should have been the message all along.

So, for those of you who have spent your corporation's money and are still spending money on the campaign to raise awareness about EFCA, you might want to forward this message along with your next check:

The next EFCA ads that need to be run should focus on the loss of jobs and the closure of companies that unionization will bring through the enactment of a "Union Bailout" or "Union Welfare Act" and should end with "Tell Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and President-Elect Obama to reject a union bailout that could cost you your job."

If the EFCA ads continue focusing only on the "anti-Democracy" portion of EFCA, don't be surprised in January when Obama and the Dems compromise with two-week elections and shove it up the GOP's… The Unions Will Have You in Checkmate!

That said, dear reader, as we started this post, we mentioned that this is our LAST EmployerReport.com post.

Tomorrow morning, the lights will be temporarily turned off.

However, please be assured, we are not going away.

Indeed, although EmployerReport.com is being retired, and we cannot tell you right now what we have up our sleeves, we can assure you that what we're planning will drive the union bosses bonkers.

So, with that said, dear readers, we'd like to end EmployerReport.com with a couple inspiring quotes for you:

"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." -George Bernard Shaw

"It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other." — President-Elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008

"It stands to reason that where there’s sacrifice, there’s someone collecting sacrificial offerings. Where there’s service, there’s someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master."Ayn Rand, “The Soul of a Collectivist,” For the New Intellectual, 73

As a final notice to those of you collectivists who happen to read this post: If you haven't read Atlas Shrugged, you better soon for, due to your actions, Atlas has begin his shrug.

Cheers!

EmployerReport.com

YOU Can Defeat Washington's Big Union Bailout

Dear Readers:

As we mentioned in one of our last posts to you, union campaigns often turn at the last moment and, while the 2008 election is the largest and most expensive union campaign in history, it is not too late for you to have an impact on defeating Big Labor's agenda but you need to act quickly.

A Silver Lining?...

The Polls are tightening up. According to Rasmussen this morning, Barack Obama has a mere three point lead nationally; the Gallup (traditional) also says it's a three point lead. Despite the fact Obama and his nutty-ACORN/Union friends may very well be stealng the election and despite the fact that John McCain and his advisor Rick Davis have run the worst campaign since Bob Dole's 1996 White House bid, the numbers are well within striking distance. But you shouldn't expect McCain or his campaign to drive home the points that could swing this election…This means WE have to do it.

They Don't Get It.

Folks, until recently, those with the capital to spend on this election haven't seemed to get the nexus of how the union power grab (through EFCA) relates to job security and the economic health of the nation. The reason we have been so focused on pointing out how EFCA will kill jobs for the past two years is, because of our union backgrounds, we know unions and we know campaigns better than do most, we deal with workers and companies on a daily basis, and we know what motivates people on certain topics. The problem is, even with the heightened attention today to our national economic malaise, there is too little focus being given on how unions will further destroy jobs with their agenda.

As a result, too few Americans know what is about to hit them by Valentine's Day under a Obama-Reid-Pelosi trifecta….and how many more companies will close and jobs will be lost as a result.

However, is not too late to for you to make a difference.

Here s the deal: Obama can still be defeated by focusing on the Union Issue, which we're calling Washington's Big Union Bailout. Unfortunately, too many people are focusing their attention on the (albeit important) issue of card-check. While that will swing some votes, it is too esoteric for too many people to focus on in these final days before the election.

A more important issue to swing votes in certain swing states (in particular Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia) will be the Democrats' plan to end Right-to-Work states. The bill has already been introduced and Barack Obama is on record stating he does not like right-to-work laws…Therefore, workers in those states should expect to be forced to pay union dues or be fired, should they become unionized.

Note: For background, as well as a copy of HR 6477 (the bill to end Right to Work states), you can go here, or download the bill directly here.

Now, talking about the elimination of Right-to-Work with workers may lead to the comment: But my company's not unionized. That's when you should educate the worker about EFCA.

Three Things YOU Can Do to Make This Happen

1. Use the flyers (on left) as paycheck stuffers (particularly in the aforementioned RTW states)


2. Send the flyers to others (employers and non-employers alike) that you know in RTW states

Call in to talk radio shows, mention the elimination of RTW, then move onto EFCA (as background and tie-in to job losses, please see the articles referenced
below)

[As a side note: If you're like us, (and most voters are) you're probably as sick of this election season as we are. However, to us, this has never been about the candidates themselves, but about American jobs and the union agenda. As stated above, EFCA will kill jobs because it will make companies less competitive. Unlike most, this for us has been a more than two year campaign to educate employers and the public-at-large about the dangers of the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act, which we have labeled the "Kill American Jobs Act" since EmployerReport.com's
inception in 2006.]

We've Done All We Can…

As stated above, we've been focused on this issue for more than two years. Without the millions of dollars that some have been able to devote to this cause, we have put forth as much effort and resources as we could to educate people. To that end, yesterday we issued our last press release to the national media before the election entitled: Workers and the Economy Will Be Biggest Losers Under Democrat's Rule in DC, while at the same time posting a few op-eds that are must-reads regarding EFCA and its negative impact on jobs and the economy, which include:

• Former NLRB member Peter Kirsanow's op-ed about EFCA & Joe the (Unemployed) Plumber
• The National Right to Work Foundation's Wall Street Journal op-ed about how FDR's pro-union legislation helped prolong the Great Depression (a hint at things to come)
• To view the others, please go to EmployerReport.com

Now, it's in your hands…

With Best Wishes.

EmployerReport.com

"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." -- Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

EFCA Addendum

Dear Readers:

As we noted in our earlier post to you, as we've been saying for the past couple of years, passage of the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act would lead to one-party rule in national and state politics.

Well, it seems as though the logical consequence of EFCA's passage may have finally dawned on (at least one of) the political establishment, as the following illustrates:

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair John Ensign (R-Nev.) Ensign,
meanwhile, says the legislation [EFCA] could determine the character of the senate for decades. The Chair said preventing the bill's passage was a "critical issue" for Republicans.

"It would make Republicans the minority party for the next 40 to 50 years," said Ensign of the EFCA.

Ensign argued the legislation would bolster union ranks and union dues, which could then be funneled to Democratic campaigns.

"Democrats would have a huge fundraising advantage for elections from now on," said Ensign.

To read the entire story, go here.

Alas, although it may be too little too late, it seems they finally get it. [Perhaps Messr. Ensign visited EmployerReport.com?]

Hat tip to LaborPains.org

For more union-related news & info, go to EmployerReport.com

On behalf of EmployerReport.com, please have a great week's end.

EmployerReport.com
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." -- Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

Employee Free Choice Act Ram-Rodded by Valentine's Day

Before sharing with you what we're hearing on the streets, we'd like to extend a hearty welcome our new subscribers…Welcome!

Well, if you're looking at the polls or listening to the pundits, you're no doubt hearing that the November 4th election is over. Indeed, that may be the case…Or maybe not. The Associated Press has released a new poll saying the presidential contest is in a statistical dead heat. So, despite the fact that the Obama campaign has begun spending $2 million for construction on his election night bash in Bryant Park (talk about the Audacity of Arrogance), the election may not be over quite yet.

However, here's the latest Word on the Streets:

EFCA by Valentine's Day…

Expect the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act to get ram-rodded through both chambers of Congress and signed into law by Valentines' Day, if not sooner.

Both today and yesterday, we've posted stories on EmployerReport.com regarding the expected time-frame for EFCA to become law. Last night, we heard on a telephone call that the word in DC is that the Democrats will push for EFCA to be passed within the first week of Obama's presidency. (This, of course, presumes that the Democrats will end up with 58 seats in the Senate as is expected.)

If this is indeed the case, this means that, on the question of unionization, workers will be losing their right to vote in a secret-ballot election and employers will be bound to binding arbitration a mere four months from now.

An Insidious and Ingenious Plan…

If the timing truly is to pass EFCA within the first week of Obama's presidency, it would be a rather ingenious (as well as insidious) way to catch America off guard. Since most Americans still don't know that the real "change" they are voting for is Big Union Bosses to unionize workers without a vote and will have spent $1.4 billion (an estimate of the union expenditures on the 2006 and 2008 elections) in order to get political puppets elected, EFCA's passage will take place before it is the measure is exposed to the majority of Americans. Further, the messianic love affair that many voters have with 'that one' will not have had time to lose its luster in a mere week, so any attempt to oppose EFCA so quickly will be easily denounced and drowned out by accusations of bitter-partisan bickering.

It's Their Fault…

Additionally, as the havoc begins to unfold and more Americans begin to lose jobs under the weight of unionization, the Democrats will be able to lay the blame on the "last eight years" of GOP rule.

One Party Rule…

We've been saying for a long time that the passage of EFCA could easily lead to one-party (Democrat) rule in America. Well, today, Politico is posting Democrats' plans to gain further control of state governments in 2010 and, with that, redistricting. The foundation of this plan is largely dependent on the passage of EFCA since unions will be able to spend even more money on Democrats with increased treasuries due to forced unionization*.

[* Unions now rake in approximately $10 billion per year in union dues from workers--the majority of whom are required to pay the union or be fired from their jobs.]

Elimination or Right-to-Work--A Missed Campaign Opportunity…

Many of those campaigning against Big Labor's radical agenda (including those business groups, as well as the GOP Senate and McCain campaigns) are missing a critical point that could potentially turn voters in several key swing states (like FLA, NC, NV, LA & VA) around. This, of course, is the unions' plan to use their Democrat majorities to eliminate Right-to-Work states causing unionized workers in those states to pay union dues or be fired. This bill has already been introduced and is likely to get signed into law under a union-controlled federal government. Since most workers in Right-to-Work states cherish the fact that they cannot be forced to pay union dues to keep their jobs, too many people are ignoring this issue as an issue to move 'undecided' voters.

As always, for more union-related news and info, go to EmployerReport.com

A bleak future offers some hope...

Dear Readers:

It's been a while since our last missive to you. However, it has been a busy last two weeks as we've been out there trying to awaken America's employers to the devastating consequences of the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act. [As we've said for quite some time, EFCA's passage will not negatively affect our business, but it will kill many jobs and that is its real danger.]

While it's still not over until November 4th (or maybe November 5th), with a mere three weeks to go until November 4th, unless the political winds shift dramatically, you should expect the Employee Free Choice Act, along with the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Act, and a whole slew of other job killing legislation to get signed into law.

While most people are focused on the Obama vs. McCain campaign, too many people are all but ignoring the Senate races that hold the key to stopping the havoc that will be wrought upon the American workplace if the Democrats win more that 58 seats in that Chamber. [Realizing that many of you remember your high school civics and are tempted to correct us by saying Democrats need 60 seats to overcome a filibuster, remember Arlen Specter (R-PA) doesn't count, and you should expect at least one other "turncoat" on the GOP side to cave in to Big Labor's pressure come 2009.]

That being said, the predictions being made are as follows:

In early 2009…

• EFCA will pass, as drafted, to include Card-Check Recognition, Binding Arbitration, and exhorbitant fines.


• The R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Act will pass making those now considered "supervisors" under NLRA Sec. 2(11) eligible to be unionized.


• The use of Permanent Strike Replacements during economic strikes will be banned.


• President Obama will introduce socialized medicine (to read our synopsis on how Obama's Plan Will Lead to Socialized Medicine, go here)


• The Public Safety Employee-Employer Cooperation Act (which unionizes "public safety" employees) will pass


• A "bail out" on underfunded union pension plans

Later in 2009, you will likely see:

• Elimination of Right-to-Work States to become mandatory union-dues states


• More company closures, outsourcing, job losses and an elongation or deepening of this recession. Our estimate: We might see double-digit unemployment by this time next year.

Now, as was stated above, it's not over until November 4th (or 5th), but the above appears to be what is on our national horizon.

As we've noted before, America is (and has been) the victim of the largest and most expensive union campaign ever--to the tune of $1 billion dollars this year, on top of the $400 million spent in 2006. Optimistically speaking from first-hand experience, union campaigns do often turn at the last moment. However, sadly, we do not see the McCain campaign (or the GOP, for that matter) as having the intellectual or strategic capacity to combat this type of campaign.

While much of the above may seem dismal to most (as it indeed should), the bright side to this whole outlook will be that the devastation wrought over the next two years may hopefully result in a swing back to some semblence of balance.

Best wishes.

EmployerReport.com

Hey Pennsylvania! Your Representative Thinks Youre Racist!

Wow!

Apparently John Murtha does like his constituents that well. On top of calling them racists, John Murtha must believe Pennsylvanians can't read either!

Well, just in case they read this post:

Pennsylvanians, you're elected representative thinks you're bunch of racists. Here is is from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and from Brietbart:

PITTSBURGH (AP) - U.S. Rep. John Murtha says his home base of western Pennsylvania is racist and that could reduce Barack Obama's victory margin in the state by 4 percentage points. The 17-term Democratic congressman tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story posted Wednesday on its Web site that, as he put it: "There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area." (continued)

Hey, Murtha! Why don't you call your constitutants a bunch of "white trash" while you're at it? That'd certainly endear them to you when you're up for re-election!

Obama's Plan to Socialize Health Care

Here's a prediction: Within five years (if not sooner), the U.S. will have full-blown socialized medicine under President Barack Obama.

Now, like many, you might say: Obama's plan doesn't call for socialized medicine.

Well, in response, we'd like to reply: It doesn't need to. However, here's how Obama's plan will result in total and complete socialized medicine.

Obama has a plan that he likes to brag about. You can check it out here on his website. At first glance, the plan sounds too good to be true. Well, that's because it is.

Simply put, here's how the plan will work:

Develop the government plan to cover the uninsured. Companies (and individuals), as Obama like to say, will be able to keep their own insurance plan if they choose.

Obama's Plan: Bleed 'Em Until They Change Their Minds

However--and here's the catch--Companies will have to pick up 100% of the tab for their employee's insurance. Now since most companies today have their employees pick up some portion of their health care costs (usually ranging from 10 to 30%), the cost increases to employers will be astronomical...

...Or, employers can pay 6% of their payroll to "opt in" to the government plan.

Since smaller employers are having a harder and harder time today paying the health care costs for their employees, they'll be the first to opt in to the government plan. Then you'll see larger ones to the same as those larger employers will find the government's plan to be a cheaper alternative (at first), causing them to dump their employees into the government plan.

Here's a pretty good synopsis of Obama's plan:

Obama's economic plan also includes a "pay or play' mandate requiring companies to either pay for health insurance for 100 percent of their full-time employees or pay 6% of their total payroll into a federally designed fund. According to Ralph R. Reiland, "Obama vs Business & Jobs" (Pittsburgh Tribune Review (10/13/2008), small employers currently face average costs of $7,600 per year insurance coverage for an employee with a family. For a small business with thin margins that can afford to cover only 10 of its 50 employees, Obama's full-coverage mandate under the "play" option, at $7,600 per employee, comes with a job-killing price tag of $304,000 per year for the coverage of the other 40 employees.

One key statement in the above-cited article is very telling: Obama's idea is to have the government absorb severe costs, although he has not spelled out the details or where the funds would come from. [Emphasis added.]

Now, like everything else in life, there's no such thing as a free lunch (except if you're a politician, a Big Labor Fat Cat, or a Wall St. exec.), once more workers get dumped into Obama's government plan, the costs will rise. Once that happens, all Americans are going to foot the bill for another failed government plan through higher taxes or bigger deficits.

That's it in a nutshell, folks....How our health care will be socialized through a simple (and costly) "feel good" scheme.

For those of you who might say: Well, what alternative is there? Here's a radical idea for you: Get the government out of health care and open it up to a truly free market--something that hasn't existed in health care since 1964.

In closing, we'd like to offer this in answer to Tom Brokaw's question during the last debate as to whether health care is a "right". In 1993, Dr. Leonard Piekoff gave an address entitled "Health Care is Not a Right." It is worth a read considering that the debate over socialized medicine goes beyond the mere economics to the moral and philosophical question: What constitutes a right?

Note: Although the above address was given in 1993, during the last battle over socialized medicine, it is still very relevant. Since 1993, times have changed and, as socialists (like those Labor Bosses who have been pushing it since we were in unions) argue more vociferously for government to nationalize health care, there seems to be no clear voice on the opposite end of the spectrum.

A Call to Action: It's Not Too Late to Stop EFCA

Dear Readers:

This is a long (but necessary) post to those of you who are interested in maintaining workers' right to vote in a secret-ballot election on the issue of unionization. Please read this in its entirety, as this is not our typical post regarding union news and events, this is a personal note and a call to action…Especially for employers, attorneys, as well as those engaged in the fight to defeat EFCA.

Four things to know before reading on:

First, you should not view this post as anything other than a plea to get you involved with helping to defeat EFCA--the bill that will have longer-lasting impact and wreak more havoc on this nation's ability to compete than the current financial meltdown on Wall Street.

Second, if you are in a so-called "Swing State" and/or a Right-to-Work State (or know someone who is), this is vitally important to pass along:

• Click here for a list of so-called "Swing States" (noted in grey).
• Click here for a listing of Right-to-Work States (noted in blue).

Third, should you choose to post any of the attached posters, we strongly ask that you to get approval from your labor counsel prior to posting or sending. EmployerReport.com assumes NO reponsibility. You are strongly advised to follow your attorney's sound legal advice.

Fourth, it's time to act…
_______________________________
WHILE THINGS MAY LOOK BLEAK, IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO STOP EFCA…

SOME BACKGROUND…

For more than two years, through EmployerReport.com, we have been devoted to trying to educate the public-at-large to the devastating consequences to employers and their employees should Big Union Bosses succeed in passing the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

We have been doing this on our own time and our own dime. Sadly, though, it would appear our efforts (and those of others) have not been enough. With the election a few weeks away, there are far too many people still ignorant about what this election is really about* and why unions are spending $1 Billion to take over the federal government.

[*Note: On November 8, 2006, the morning after the mid-term elections, we wrote
as our last entry on the Kulture blog that: The November 7th election was about much more than Iraq and the repudiation of George Bush, this election was about the future of American free enterprise. Unfortunately, liberty and free enterprise lost a huge battle in the last 36 hours. To America's employers: You have now been put on notice. If you weren't energized before, you should be now. The future of your company is now in jeopardy and your workers' jobs are in peril.]

Unfortunately, despite our warnings and other efforts since 2006, as well as the excellent educational efforts of a few others, too few people have taken heed, thus leaving our nation vulnerable to the largest and most expensive union organizing campaign ever.

With only a few weeks to go and based on the most recent polling, it would appear that the unions will succeed in gaining control of the White House, as well as a filibuster-proof Senate, making passage of EFCA a near certainty.

Should EFCA get passed and signed into law, you can be assured that many companies will close under the burden of unionization, while others outsource domestically or internationally causing workers to lose their jobs. This, more than anything else, has been what has kept us motivated for these last two years—the reason why we have devoted so much time to posting and educating as many people as possible.

Our Ignorant, Bought-and-Paid-For Politicians…

Last year, two days before the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass EFCA, I (along with a few other people) had the occasion to meet privately with a Congressman who was (and still is) pro-EFCA.

During the meeting, it was clear that this labor-backed legislator had bought into the unions' propaganda 'hook, line and sinker'. However, when the opportunity arose, I told the Congressman the following:

"Look, if EFCA passes, I will have job security for life," I stated.

At which the Congressman chuckled, "I can believe it."

"However," I continued, "fifteen years ago, I and five hundred other union workers lost our jobs to Mexico and this was prior to NAFTA. The reason I am opposed to EFCA is that will cost Americans their jobs."

The Congressman told us that they (Democrats) knew EFCA wouldn't become law in 2007, because they couldn't get it passed in the Senate and they knew that President Bush would veto the bill. However, he said, it wasn't going away either.

Two days later, the US House of Representatives passed the bill and, thankfully, it got blocked in the Senate.

The Brutal Truth…

Having been called many negative things over the course of my career (some deservedly, most undeservedly), there is one core value that, since leaving the union movement, I have placed above all others—always be brutally honest. Therefore, while this may offend some of the recipients of our posts (if the proverbial "shoe" fits), if this causes some 'friends' to become enemies, so be it: The truth needs to be told…

Too many people (although not all) in the field of labor relations have been too quiet on the EFCA issue. Why? Because most people in the labor relations field know that, if EFCA passes, it will be a boon for business--job security for an otherwise dying profession.

In fact, many in labor relations see "a second renaissance of building the union movement" (as VP nominee Joe Biden stated at an EFCA rally) not as a threat to American free enterprise, but as a means of building their businesses.

While we do not disagree with this assessment, rather than being silent on EFCA (or worse, taking economic advantage of employers' EFCA fears), we've chosen to pursue a different course of action, that of education over exploitation on the issue of EFCA. As we are already probably one of the top five busiest labor relations firms in the country, we already know the course of action that will need to be taken in the eventuality EFCA becomes law.

We know the methodology for the campaigns, the messaging that will need to take place, as well as the best delivery tools. However, we have opted to devote our time, not for what's the most financially lucrative to our firm, but to fight for what's right. We know there are those who profit through the marketing of fear. We, however, chose not to. Instead, we have chosen to devote as much time and resources as possible to fight this job-killing legislation…until the bitter end, if you will.

By now, you may be wondering: What's your point? Well, here it is...

A CALL TO ACTION…

There are too many people sitting on the sidelines and too few people who know what the union agenda is for 2009. Too few people have yet to take any action at all. It's time to take action…

While there are others issues on the union agenda, including nationalization of our health care system, the two issues that may move people at the polls are the possibility that something may kill their jobs, like:

• Enactment of the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act
• Elimination of states' right to pass Right-to-Work laws, which would allow unions to require employees in (currently) 22 states to pay union dues or be fired.

Recently, an interesting fact was mentioned on one of the news shows which was that, if only five people in each Ohio district voted differently in 2004, we would have had a President Kerry for these last four years instead of President Bush. Let me say that again: If only five people in each Ohio district had voted differently then John Kerry would have been elected president.

[Yeah, I know, there's probably more than a few of you readers saying right now: 'If only…']

By all accounts (and despite the poll numbers of recent days), this election may be as tight as the one in 2000. In fact, Reuters and others are even ruminating about the possibility of a tie vote for the presidency. However, the presidency, while that's one battlefront, is not the key to defeating EFCA—the Senate is. If the GOP cannot maintain 41 Senate seats, there can be no filibuster to stop the bill. (Note: PA's GOP-in-name-only Arlen Spectre doesn't count.)

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO…

For All Readers: Help Get the Word Out About EFCA and the Move to Abolish Right-to-Work States (both of which are likely to occur if the unions win in November).

As you may or may not know, in addition to millions of unions' dues dollars being spent on TV advertising, unions are sending teams of canvassers to knock on doors in swing states. Unions are distributing 1.5 million flyers and sending 500,000 targeted attack mailers to voters as well.

Well, since we were trained by unions, we felt it only appropriate to deploy the same tactics the unions are using.

Since there are far more union-free employers and employees than those saddled with unions, we believe YOU can have a far bigger impact by reaching a much larger audience. BUT, you need to act:

For Employers: Attached are several documents, as follows:

• Two Posters (in PDF) explaining the Employee Free Choice Act that, following your labor counsel's approval, you may wish to post in your workplace. Note: These posters have been drafted, in color, for 11X17 paper.
• One Poster (in PDF) explaining Big Union Bosses' scheme to eliminate Right-to-Work states that, following your labor counsel's approval, you may wish to post in your workplace. Note: This poster has been drafted, in color, for 11X17 paper.

Focus on Right-toWork States…An Opportunity Missed:

Like EFCA (until recently), too few people are focusing on this as a potential 'wedge issue'.

The potential for eliminating Right-to-Work states will be a very big deal for many workers in those states. As several of the so-called "swing states" are, in fact, Right-to-Work states, most workers in these states value the fact they they cannot be forced to pay a union to keep their jobs. Without become partisan, these workers should be educated on the unions' efforts to eliminate their right to work in order to collect union dues.

While no state should be left to chance, a few of the Right-to-Work states that will be instrumental this year include:

• Florida
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Virginia

NOTE: In each of the materials attached, we have directed employees to educate themselves by going to EmployeeFreedom.org, MyPrivateBallot.org, and UnionFacts.com…

A REQUEST FOR THOSE OF YOU RUNNING THE ABOVE WEBSITES:

SINCE YOUR RESOURCES ARE GREATER THAN OURS IN THIS SHORT TIME FRAME, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD MAKE AVAILABLE ON YOUR WEBSITES A LISTING OF THE FEDERAL CANDIDATES' POSITION ON EFCA (i.e., "These are the candidates that have pledged to take your to a secret-ballot election away" vs. "These are the candidates that want you to keep your right to a secret-ballot election").

Employees deserve the right to know which candidates are in bed with the union bosses and it would be helpful to have a comprehensive list that can be downloaded prior to the election.

Dear readers, it's up to you to get the word out. We've been doing it for more than two years now and it has been difficult to try to overcome the unions' billion-dollar campaign.

Please help America's employees understand what Big Union Bosses intend for them after the November 4th election.

With Very Best Wishes,

EmployerReport.com

"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." -- Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

EmployerReport.com's EOW: Labor News & Our Conclusion on Obama...

Dear readers:

Although the rain is falling steadily here on the East Coast, several news stories have seemed to make the day much brighter for those employers who value freedom of choice and secret-ballot elections on the subject of unionization and who, like us, are watching the political campaigns closely.

Before we enter the insane realm of the political and why our Friday is indeed a "good Friday" (as yours should be as well), here are some of the union-related news stories we've posted on EmployerReport.com

• The SEIU's War on its dissident members in California is escalating, as Andy Stern & the Gang from DC seek to impose a trusteeship on its wayward local the United Healthcare Workers, and appointing former Labor Secretary (and current octogenarian) Ray Marshall to oversee the trial of its members.


• To make matters worse for the SEIU, earlier this week, one its union bosses, a registered sex offender, was arrested for having thousands of pictures of child pornography in his home. For its part, the SEIU (through a spokesman) stated that the union was shocked and disgusted. [As the good editor over at The Union News deftly pointed out: Perhaps the SEIU properly "vet" its own...]


• In Colorado, JBS Swift is having a heck of a time with its Muslim workers who decided to engage in a "wildcat" strike over their desire to have a mass prayer break to honor the Muslim-holiday Ramadan. In response to the wildcat, the company has terminated about 100 of them. The UFCW has vowed to fight the terminations.

These are just a few of the many stories posted on EmployerReport.com for you. However it's time to turn to the political front...

The Unions $1 Billion Campaign Against America Is Turning...
[And, in our opinion, Why Barack Obama is Unfit to be POTUS]

This morning, our morning started with a smile as we read several stories that we've posted on EmployerReport.com, plus an e-mail from a friend...

• The e-mail from a friend alerted us to a video of Candidate Barack Obama's Vice Presidential pick Joe Biden (also known as the Human Verbal Wrecking Crew) caught on a YouTube video poking fun at a paraplegic at a rally. [You can watch the video here.] This marks the second day this week of Biden Embarrassments for the Obama campaign, as earlier this week Biden himself told an audience that one-time Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton "might have been a better pick" than himself.


• The second item that turned our day even brighter was the USA Today/Gallup poll indicating that Congressional campaigns are now competitive--as opposed to runaway wins for unions the unions.


• The third was the story of a growing sense of doom among Democrats...


• While the fourth is the story of hypocrisy coming from the Obama campaign over its support of the so-called Fair Pay Act (that piece of legislation that eliminates the statute of limitation for pay discrimination claims). It seems that women in the Junior Senator from Illinois' own Senate office (as well as his top campaign advisors) make less than the men in similar positions.

Of course, all of this can be credited to The Sarah Surge.

Over the course of a short 14 days, the selection of a Hockey-Mom-Turned-Small-Town Mayor-Turned-Governor of Alaska has done more to frustrate Democrats and their Big Union Bosses than anything else the GOP could have done.

So, given all of the events of these last two weeks, and especially the reaction from the Left to Ms. Palin's meteoric rise, we've come to a half-in-jest (but somewhat serious) conclusion: Barack Obama is not fit to be President of the United States (POTUS). Here's why:

Never mind that we disagree with the fact that he supports the Orwellian Employee Free Choice Act that will kill countless American workers' jobs. Never mind the fact that he's seems to have no idea that it is business that creates jobs and not unions. Never mind the fact that he wants the government to impose his belief that you are your brother's keeper and that is NOT the role that government should impose on a FREE people. None of these are the reasons why we think Candidate Obama is unfit to be President Obama. For us, it boils down to this:

After nearly 20 months of branding, image making, endorsements from the privileged elite and labor bosses alike, well-delivered speeches to fainting audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands, the unmitigating lack of scrutiny from the press (and people who should know better), as well as the ability to take down arguably the most powerful woman in Western World--after all of that--Barack Hussein Obama was taken down in one 35-minute speech by an unknown hockey-mom of five-turned-small-town mayor-turned governor.

[Note: If you were not one of the 40 million people who watched the speech you can view it in its entirety here]

You see, no matter who John McCain selected as his VP candidate, the criticism from the Left was expected to be sharp. However, with Sarah Palin's pick, the reaction went from the expectedly sharp to Barack Obama's condescendingly self-aggrandizing dismissal of Sarah Palin to CNN's Anderson Cooper to the hysterical and insultingly shrill claim from South Carolina's Democratic Chairwoman Carol Fowler that "Palin's primary qualification is that she hasn't had an abortion."

You see, here is our theory: If all it takes is a 35-minute speech to eviscerate and reduce the man who has trademarked "Hope" and "Change," the guy that the entire Left (from Democrats to Socialists to Anarchists) has endorsed to a biting, sexist, and condescending babbling boob, then he really is unfit to be POTUS.

If, after His Styrofoam-columned coronation in Denver the week before left the Anointed One seemingly invincible and omnipotent, it only took one-35 minute, well-delivered speech, to knock him off his mile-high perch and expose his glass jaw, it leaves us to question: If someone as simple and down to earth as Sarah Palin can take you down, what chance do you have against Vladimir Putin?

...Or, to put it in the same crudely sexist terminology that the Left seems to be desirous of using:

DUude! YOU GOT YOUR A** KICKED BY A CHICK!!!

The media is beginning to say this week that "Palin has gotten into Obama's head." Really?

Was it that easy? A fresh face and a fresh speech to knock him off his game, to maul his mojo?

If that's the case, then how will the free world fare when someone really wants to 'get into his head'? [Hopefully, Mr. Obama doesn't smoke cigars like the last Democratic president did.]

Oh...one other thing...In answer to the question going around the media this week: Was the 'Lipstick on a Pig" comment directed at Palin? Yes, it was. Anyone who knows about writing speeches should recognize that the comment (regardless of the context it was put in) was a barb meant to poke fun at Palin. The problem is, it backfired.

And THAT, dear readers, is our take on the State of our Nation this Friday...

We hope you have a truly wonderful week's end and, for those of you friends and clients who are in the path of Hurricane Ike, PLEASE STAY SAFE.

Until next week.

Machinists' Union Flip-Flops and Endorses Barack Obama

In another example of today's union bosses' sleaze*, today's tepid endorsement of Barack Obama by the International Association of Machinists seems to be more about endorsing the "silver tongued orator...the man in love with the microphone" than telling Americans how the union really feels about Barack Obama.

For, if honesty were an issue for the Machinists' union bosses, based on their earlier animosity toward the Annointed One, they should have offered a simple "present" when asked of their presidential pick for November.

You see, it was only several months ago that the Machinists' Big Boss Tom Buffenbarger argued that Barack Obama was merely a 'thespian' who abandoned Maytag and United Airlines workers.

You can read the transcript here...

Or watch the video of 'Blowhard Buffenbarger' below...



Now, contrast the above (which is something of an unintential endorsement McCain's abilities over Obama's) to the comments contained in today's statement:

While our no holds barred support for Sen. Clinton might seem to preclude shifting our allegiance to another candidate, we are prepared to support Sen. Obama with the same enthusiasm and the same determination with which we backed Sen.
Clinton.

The difference between Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama is nearly invisible when compared to the differences between Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain.

Apparently those differences were visible a few months ago when Buffenbarger compared Obama to “Janus, the two-faced Roman god of ancient times” and his followers "latte-drinking, Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies."

Today's the IAM's endorsement of B.O. may seem disingenuous to some (including us). However, the Grand Poobahs over at the Grand Lodge must figure it's okay to back 'two-faced' candidates, so long as they get a commitment to support the no-vote union bill, the Employee Free Choice Act.

You see, to today's unions, principles and having the courage to stand by them is okay..unless that stands in the way of money going to the unions' treasuries.

*And that, folks, is sleaze.

Breaking Union and Political News from 30,000 Feet

This week is starting out to be another interesting week for Americans who follow labor relations in the US of A...

• Late this morning, following a news story that United Airlines leaders claimed to be 'untrue,' shares of UAL dropped 60%, prompting trading on those shares to be halted.


• Over at Boeing, as we alerted you to late Friday night, 27,000 union workers have taken to the streets, halting production and affecting suppliers nationwide. The union claims to be ready for a long strike.


• In Ohio, union-backed groups, fearing a negative backlash against Barack Obama, have taken paid family leave off of the state's November referendum ballot.


• On the political front, Senator John McCain and Hockey Mom-Turned-Alaska Governor-Turned-VP Candidate Sarah Palin have moved ahead of Barack Obama and (Men's Hair Club customer) Joe Biden in the ever-important political polls for the first time ever...This, like a big purple pill, has added a bit of a bounce to Candidate McCain's stump speeches and has even prompted one feminist writer to argue for the newly-minted dynamic duo...all as Palin's pastor urges prayer for the media.


• And, as if the news couldn't get any worse for the United Auto Workers (aka the Union of Ailing Workplaces), it seems that the union's golf resort is bleeding cash...to the tune of $23 million over the last five years. [That's right, the UAW owns a golf resort--bought and paid for through its (now-unemployed) members' dues.]

For these, and many more stories, including the SEIU's ongoing battle with its own members in California, be sure to go to EmployerReport.com

Best wishes for a productive and prosperous week!

Obama's & The Dem's Union Agenda (...a partial list)

In the not-too-distant future, when workers begin to wonder why, after falling for Barack Obama's rhetoric and electing he and his fellow union-controlled Democrats to control our federal government, the economy tanks even further and more jobs are lost, they need only to look back at all the "feel-good" bills that Obama and his cronies are pushing today--all of which will have a seriously negative impact on companies and their ability to maintain (let alone) create jobs.

To that end, dear readers, here is a partial list of the legislation that has already been introduced (or is being pushed) that employers should expect to see enacted if Obama wins and the Democrats obliterate the GOP in the Senate to the point their is no ability for a GOP filibuster:

• Employee Free Choice Act (no-vote unionism and binding arbitration 120 days after unionization)
• Elimination of Right-to-Work states (making all 50 states forced unionization states)
• Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (eliminates statutes of limitations on pay discrimination claims)
• Healthy Families Act (mandates seven paid sick days for employers with more than 15 workers)
• Expanding FMLA to include parenting responsibilities (i.e., parent-teacher conferences) and literacy training
• Arbitration Fairness Act (eliminates PRE-dispute arbitration agreements)
• Public Employee-Employer Cooperation Act (unionizes EMS, Fire & Police at the local and state levels)
• WARN Act expansion to smaller companies
• ADA Restoration Act (expands the definition of disability)
• Protecting America's Workers Act (increases penalties--to include prison time--for employers guilty of "willfully" OSHA)
• Legalizing undocumented workers...and, of course,
• Nationalization of America's Health Care System

Note: The above list is a partial list that encompasses only that which we know about today. Obviously, this doesn't include the tax hikes that Barack Obama has promised to inflict on America.

Recently, we have heard that the cost to fulfill Barack Obama's campaign promises may be higher than $800 billion, an amount that Mr. Obama says he can save by reducing the amount America is spending on our military.

We do not believe that the $800 billion price tag accounts for the amount of company closures and subsequent unemployment that any of the initiatives listed above will cost America or her workers.

________________

Editor's note: If there is any bright side to this insanity, it is that it should only take two years of Democratic control (compared to GWB's eight) and economic malaise before the ensuing public backlash causes another wave of "hope" and "change" from the electorate. [Can anyone say: Sarah Palin for Prez in 2012?]

The Effects of EFCA Begin...

For more than two years, we have called the job-killing legislation which unions and their lackeys have dubbed the Employee Free Choice Act the Kill American Jobs Act--and with good reason: If enacted, EFCA (through its no-vote unionism and mandatory arbitration provisions) will cost many Americans their jobs.

Why? Here it is in a nutshell:

...And it really is this simple:

Unions cost companies more all the way around. While some of the costs are attributable to higher wage and benefits costs (in some cases), the hidden--and often more costly--costs of unionization come from the "administrative" costs attributable to unionization. These administrative costs include higher legal fees, loss of managerial time, overly burdensome work rules, adversarial relationships which result in lower productivity, and the like. These higher administrative costs can easily (and most often do) equate to double-digit costs to a company and, if that company is in any industry that has competition (which one doesn't?), the unionized company becomes less competitive. When a unionized company becomes less competitive, the company must find a way to become competitive again (e.g, outsourcing) or it either shrinks (and lays off its workers) or it goes out of business.

The Law of Unintended Consequences Strikes Again. Now, as union bosses spend $1 billion on the November election to have their political lackeys pass the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act, employers have finally awoken and are taking notice. As a result, as we've known for a while now, some companies are not waiting for EFCA's deleterious effects to take hold, they are either altering (or planning to alter) their business models now.

Case in point: Last week, in a discussion with a client's HR manager in the Northeast, the HR manager mentioned that area businesses have already begun planning for EFCA to become law by outsourcing to their workforces to temporary agencies. Since these were primarily warehousing jobs, they do not necessarily lend themselves to outsourcing overseas. However, there are a plethora of companies that provide temporary workers who can easily pick and pack and who, while the per hour cost may be slightly higher, the agencies that employ these temp workers are not unionized.

While unions may cry foul at this approach, they had better get used to it once EFCA passes.

The fact is, the ideas behind EFCA (especially its binding arbitration provision) are not new. In 1994, President Clinton's Dunlop Commission (you can read an analysis of the commission report here) called for such changes to appease union complaints of a declining union movement and their failures in the private sector. However, EFCA (or whatever its predecessor bill might have been named) never came to fruition due to the Republicans' gaining control of Congress in the 1994 mid-term elections.

Twelve years later, on the evening of November 8, 2006, as the last blog entry we posted on Kulture's blog (before blogging exclusively here), we stated that the mid-term elections of 2006 had nothing to do with Iraq and everything to do with unions taking over Congress. Well, the union bosses have done it and on March 1, 2007, the unions got their puppets in the House of Representatives to pass EFCA. However, they knew it would never fly until they changed the make up in the Senate and the occupant in the White House.

Now, a mere two years later, union bosses are poised to complete their coup d'etat in 2008. Unfortunately, it is ordinary Americans that will suffer more under the effects of EFCA, as more and more companies look to shed themselves of the economic costs and risks associated unionization.

EmployerReport.com's Breaking News & Labor Day Update

Dear Readers:

While we're culling the news for the hottest stories to post for you, after watching the rock-n-roll extravaganza that was Barack Obama's coronation (...er...acceptance) speech last night, we thought we'd take a moment and share some breaking news:

After several hours of speculation this morning, the surprise is now official:

GOP Candidate John McCain has chosen Alaska's GOP Governor and Maverick Mom Sarah Palin to be his running mate...

Given the vast disappointment over Hillary Clinton's primary defeat by her supporters, McCain's pick of Palin for a partner makes the race for the White House much more interesting.

In other news we're covering for you this week:

Union Bosses to Members: If you don't for Obama, you must be a racist.

An interesting phenomena has been developing over the last few months that few (if any) in the media have picked up on and that is the fact that, for the last couple of months, union bosses are seemingly telling their members that, if you don't vote for Barack Obama, you must be a racist. While we know that several unions have a long history of racism (see related blog here), to imply that any union member who may disagree with Barack Obama's (union-controlled) agenda for America is a racist seems, to us, a bit over-the-top.

We first noticed this trend emerging back in July when AFL-CIO #2 Boss Richard Trumka spoke at the United Steelworkers convention and said: You see brothers and sisters, there’s not a single good reason for any worker — especially any union member — to vote against Barack Obama. There’s only one really bad reason to vote against him: because he’s not white.

Then, earlier this week, Teamsters' Boss Jimmy Hoffa made the comment: "There
are people who are not going to vote for him because he's black. And we've got to hope that we can educate people to put aside their racism and to put their own interests No. 1."

Not to be outdone, AFL-CIO Boss Trumka repeated his July sentiments this week by saying: "There are a lot of white voters out there, some of them union members, who think that he's the wrong race," Trumka told roughly 70 delegates and their guests. "As Democrats, we can't tap-dance around the fact that there are some faces out there just like that woman ... They're scared to death. They want change. They
need change. But they just can't get past the notion that voting for a black man
named Barack Obama is the only way to do that."

The UAW's Ron Gettlefinger was less blunt when he merely stated: Whatever
issues might keep union members from voting for Obama, they need to be addressed simply by education. He said, "We just want to make sure they know what they're doing" because once the election is over, it's over. [Apparently, Mr.
Gettlefinger (like many other union bosses) believes that union members can't
think for themselves--ed.]

Then, of course, there's AFSCME's Gerald McEntee who, before she dropped out of the race, was one of Hillary Clinton's more ardent supporters--even going so far as bragging that "We kicked (Obama-backer Andy Stern's) ass from one end of Ohio to the other, and in Texas, too.''

McEntee, despite spending tens of millions of his union's money to defeat Obama earlier this year, is now a full-blown Obama supporter.

McEntee, in his typical crude fashion, had this to say earlier this week: “There are some local union presidents that are afraid — yes, that’s the word, afraid — to hand out literature for Barack Obama,” said McEntee.

McEntee said union members need to consider Obama’s voting record on labor issues, not his race.

“You can’t vote for Barack Obama because he’s black? That’s bulls--t. Absolute
bulls--t,” said McEntee to a standing ovation from the crowd.

McEntee said that the race between Obama and McCain should not be close and that the Democrat should have a much bigger lead in the polls. “We have to wake up, wake up our own members,” said McEntee. “It’s a no-brainer, a no-brainer.”

He said unions will be in deep trouble if Obama is defeated for the presidency.“If
we don’t win those states — excuse my language, I know it’s early — but we will
be in the proverbial s--thouse for the next four years,” McEntee said.

There you have it folks. While we agree that voting for or against anyone due to their race (or sex) is wrong, what union bosses seem to be ignoring are these simple facts:

• Approximately 40% of union members are registered Republicans--many of whom may disagree with Obama's agenda.


• Union members are not necessarily racist, if they do not support a black candidate


• Many of the union members that union bosses are talking about may not be
  "union junkies" as union bosses wish they were, but are actually forced to
  belong to unions (or be fired) as a condition of employment. Therefore, for
  union bosses to expect a lock-step march from their forced membership is simply and presumptuously wrong-headed.

As a final message for you as you begin your three-day Labor Day weekend:

Every Labor Day weekend, the media bombards us with stories about unions and their past and current roles in society. This year, due to the union effort to take over the federal government and enact the anti-democratic (and hallucinogenically-named) Employee Free Choice Act, you will see more than the usual plethora of pro-labor stories in the media. As a result, and as we've done for the past several years, we offer you the following op-ed by Fredric Hamber: On Labor Day, We Should Honor Man's Mind, Not Men's Muscles, as the Real Source of Wealth and Progress... For those who know us, you already know that this op-ed has been a favorite of ours for a number of years and we thought many of our new subscribers would value its perspective.

For more union-related news stories, be sure to go to EmployerReport.com.

On behalf of EmployerReport.com, we hope you have a safe and very relaxing long weekend.

EmployerReport.com EOW: Is Change Afoot?

Dear readers:

Before sharing some of the top news we're posting for you on EmployerReport.com, we'd like to give a hearty welcome to our new e-mail update subscribers. As most of our readers already know, EmployerReport.com was launched on Labor Day 2006 to provide a free news-posting web site to awaken the public to the radical agenda of today's union bosses, including the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act. Although we strive hard to update EmployerReport.com daily (M-F), our updates are sent out only as time and news warrant.

To that end, we're pleased to announce that, over these past two years, we've had more than 27,000 hits to EmployerReport.com, as well as received many compliments from the readers of our blog (as well as the occasional misguided insult from the occasional union junkie). While we had hoped that more people over these past two years would visit EmployerReport.com, we are mindful that our site is not one of those compensable enterprises launched to be profitable and is run with minimal monetary investment and a whole lot time. Alas, unlike unions which are spending $1 billion to take over the U.S. government, ours is a labor of...er...necessity to do our part to counter the union-made propaganda.

Now, on to the news...

While we have far too many stories posted on EmployerReport.com to report on here, there are several that have piqued our interest:

On Politics...

• Today, Hillary Clinton supporters have even more to be angry about than the primary loss of their candidate as politico.com is reporting that the Democrat Dream Ticket of Obama & Clinton was never even under consideration as the Obama campaign never bothered to ask Clinton for a "single piece of paper" to 'vet' her for the position of veep.


• As Democrats conventioneers head to Denver for their party's party, it would appear that the DNC convention will be more union convention than a politcal party's convention, as the AFL-CIO is boasting that 25% of convention delegates will be union members, while we believe it is demonstrative of the DNC's abhorrence of American business, the National Review is reporting that not a single businessman, entrepreneur, or private sector innovator will be speaking during the DNC's confab.


• ...And in the who-would-have-thought-it-was-possible category, a new Reuters/Zogby poll has GOP candidate John McCain up by 5%...


• This leads us to an observation we've been making over the past few weeks: Unlike other presidential elections in the past, we've noticed a large lacking of political bumper stickers on cars, trucks and the like. In fact, after just returning from a 1,000 mile ride to Maine and back, among all of the vehicles we passed to and fro that chilly state, we counted a mere three Obama bumper stickers and NO McCain stickers the entire trip. (We'd like to know: Are you observing the same phenom?)


• Speaking of Maine: Our trip to Maine was taken for both business and pleasure (ie. the ability to ride the Harleys to points far away is a powerful motivator) and it pleased us to see within 30 minutes of hotel check-in three ads targeting the anti-secret ballot/pro-EFCA senatorial candidate in that state (you can view the ad by going here). This gives us some hope that people are starting to wake up to Big Labor's scheme to unionize America's workers through the elimination of a secret-ballot election. As many of our readers already know, and a few new ones may not, the battle as to whether the moronically-named Employee Free Choice Act passes may hinge on the ability for the GOP to filibuster this job-killing legislation while union bosses are trying to reduce the number of GOP senators to make the Senate "filibuster proof." [Note to those of you who, like us, slept through high school civics: If the GOP falls below 40 seats in the Senate and Obama wins the White House, EFCA will pass unhindered and you can expect markets to plummet and more jobs to disappear.]

EFCA Update:

• Yesterday, according to the NAM's ShopFloor, union junkies were up to their normal shenanigans trying to intimidate pro-secret-ballot ralliers.


• A video you need to pass along: Although we lean very much toward the Libertarian mindset, this video was posted by the NRSC a few weeks ago, we've been shocked that only 3,400 people have viewed it. If you haven't seen the video, you need to. Once you've seen it, you should pass it along...because it is the clearest video out there to demonstrate the importance of this election. This, by the way, is not an endorsement of the NRSC or that party, it is just an excellent video on EFCA. This and most other good EFCA-related videos are posted on EmployerReport.com' EFCA page.

As stated above, there are far too many stories posted on EmployerReport.com to list here so you are encouraged to peruse EmployerReport.com to read them. However, here are a few that you might find of interest:

• SEIU MEMBERS VOTE TO STRIKE LAX...


• 'SEIU is corrupt,' says rival union's ads...


• SEIU used students 'like pawns,' say student activists...


• Duuude: UNITE-HERE protests new luxury hotel in Santa Cruz...


• Another racist union member hangs another noose in Philly...


• FUNERAL HELD FOR STRIKER, AS PARTIES AGREE TO MEDIATION...


• Final Countdown: Boeing and IAM in round-the-clock negotiations...


• CARPENTERS' UNION THUGS BEAT MEMBER OUTSIDE OF CHURCH...

...and one from last week that we believe bears repeating and passing along to your friends in "right-to-work" states...

• EMPLOYER ALERT: BILL TO ELIMINATE RIGHT-TO-WORK STATES SECRETLY INTRODUCED IN HOUSE...

On our blog, you'll find this story around some others we've posted: BLOG: Wal-Mart's Fight For the Truth Should be YOUR Fight Too...

With that, dear readers, we wish you a very best of weekends.

EmployerReport.com
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." -- Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776