Ten Questions We'd Like to Ask John McCain...

The questions below are some random thought we had this evening...

1. Since the AFL-CIO and Change to Win union bosses are spending approximately $1 billion of their members' money to destroy your character in order to defeat you in November for the sole purpose of getting the delusionally-named Employee Free Choice Act passed and signed into law (which would effectively eliminate workers' right to vote by secret-ballot on the matter of unionization, as well as force companies into governmentally-imposed contracts, which will ultimately cause many companies to go out of business) why don't you discuss this more and expose it for what it is?
2. Does the fact that Barack Obama is getting more media attention than you make you jealous?...Do you think it's intentional?
3. Given last week's Supreme Court ruling (and since Barack Obama seems to think that people who cling to their religion or their guns out of 'bitterness') what will you do to ensure that Americans keep the right to bear arms?
4. Since the Left is painting the picture that you are running to George Bush's third term, what will you do to set yourself apart from Bush?
5. Since Obama and the Democrats' main strategy in Iraq is to retreat and surrender, what strategy do you have in getting our troops home with victory and dignity firmly in hand?
6. Since the Republican brand is so tarnished and the Left is painting you as Bush the Third, how can the United States regain its credibility throughout the world with a Republican president?
7. Americans seem to like Barack Obama because he engages in "feel-good" politics, yet his policies will create higher taxes, more regulation, more job losses, as well as nationalize health care and, possibly, the oil industry? Do you think Americans become enamored with Marxism?
8. Is Barack Obama America's version of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez?
9. If your daughter Meghan were on the campaign trail more with you, you would definitely have the young (18-35...make that 45) male votes in the bag. Have you considered it?
10. When will you begin campaigning like you want to win?

For more election coverage, go to EmployerReport.com

Rove: It's All About Obama

Whether you love him or you hate him, Karl "the Architect" Rove has written an interesting piece on Barack Obama, published in the Wall Street Journal.

Rove makes rather pointed observations about Obama's recent flap with redesigning the presidential seal:

His seal featured an eagle emblazoned with his logo, and included a Latin version of his campaign slogan. This was an attempt by Sen. Obama to make himself appear more presidential. But most people saw in the seal something else – chutzpah – and he's stopped using it. Such arrogance – even self-centeredness – have featured often in the Obama campaign.

Rove goes on to point out other examples of Obama's arrogance, even as it relates to Obama's "pimp slapping" (our term, not his) Hillary Clinton following her exiting the race by hiring her fired campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle.

Like we said, it's an interesting piece.

American Voters are the Victims of the Largest and Most Expensive Union Organizing Campaign in History

“The official AFL-CIO endorsement of presidential hopeful Barack Obama this week confirms that this November’s election will be the biggest and most expensive union organizing campaign in history,” says Peter A. List, Editor & Chief Blogger of EmployerReport.com.

“Big union bosses are projected to spend approximately $1 billion of their members’ money and send hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers to the streets across America to convince voters that Barack Obama is a different kind of candidate,” says List. “The reality is Obama is nothing more than a typical politician kow-towing to a special interest—Big union bosses. Unfortunately, these union bosses are underhandedly attempting to dupe Americans into electing a candidate who has promised his backers at the AFL-CIO and Change to Win federations to effectively do away with Americans’ right to a secret-ballot election on the matter of unionization.”

List is referring to the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which he calls the “Kill American Jobs Act.” Despite the fact that unions win roughly 60% of secret-ballot elections conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, union bosses are pushing a bill that accomplishes three things for them:

First, EFCA eliminates Americans’ rights to secret-ballot elections on whether or not to become represented by unions through a deceptive and coercive process called “card-check.” Card-check enables unions to gain union representation when a mere 50% + 1 of a targeted workforce is talked into (be it through desire, deception, or coercion) into signing a union’s authorization cards. Under EFCA, union organizers will have the unfettered ability to misrepresent the purpose of signing a card, much to workers’ detriment, as workers will no longer have the ability to vote in secret their true desires on unionization.

Second. once unions gain representation of an employer’s workforce, EFCA forces an employer into binding arbitration after 120 days of negotiations, using a government-imposed bureaucrat to impose a contract governing an employer’s terms and conditions of employment, which could easily put a company (and its workers’ jobs) in economic peril.

Third, EFCA imposes grossly exorbitant fines on employers, under a union-controlled National Labor Relations Board, for allegedly violating workers’ rights. This provision will have the effect of chilling employers’ First Amendment rights, as employers will become fearful that anything that is said to workers targeted for unionization may become twisted into an allegation of an unfair labor practice charge.

“It’s unfortunate that American voters are being fooled into thinking Barack Obama is anything but a bought-and-paid-for lackey for big union bosses like Andy Stern, John Sweeney and their cronies,” says List. “Obama and his fellow Democrats’ insistence on passing this dangerous legislation will put more American jobs in jeopardy of outsourcing and subcontracting, as capital flees America like never before, and it will put many smaller companies out of business.”

“Americans should be warned now of the consequences involved with EFCA,” says List. “Because, if union bosses succeed in their plan to gain control of the federal government in November, the resulting loss of jobs that will occur due to EFCA will be staggering.”
______________________

EmployerReport.com, launched on Labor Day 2006, is a free website that provides employers and the legal community news links and commentary on today’s labor unions.

Peter A.List, a former union activist, is Editor & Chief Blogger of EmployerReport.com, as well as Founder & CEO of Kulture, LLC—a nationally known labor and employee relations consulting firm assisting employers with employee and labor issues.

EmployerReport.com Mid-Week Update: Yeah...it's political...

Before we opine on some current news, here are a few of the many stories we're posting for you on EmployerReport.com:

LOCAL BARRED FROM CONVENTION, AS MACHINISTS PONDER DUES INCREASE...

MICKEY PICKETS DISNEYLAND IN EFFORT TO INFLUENCE TALKS...

Teamsters leaflet Kenny Chesney concert...

HOLLYWOOD PARALYZED...

Nursing battles rage on as CNA tries to unseat SEIU in Vegas...

AFTER A YEAR OF FAILURES, UAW STILL TARGETING ATLANTIC CITY...

GREEKTOWN CASINO LAYS OFF UAW DEALERS...

With $46 billion pension deficit, Boeing puts new 401(k) plan into effect...

These and many more stories that cannot posted here can be found on EmployerReport.com.

Now, on to our opine...

**WARNING: For those readers who sometimes feel we spend too much time pointing out the political ties between labor unions and the current Democrat party, we encourage you NOT to read the rest of this update, BECAUSE...

...politics seem to be taking center stage this week, as the AFL-CIO is set to issue its endorsement of Barack Obama tomorrow, solidifying the Illinois Senator's bona-fides as the union bosses' candidate of choice.

In related news, the venerable labor federation sent out its endorsement ballots on Tuesday with only one name on the ballot, prompting one of our many learned readers to write "Only a labor organization would do it this way. And, the Communist Party..." To wit, we respond: With today's unions, what's the difference?

Speaking of the Communist Party and the AFL-CIO (believe it or not, there is still a Communist Party), CP USA Political Action Committee Chairwoman Joelle Fishman has written a more-than glowing article about Obama and this year's elections, stating that "Big political shifts are under way" and ending her article with a quote from AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker proclaiming "we are going collect our debt this November." [Editor's note: For those who may think that we've been crying wolf for these many months, we can only assure you that this year all of the planning that has been going on since we were in the union movement (many, many years ago) is coming to fruition--particularly so since 1995 when John Sweeney took Lane Kirkland's job at the AFL-CIO.]

Ms Baker's comments, of course, do not bode well for America's employers, or their workers, because if Mr. Obama's 12-point poll lead holds up and he succeeds in taking 14 formerly "Bush states" as he plans, you can be assured that the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act will be enacted by this time next year.

Speaking of EFCA, dear HR practitioners and Employers, did you know that if a union is out there secretly signing cards today, the cards signed today can be used tomorrow (next year) to unionize your employees (without a vote) under EFCA, since union cards generally do not go "stale" for a year and, in some cases, even longer? [Editor's note: In an effort to fully disclose here, we didn't dream this one up, it actually came from one of those devious labor attorneys with whom we work...] CLICK HERE for some things union organizers typically hide from workers.

Now, if that doesn't scare the proverbial snot out of you, take heed: We have said for years: If you're not talking/listening to your employees, you can be sure a union is. THINK ABOUT IT LIKE SEX: You forgot to have "the talk" with your kid...What does that make you, dear Grandparent?

As was stated above, politics do seem to be taking center stage this week. However, for these stories as well as other union news coverage, be sure to go to EmployerReport.com.

Please have a productive and prosperous end of the week!

EmployerReport.com End-Of-Week Wrap-Up

Dear Readers:

First and foremost: We offer a Welcome to our new subscribers.

We appreciate those of you helping to spread the word about EmployerReport.com, one of the web's only daily (M-F) news website's giving you news and views about today's labor unions from a pro-employer, pro-union-free worker viewpoint.

Now for our End-of-Week (EOW) Wrap-Up:

Sometimes the stories in the news are just too much! Sometimes they're hilarious, sometimes they're...well...incredible!

For us, our End-of-Week (EOW) Wrap-Up has left us feeling a little more incredulous than usual--delivering for us some real eye openers that may (or maybe not) have changed some of our opinions about today's unions...

For example:

WHEN IT COMES TO REPRESENTATION, SEIU SUCKS: In a show of union (un)solidarity, for those of you familiar with the SEIU, AFSCME's Arizona lobbyist Roman Ulman (whose union is facing a raid in the Grand Canyon State by the purple people eaters) declares that the SEIU "does a very good job of organizing, getting workers to sign up - and sign over a portion of their paychecks, but when it comes to representation, it sucks." [Okay, that, to us, is really NOT that surprising, but the fact that a union boss so brazenly put that in the press is.]

UNMADE MAIDS: THE UNION'S REJECTED US. In Las Vegas, it seems that our fundamental beliefs that unions will take anyone willing to pay them dues has been shaken to their core as UNITE-HERE's Culinary Union is refusing to unionize the maids at the Imperial Palace, despite the maids having delivered signature petitions to the union. States one maid who is upset with the union: “It’s sad when you have people who want their help, willing to pay union dues, and the union doesn’t want to hear anything.”

LIFES' TOO SHORT TO WASTE BEER: In yet another "what's up with that" union story, the Teamsters' union, which is locked in a bitter dispute with a West Virginia beer distributor, has lodged a complaint with the WV Department of Environmental Protection about the company's alleged dumping of old beer into the sewer system. Talk about an atrocity on both parties' counts! It's bad enough the company was dumping the old beer, but for the Teamsters to snitch?!? C'mon guys! Picket lines are hot in the summer time!...Go get your buckets! According to Kathy Cosco, a DEP spokeswoman, "We did receive a complaint from the Teamsters yesterday. An inspector went to the company today and found out they had, over a period of time, been disposing of their product in a storm drain. We of course informed them they cannot do that," Cosco said. "We suggested they talk with the city of Sissonville to work out something with their [liquid] collection system." [Editor's note: We have a few suggestions on how to get the parties back to the table and, if that doesn't work, we also have some suggestions for the old beer.]

TEAMSTERS ARE NAMING NAMES: Just when employees thought it was safe to affiliate with the Teamsters, one the union's representatives in Florida has sent the names of 12 of its employee-organizers to a county administrator, which has made its way to the press and all over the internet. To those involved in the union organizing (Ron Aliff, Kathy Connell, Mike Rollins, Donald Finn, Penny Oliver, Richard Longboat, John Burnett, Debbie Johnston, Henry Browning, Dan Oliver, Rachelle Jones and Jerome Golden), all we can tell you is: so much for confidentiality with your union.

ON TO MORE SERIOUS NEWS:

• This just in from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: In May, employers took 1,626 mass layoff actions, resulting in 171,387 filings for unemployment insurance, seasonally adjusted. Both events and initial claims were the highest for the month of May since 2003. To view the PDF report, click here.
• On Thursday, the US Supreme Court struck down a coercive California law that the National Right to Work Foundation's Stefan Gleason called "nothing more than an underhanded attempt by union officials to use public funds to corral California workers into their forced dues-paying ranks."
• UAW (United Auto Workers aka United Against Workers) President Ron Gettlefinger is headed to Atlantic City, NJ this weekend to attend a rally for UAW-represented casino dealers who, taking a gamble with the failing auto workers' union, voted to unionize more than a year ago but have not been able to secure the UAW's promised brass ring--a labor contract. [Editor's note: If the UAW does for dealers and their casinos what it's done for the Big Three auto makers and their workers, the dealers should fold now.]
• As part of its ongoing war against pork producer Smithfield, the United Food & Commercial Workers has launched an attack-ad campaign that the company describes as Misleading Consumers, Hurting Employees and Blocking a Secret-Ballot Vote at [one] Smithfield Plant.
• In another UFCW-related story, a former UFCW member offers his compelling account of how paying mandatory UFCW dues took his grocery salary below the minimum wage.
• In Chicago, the Teamsters have placed Local 714 into trusteeship AGAIN.

For you HR Professionals, HRCapitalist blogger Kris Dunn has a great piece on the effects that the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act may have on your career entitled A Career Killer for HR Pros. While we disagree that it is a career killer, in that there will be greater emphasis in avoiding unionization than ever before, we do believe that many of today's HR professionals are ill-equipped with dealing with the ramifications of EFCA.

In other EFCA news:

Those good folks at the Center for Union Facts are airing ads in Colorado, a key battleground state in the fight against big union bosses quest to eliminate secret-ballot elections. TV advertising is expensive and the battle is big but, if you're pro-private ballot, you can help by donating to the Center for Union Facts by going here.

In recognizing those who help the fight for the cause of freedom, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) presented U.S. Congressman John Kline (R- Minn.) with the Free Enterprise Legislator of the Year award. According to the ABC, in the 110th Congress, Kline has led the fight against the "Employee Free Choice Act" (H.R. 800), legislation that would rob workers of their right to a private ballot election when deciding if they want union representation.

For you political junkies on the...

Not-So-Right: In Chicago, in a move that will surely raise suspicion among an already suspicious conservative base, GOP nominee John McCain had a meeting with Latino leaders, pledging to push through immigration reform if elected. That said: In Senator McCain's home state of Arizona, the town of Cave Creek is trying to ban day laborers once again after a US District judge threw out an earlier ordinance.

Far-Left: As oil prices soar and the public clamors for relief, some Democrats in Congress are calling for the nationalization of the oil industry. You can watch the Fox Business Report video by going to EmployerReport.com.

Last but not least...

In what we're referring to as the world's biggest (and most expensive) union organizing campaign in history, Big Labor's presidential nominee Barak Obama met with his union backers on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The AFL-CIO will be giving Obama their blessing within weeks, and yesterday AFSCME (who backed Hillary Clinton), gave Obama its endorsement, as well as having spent $543,000 ads with MoveOn.org targeting GOP nominee John McCain.

Well, folks, that's a bit of the news that has caught our attention this week. For more news, be sure to go to EmployerReport.com.

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

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

Used Like Pawns: Teamster Bosses Order Strike Ending in Members Going to the Unemployment Line

Last week was a bad week for the 1,250 Teamsters employed by Performance Transportation Service. First, their bankrupt employer had asked them to take a wage cut in order to stay in business, but their union bosses ordered them to strike instead.

So, like obedient little pawns, they followed their union bosses' orders and hit the picket lines on Monday, June 9th.

By Friday, the company was out of business, its doors closed.

Now, all 1,250 Teamsters (and the company's support staff) are unemployed.

The question remains: Why did the Teamsters force this already bankrupt company to close and purposely send its members to the unemployment lines?

Actually, there may be more than one answer. The AP story on Saturday shed some light by explaining:

In a letter to PTS employees, company president and CEO Jeff Cornish said the bankruptcy court on June 4 authorized a 15 percent wage cut for Teamsters-represented employees for two months.

The company anticipated negotiating a new, long-term contract during that time, but the Teamsters instead went on strike Monday. Both sides met Thursday to discuss PTS' proposal, which Cornish said included salary cuts for both hourly and salaried
workers.

"Unfortunately, for reasons we do not fully understand, the Teamsters concluded that it was not in their interest to accept our offer," Cornish wrote.

"Management and many of our Teamster members were willing to make the requested sacrifices to save the company, but the leadership of the union had a different agenda," Cornish added.

What agenda? Well, the Teamsters for a Democratic Union had this on their website:

As the Teamster strike against PTS nears the end, Teamsters report seeing nonunion rigs pulling cars and trucks out of a few production plants and ports....

The strike to drive PTS out of business [emphasis added] makes sense only if the work goes to legitimate union carriers, and our union enforces Article 5 of the carhaul national contract to ensure that PTS Teamster follow their work to the new carriers....

Wait a minute! It would appear that the strike against PTS was a deliberate move on the part of Teamster bosses to close this company.

Interestingly, according to the Detroit News, PTS was the nation's #2 car hauler, hauling 2.7 vehicles a year, or 10,400 a day had been battered by rising diesel prices and slower business coming from its customers, GM, Ford and Toyota. In 2006 and again in 2007, the Company had filed bankrupcty. Indeed, the 15% wage cut approved by the bankruptcy judge was temporary--lasting only until July 31st while the union and the company could negotiate a new agreement.

It appears to us, that the Teamster bosses did not want a new agreement, and preferred that the Company close its doors in the hopes that the work would go to the remaining unionized carriers.

Unfortunately for the Teamster members who have been forcibly left unemployed by their union bosses, diesel prices show no signs of lowering anytime soon, and the automakers are still slowing more. This indicates to us, that the union bosses' strategy of putting PTS out of business may ultimately backfire on the drivers who were used as pawns by an irresponsible leadership.

SEIU's Anna Burger Would Make a Good VP Choice for Obama

Now, before you go bonkers at the our hypothesis that Anna Burger would make a good choice for Obama's VP nominee, let us assure you that we are neither fans of, nor do we even like Ms. Burger.

(Our dislike for Ms. Burger may only be because she misquoted and used us as part of she and Andy Stern's rationale for busting up the AFL-CIO.)

Further, we do not particularly think that Ms. Burger would make a good Vice President. However, she would make a good nominee, alongside Mr. Obama.

However, when we saw Ben Smith's blog SEIU pushes possibility of SEIU VP, suggesting that Democrat presidential nominee Barak Obama give a look-see at Ms. Burger, we were intrigued...then we got a little excited.

What better way to expose the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act than to put one of its standard bearers on the ticket with her puppet Obama? At least, then, the American public can finally see first hand the stakes in this election and make an informed decision with their secret ballot as to whether or not to end secret ballots.

Go Anna!

Propaganda 101: SEIU's Andy Stern is a Great Orator (as were other dictators)...

Now, before some of you left-wingers and other union sympathizers get all freaked out by the comparison below, you should watch all of the posted clips. Then, you tell us what the differences are...(Never mind, we'll tell you at the bottom of this post.)

But first, watch Andy Stern as he stumps the SEIU delegates earlier today at the convention in Puerto Rico.

Free Videos by Ustream.TV

Like all good propagandists, Stern has a simple recipe: He first boasts of humble beginnings, then builds upon his accomplishments, then goes on to bash his detractors, bash "others" (namely corporations and other union bosses), uses individual sob stories to make broad generalizations, then issues his call to action, all to the roar and adulation and exaltation of his adoring fans chanting "Andy! Andy!! Andy!!!"

In this shorter clip, see if you can spot the propaganda, the talk of 'revolution' as Comrade Stern pledges to fight for nationalizing U.S. health care, open borders, and everyone in unions under "President Obama"...



Now, before you freak out, watch these and see if you figure out the differences...



Not as long, and pretty grainy, but here's another...



Now, although not a speech, this one views like a union convention pre-speech video...


So, given all of the above, what are the differences between Stern's speech this afternoon and the others?

Simply, in a word: H-I-S-T-O-R-Y. We know how the others turned out in the last century, but we're still waiting for Stern's book to be completed. However, as his members in California allege, Andy Stern has all the makings of a world-class.

Oh, okay there's a couple of other differences. Today's dictatorial union bosses and all their convention regalia are brought to you in full color with loudspeakers blaring hip hop over streaming internet, as opposed to fuzzy bland and white clips and marching band music brought to you by newsreels.

Stay tuned...

EmployerReport.com's The Week Ahead

Dear Readers:

This week, our end of the week looks as crazy and hectic as it was last week, which means that, in lieu of our End of Week wrap-up, we're giving you The Week Ahead report.

Here's some of the stories you'll find on EmployerReport.com from the Political Front:

Although Hillary Clinton won big in Puerto Rico, Barak Obama is moving on...Hillary is planning a big speech in New York tomorrow and she's already started shedding campaign staff. This comes after Democratic party bigwigs decided to split Florida and Michigan's delegates in half, giving Obama enough delegates to nearly claim the nomination. However, Time magazine is reporting that there's no end to Democrats' disunity, and the LA Times compared the Democrats' Saturday confab to a 'zoo,' pitting Democrat against Democrat. The question is: Will Hillary end it now...or continue on until August?

That said, if John McCain's age, health and the lackluster love coming from the GOP faithful wasn't bad enough for the Grand Old Party, it seems that (eee gads!) the Drudge Report may have shifted to the Senator from Illinois too.

What's more, even though we declared that McCain is McFinished on May 12th, it seems the Libertarian spoilers may be getting a bit too high on themselves lately, declaring at their Convention last weekend that “We are in the beginning of a libertarian moment.” Now, given our penchant for liberty and our admiration for the Libertarian Party's political agenda, even we know that a "libertarian moment" in political terms is likely nothing more than a seed left popping in someone's convention bowl: Wishful thinking.

That said, we stand by our prediction that, with unions spending close to a $1 billion on the 2008 elections and barring something substantive occurring to alter the political mood of our nation, the Democrats are on track to regain the White House and further their lead in Congress.

This means, of course, that their hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act, as well as a host of other anti-business/anti-worker legislation (including the RESPECT Act, Ledbetter Pay Act, as well as the nationalization of our health care system), is almost-certain to get passed and get signed into law.

On the Union Front:

In addition to posting articles on union corruption, failed strikes, and more union layoffs, our attention is drawn to Puerto Rico this week, as the SEIU gathers for what appears to be a very raucous and divided convention. As such, we're posting SEIU Convention Updates (including video) as they happen. So far, the SEIU infighting has filled most of the labor press reports.
However, a couple of highlights worth noting so far:

• SEIU Healthcare boss Dennis Rivera stated in his opening remarks that the union is shooting for up to 10 million SEIU healthcare members;
• The SEIU is also planning to open call centers to service their members (as opposed to face to face) to allow greater resources to go to organizing new members;
• On Saturday, a group of Puerto Rican teachers were 'attacked' by riot police when they went to protest the SEIU's raiding of their union.
• For these and more SEIU convention posts, go to EmployerReport.com

On our blog, we explore the smoke and mirrors spectacle of the United Auto Workers' filing of an unfair labor practice charge against Caterpillar, when the heavy equipment manufacturer announced last week that it was banning smoking at its U.S. operations:

The UAW wants its smoke to blow both ways...

Whatever way the wind blows, the UAW will blow too...

First, it seems the United Auto Workers wanted to protect casino workers from the ills of smoking and second-hand smoke, even going so far as celebrating when Atlantic City banned smoking in casinos.

Blathering on their website in April that "Secondhand smoke is a serious occupational hazard for casino workers," the UAW fought to get the smoking ban in Atlantic City, which will go into effect Oct. 15.

Read more...

For these and many more stories, be sure to check out EmployerReport.com all week. We'll be posting the news, as it comes in.

AND, for those of you heading to Charlotte this weekend, we hope to see you on Sunday afternoon (or on Sunday night depending on how good the riding weather is)!

Have a productive and prosperous week!

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

The UAW wants its smoke to blow both ways...

Whatever way the wind blows, the UAW will blow too...

First, it seems the United Auto Workers wanted to protect casino workers from the ills of smoking and second-hand smoke, even going so far as celebrating when Atlantic City banned smoking in casinos.

Blathering on their website in April that "Secondhand smoke is a serious occupational hazard for casino workers," the UAW fought to get the smoking ban in Atlantic City, which will go into effect Oct. 15.

Meanwhile, in Connecticut the UAW fought and, ultimately, failed to get smoking banned at the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos.

In Detroit, the UAW seems to be missing from Michigan's current debate on smoking bans. Perhaps the union, like the Detroit casino management, is finally realizing that killing smoking in casinos may just kill their jobs--smokers and non-smokers alike.

That said, last week the United Auto Workers did a hypocritical about-face on the whole smoking issue when heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar decided to ban smoking at all of its U.S. properties.

Instead of applauding the effort to snuff out Caterpillar's smokers, the UAW filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

After denying the right of smokers to puff away as they drop their nickels, dimes and dollars, the UAW has taken the position at Caterpillar that smoking has been a 'contractual privilege for 60 years'.

What's more, it's not like Caterpillar's ban caught the UAW with its pants down--the Company announced the ban last fall.

It sounds to us like the UAW is trying to have its smoke blow both ways...

For this and more union-related news, go to EmployerReport.com