EmployerReport.com

LaborUnionReport.com

2009-07-18T20:08:00.003-05:00

On April 2, 2009, LaborUnionReport.com was launched as the nation's most comprehensive source for news and views on today's unions.

To get news and views on a daily basis, go to LaborUnionReport.com, or visit the LaborUnionReport.com's blog here.

Our Last EmployerReport.com Post

2008-11-10T11:43:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-29T16:16:00.006-05:00

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

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

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

2008-10-23T21:09:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-23T16:16:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-10-22T12:25:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-10-15T15:25:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-15T12:40:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-06T20:56:00.008-05:00

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...

2008-09-12T16:53:00.006-05:00

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

2008-09-09T18:49:00.006-05:00

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

2008-09-08T15:05:00.001-05:00

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)

2008-09-04T14:36:00.005-05:00

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...

2008-09-02T10:07:00.009-05:00

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

2008-08-29T14:28:00.007-05:00

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?

2008-08-23T19:10:00.003-05:00

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

Wal-Mart's Fight For the Truth Should be YOUR Fight Too

2008-08-18T12:33:00.008-05:00

Over these past few weeks, the labor movement and its leftist allies have finally outdone themselves in their sheer hypocrisy. By decrying meetings that retail giant Wal-Mart has had with its managers to talk about this November’s election and the consequences of the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act, unions are attempting to have their cake and eat it too...

By pressing the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether or not Wal-Mart violated federal election laws, unions are also putting all employers on notice that you have no right to talk to your employees (or managers) on a bill that may negatively affect your business and put employees' jobs at risk--if that bill is something that union bosses want, that is.

While all media accounts seem to agree that (unlike union bosses) Wal-Mart never told its managers who to vote for, it did talk about the ramifications of EFCA on its company. According to union shill American Rights at Work's Mary Beth Maxwell, Wal-Mart "adapted their unionbusting tactics to influence our federal election system."

WHAT?!? Wal-Mart is but one company. Yet, no one apparently sees the blatant hypocrisy of that statement as union bosses spend an estmated a billion dollars of their members' money to "influence our federal election system."

While unions seemingly would rather ignore the truth, here it is:

The Truth is: Unions have mounted an unprecented campaign to drastically alter America's union organizing system through the moronically-named Employee Free Choice Act

The Truth is: If EFCA passes, unions will have the unfettered ability to attack compnies and browbeat their workers into signing union authorization cards

The Truth is: Union bosses have promised, cajoled, and even threatened lawmakers into passing this measure. If lawmakers do not support it, union bosses have earmarked $10 million for efforts to oust them.

The Truth is: EFCA will make many businesses that become unionized uncompetitive, since unionization raises the 'administrative costs' of doing business anywhere from 15% to 30%.

The Truth is: EFCA also contains one of the most job-killing pieces of legislation ever called for--binding arbitration.

The Truth is: EFCA will set the stage for labor battles like those in the 1930s to take place as, once an EFCA-imposed contract expires at those companies that can survive, strikes and lockouts will become more commonplace.

The Truth is: EFCA is merely a way for labor union bosses to bring more money into their coffers and has nothing to do with freedom.

The Truth is: Unions have already cost countless workers their jobs in heavily unionized industries.

The Truth is: EFCA will cost more Americans their jobs.

The Truth is: Union bosses do not want people to know the truth!

While unions often squeal like stuck Arkansas razorbacks when their opponents use the same tactics the unions use, this instant case goes beyond the bounds of normal union hypocrisy. Further, if the unions win this battle against this employer telling the truth, then all Americans should be concerned. For, if the union bosses and their like-minded ilk win this battle and companies are prohibited from telling the truth, the all Americans will lose as truth will have no place in America any longer.

____________________

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

Charges Filed Against Communications Workers of America (CWA) For Retaliating Against Workers

2008-08-15T12:05:00.005-05:00

The National Right to Work Foundation has posted an excellent example of what commonly happens to workers who oppose today's union bosses by refraining from union membership.

Ironically, the case involved the alma mater of yours truly, the Communications Workers of America (CWA). As a former CWA union 'enforcer' in a Right-to-Work state, it is not hard to believe how these workers were intimidated, as non-union workers were a constant targeted in our local union.

Although the union called them 'membership drives,' it was nothing more than a pure campaign of targeting these workers through persuasion, intimidation (especially for those who crossed our picket line in 1986) and, in some cases, unlawful extortion as non-members would routinely have their grievances conveniently 'dropped' if they refused to sign up.

Additionally, non-members had their names routinely published at the union hall and given to the union stewards in eacd department while bounties of $15 per card were offered to any member who would get the "free-loaders" or "scabs" (as they were commonly referred to as) to sign up with the union.

Although publishing social security numbers is not something that I can recall, the workers in this video are sharing with you what was, in our case, not beyone the bounds of propriety.

Note: While these workers (and those who work in the 22 Right-to-Work states) are still legally able to refrain from union membership, their rights may soon be eliminated by a secretly introduced bill in Congress that, if enacted, will eliminate their right-to-work status.

See post below.
_______________

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

WORKERS IN 22 STATES MAY BE FORCED TO JOIN UNIONS AS BILL IN CONGRESS TO ELIMINATE STATES' RIGHT-TO-WORK STATUS IS SECRETLY INTRODUCED

2008-08-15T11:07:00.008-05:00

Unions: Pay Us Or Be Fired!

Going largely unnoticed in the media and blogosphere over these past few weeks is a bill that was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 10th which, if enacted, will eliminate the Right-to-Work provisions of the 1947 Labor Management Relations Act (better known as the Taft-Hartley Amendments). To view the bill, click here.

While the bill has little chance of passing before 2009, it should send a clear warning to workers and employers in the 22 "Right-to-Work" states that labor bosses at the AFL-CIO and Change to Win federations are hell bent on requiring workers to pay dues or be fired.

Some readers may not understand the ramifications of this, so here is a brief explanation of Right-to-Work versus Non-Right-to-Work:

Prior to the Taft-Hartley Amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, it was legal for unions in all 50 states (48 at the time) to negotiate "union (income) security" clauses into collective bargaining agreements (CBA), which requires all workers covered by a CBA to finance the union through dues or fees or be fired. In essence, if a workers fails to pay the union, the union (under the CBA) has the right to require the employer to terminate the employee.

In 1947, over President Truman's veto, Congress amended the NLRA by passing the Taft-Hartley (LMRA) amendments. This allowed states, for the first time, to pass so-called "right-to-work" laws, which enable workers to work at a unionized employer without being fired for refusing to pay union dues.

There are currently 22 Right-to-Work states. To see a map of which states provide the freedom to pay or not pay a union without the threat of termination, click here.

If unions succeed in getting their union-backed candidates elected this fall and this bill passes, workers who choose to keep their own money from the pockets of the union bosses will suddenly be faced with the choice to either pay union dues or be fired.

Clearly, the agenda of today's union bosses is to force workers into unions by any means possible--be it the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act, the equally moronically-named Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (HR 980) (which forces unionization on state and municipal police, fire and EMS personnel) or the elimination of workers' choice to refrain from paying dues in Right-to-Work states.

Union bosses now dictate the agenda of the Democrat Party's candidates making the November elections determinative as to whether union bosses get their way with the American worker.

____________________

Hat-tip to Bret at Maverick Solutions for alerting us to this.

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

Labor Union Update & Alligators, Wolves & Bears (Oh MY!)...

2008-08-11T23:45:00.009-05:00

It's been a hearty couple of weeks since our last missive to you and, at the bottom of this post, we'll share our (near) experiences with the alligators, bears, wolves and a very, very juicy bug.

In the meantime, here's a breakdown of a few of the stories we're posting for you on EmployerReport.com:

Edwards Admits to Schtupping the Help While Wife Stumps for Him...All at Hillary's (and Her Supporters') Expense:

If you saw the news over the weekend (or visited EmployerReport.com), you may have noticed that former union darling and presidential (and VP) candidate John Edwards has finally admitted to having an affair with a videographer hired to document his campaign. According Edwards, he "made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs" and that he "started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic." We certainly won't argue with that statement since Mr. Edwards had the sick audacity to have his cancer-ridden wife Elizabeth Edwards constantly stumping for him on the campaign trail while he, of course, was 'busy elsewhere'.
However, according to the statement, apparently Mr. Edwards doesn't feel he was disloyal to his supporters or fellow Democrats.
Additionally, Hillary Clinton (and her supporters) must also be infuriated at both Edwards and the media because, as Howard Wolfson (Clinton's former communications Director) told ABCNews.com, if Edwards hadn't lied for the past year, "we would have won Iowa, and Clinton today would therefore have been the nominee." Wolfson goes on to state that he is mystified about the failure of the national media to pursue the story as it has allegations of other candidates' affairs. "I can't say I understand the rules of the media and I'm not sure they do either," he said.

Since we posted this story on EmployerReport.com when it hit the news on the Drudge Report last December, we happen to agree with Wolfson's ruminations about Big Media's blanket dismissal of the story. It would appear that Wolfson's speculation is correct in that, were Edwards truthful about his dalliances, many of Edwards former supporters would have voted for Hillary in the primaries and, therefore, she (and not Barack Obama) would be the Democratic nominee. [Editor's note: Although he should, we suppose that Mr. Obama will not be sending John Edwards and his former lover a 'Thank You' note for keeping the lid on the truth for so long.]

In other news:

According to the Statesman Journal, "Nobody is grinning wider about Barack Obama’s lead in the polls than big union bosses. This election is their best shot in a half-century to make over Washington, D.C." while the Milwaukee's Examiner.com writes about Union Bosses' Swarm Offense, stating that "National union leaders have been using the Democrat majority that took control in 2006 to lay the legislative ground work for their biggest push in Congress since the Carter administration, beginning after the November elections."

In New York, just hours away from a 65,000 union-member strike, telephone giant Verizon obtained an agreement with its unions (the CWA and IBEW) that enables the company to control healthcare costs, while giving the unions more members.

In Ohio, unions are continuing their efforts to cripple more companies in an already-down economy by pushing for a paid sick leave law.

In Las Vegas, a woman's "15 minutes of fame" have apparently expired as the Laborers union is exposed in a story of how workers are sometimes used and left in the dust by unions seeking their own agenda.

In Arizona, a judge has permanently barred the Town of Cave Creek's from enforcing its ban on solicitation that critics say unfairly targeted Latino immigrants from seeking day laborer jobs. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has passed a new ordinance stating that any new home improvement centers must have 'day laborer shelters.' The shelters must be "easily accessible and equipped with drinking water, bathrooms, tables with seating and trash facilities."

And, lastly, in the news-that-never-ceases-to-amaze-us category:

The United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) representing workers at a Tyson plant in Tennessee has opted to negotiate away one of unions' most cherished of holidays (Labor Day), in exchange for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.

Now, on to our Life on the Road (aka our aforementioned Alligators, Bears, Wolves and one very, very juicy bug) Saga...

As many of our readers who know us personally know, we are what can only be described as avid Harley-Davidson enthusiasts (sometimes called 'bikers'). As such, whenever possible, we prefer the two-wheeled method of transportation over the four-wheeled 'cage' that most are accustomed to. That said, last week, a vacation of sorts to the Outer Banks of North Carolina consumed yours truly.

Being that it was an awesome week, full of sunshine and plenty of pirate-fun for the whole "fam" (can you say 'argh'?!?), we decided to trailer the hog down to the beach. [Yes, we know that trailers don't mix with real bikers, but we figured that strapping surfboards and children to the back of the bike would not be legally permissible in most states...even though it was considered for a moment or three.]

Well, as with most vacations, duty usually calls and a client commitment was made to conduct a Union Update meeting in Greensboro.

Hmmm. Outer Banks to Greensboro: 320 miles X 2 = 640 miles of good riding in two days...No problemo! And, as sometimes happens, what sounded like a helluva good time sort of turned into Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

The adventure began on Tuesday morning with the ritualistic loading of the gear, donning the helmet and turning the i-pod to the Metallica playlist...way loud. Forty-Five minutes later, the Outer Banks (OBX) were in the rearview and the Harley was roaring the bridge from Roanoke Island to the Mainland. Then came the bizarre...

Being from the great American Southwest, we're used to seeing all kinds of signs marking road hazards, wild creatures, and assorted things like that. However, within a moment of crossing over to the mainland of North Carolina, it became a trip of....WTF!?! Here's why:

First road sign that we passed stated: Alligator River. Huh? Being that there was no shoulder on the side of the road, only some grass leading to the aforementioned Alligator River, this raised the hairs on the back of the neck only slightly...

Second road sign of note (a mile or so down the road): "It is illegal to feed the bears on the side of the road" (WHAT?!?)...One might wonder (as did I), why would there be bears by the side of the road??...Let alone, WHY would any one want to feed the bears by the side of the road???

Third road sign (a few miles further): "Red Wolf Crossing Next Three Miles". (Multiple thoughts screaming through the brain at this point...)

Fourth road sign (about when the 'Red Wolf Crossing Next Three Miles' expired): "Bear Crossing Next Seven Miles."

Just as I was digesting all of the ramifications of Alligators, Bears, Wolves and MORE Bears and possible ramifications of the return ride back to OBX the next evening, that's when it hit me...

SPLAT!!!

...The biggest, juiciest bug that I have ever been splattered by. The bug splat went from left forearm to bicep and was, I noticed before wiping it off with the back of my right glove, rather tangerine in color. I'll never know what kind of bug it was because I was too busy looking at the damn Bear Xing sign...But it became one memory (out of many last week) that won't easily be forgotten.

The trip to Greensboro was otherwise hot and long...About two hours longer than the return since I was trying to make it back to OBX and past Marlin Perkinsville before nightfall.

And, although dusk fell a bit too early as I rode through the Bear, Wolves, Bear & Alligator Trail on the ride back., the only thoughts that kept creeping through my head were: Is there enough gas in the tank?...What's that in the middle of the road???...Oh. It's a piece of tire...And, if an Alligator trips me up and I go down, will I become street meat for the wolves and the bears?...

All in all, needless to say, the return trip was uneventful (Loud Pipes Save Lives)...There were no alligators, bears or wolves to be seen, and we at EmployerReport.com are extremely happy to be sending you this post.

With best wishes for a productive and prosperous week!

For more labor union news, be sure to check out EmployerReport.com

LEGAL ALERT: NLRB Order Overturned in Shopping Mall Case

2008-07-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

THE FOLLOWING LEGAL ALERT WAS WRITTEN AND SENT TO US BY JIM SULLIVAN AND CAITHLIN SULLIVAN (no relation), ATTORNEYS WITH THE BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & ROONEY

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently overturned a 2006 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling against the operator of an enclosed shopping mall in Watertown, New York. Salmon Run Shopping Center v. N.L.R.B., No. 06-4961 (2d Cir. Jul. 18, 2008). The NLRB held that the mall violated the law by denying the Carpenters Union permission to distribute two flyers to the public inside the mall. One flyer listed the benefits of union membership and the second flyer alleged that a non-union contractor doing work for a retailer/tenant of the mall did not pay "area standard" wages.

The Second Circuit took a much narrower view than did the NLRB of the so-called "discrimination exception" to a private property owner's right to deny access to its property. The NLRB held that the mall was denying the union access merely because it was a "union seeking to engage in labor-related speech." The Second Circuit, however, disagreed that the mall's actions constituted discrimination. The court noted that the material the union was distributing could fall under federal labor law protections, but stated non-employee union organizers are permitted on an employer's property for the purpose of protecting the interests of the employees they are seeking to organize, not the union's own interests. Because the union's intended audience was not employees of the mall or of its tenants, but rather was the general public, the court held that the union's right to distribute the pamphlets was extremely weak under federal law.

Through this holding, the Second Circuit joins the Fourth and Sixth Circuits in taking a narrow view of the discrimination exception to the trespass rule. The Fourth Circuit, for example, has held that proving discrimination in this context requires a union to demonstrate that the employer favored one union over another or permitted employer material while banning union material. Meanwhile the Sixth Circuit has held that permitting limited charitable or civic appeals while banning union distribution is unlikely to constitute unlawful discrimination.

Property owners, especially shopping malls, are regularly inundated with requests from organizations to distribute materials on their property. Owners need to be diligent and consistent in their treatment of unions and other organizations seeking permission to distribute literature. A key consideration is the targeted audience: When a union is targeting the general public instead of a specific group of employees working on the property, the owner's right to deny access will likely be greater. Inconsistent treatment, however, will open the door to unfair labor practice charges by unions that are denied access.

Employee Free Choice Act on CNBC

2008-07-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

As we said earlier this week: Unions are relying on ignorance to get the moronically-named Employee Free Choice Act passed.

On the video below, Home Depot Co-Founder Bernie Marcus explains that during a recent meeting with about 100 CEO, only seven had heard of the "Kill Americans Jobs Act" (or EFCA, as it's more commonly known).

This is the first video from notables that clearly states what's at stake with the dellusionally-named Employee Free Choice Act.

It's too bad more people like Orrin Hatch (GOP Senator from Utah) and Bernie Marcus (from Home Depot) are not all over the airwaves talking about how this law will kill American jobs in droves.

Hat tip to Jim G. and Phil W. for sharing this with us.
_______________________
For more union-related news, go to EmployerReport.com

EmployerReport.com Update: HR/LR Job Postings, EFCA & Other News...

2008-07-23T20:31:00.001-05:00

Dear Readers:

Here's what's happening on EmployerReport.com

HUMAN RESOURCES & LABOR RELATIONS JOB POSTINGS...

Every now and then, even though we are not recruiters, we have employers and job seekers approach us and ask "if we know anyone"...

Last week, as sometimes happens, we were approached by a large company in need of a Director of Labor Relations. After thinking about possible match-ups, we offered to post the job posting on EmployerReport.com.

As usually happens, one idea begets another and so on and so forth...

Therefore, dear readers, we've started a new free service for you.

We've added a bulletin board page to EmployerReport.com for HR and LR job postings. If you or your company have an opening in human resources or labor relations and would like the position posted for free on EmployerReport.com, you can send it to us, and we'll have it up there for you within a few hours. The only catch, the resumes have to go to you directly (not us), as we don't have time to add 'recruiters' to our portfolio of services...(yet).

Although there is only one posting up right now, we hope to add more as word spreads. As stated, this service is free and, as long as it doesn't become a 'monster' to administer, we're pleased to do it for you.

IN OTHER NEWS, HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BREAKING STORIES THAT ARE POSTED ON EMPLOYERREPORT.COM:

ON TAKING AWAY WORKERS RIGHT TO VOTE ON UNIONIZATION...
The hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act (aka "The Kill American Jobs Act") is garnering a bit more attention....but still not enough. On EmployerReport.com, we've posted the following stories for you:

On the EmployerReport.com blog:

Unions Relying on Ignorance to Get EFCA Passed...
As Stephen Colbert (of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report) often says: "Nation, we are in trouble..."Last week, we were invited to speak before a Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) chapter meeting. The meeting was well attended (between 50 to 75 HR professionals was our guess).At the beginning of the presentation, our co-presenter asked the question: "How many of you have heard of the Employee Free Choice Act?" A handful of hands were raised.Next question: "How many of you know what the components of the law are?" Only two hands were raised (and one of them was from a client and loyal EmployerReport.com reader!). READ MORE...

How Trade Unions Are Using Democrats to Kill the Union-Free Construction Industry...
On Tuesday, November 4th, Americans will learn whether U.S. labor unions’ spending upwards of $1 billion of their members’ money on the general election will have paid off. You see, unbeknownst to most Americans, American voters have become the victims of the largest and most expensive union campaign in history. If the union bosses in Washington and their hand-picked candidates within the Democratic Party succeed in taking over the nation’s federal government, it will have long lasting and, in many cases, devastating consequences to employers and their workers across nearly every industry. However, none will be more ravaged than the union-free construction industry. READ MORE...

On behalf of EmployerReport.com, we hope your summer is productive and prosperous, with some fun in the sun thrown in for good measure.

As always, visit EmployerReport.com for the latest on labor union news.

Unions Relying On Ignorance to Get EFCA Passed...

2008-07-23T13:18:00.001-05:00

With unions spending about a $ billion on this year's political campaigns, union bosses seem to be relying on their ability to keep American voters ignorant on the facts surrounding the hallucinogencially-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

Unfortunately, their strategy to keep Americans in the dark may ultimately pay off for the union bosses if they succeed in getting their political puppets elected.

Although we've written extensively about this before, here are the facts with EFCA:

Even though unions win approximately 60% of all NLRB-conducted secret-ballot elections, unions want to effectively eliminate the secret-ballot to allow unionization purely through getting a majority of worker signatures on union authorization cards.

Since unions are legally allowed to trick workers into signing cards through a variety of tactics, such as:

Making false promises
Hiding facts from employees (i.e., the union's constitution, how unions spend workers' dues, union trials, etc.)
Sending in union "moles" (paid organizers pretending to be employees, only to unionize the company from within)
Telling workers that union authorization for to "get information" or "to attend a meeting"
[And the list goes on and on...]

This procedure makes card-check recognition wholly corrupted from the start, disenfranchising 105 million Americans, and making the Employee Free Choice Act the Employee "NOT SO FREE" Choice Act.

However, to make matters worse, because unions presently fail to get contracts about 45% percent of the time for newly unionized workers, EFCA puts a procedure called "binding arbitration" into place, allowing for a government-appointed bureaucrat to set a company's wages and benefits. This puts employers and their workers into economic peril (see article here).

Now, as we stated to a Congressman last year, for those of us in the labor relations profession who are used to dealing with unions and their disingenuous tactics, EFCA only gives us job security and increases our value to companies. The problem is, however, EFCA will kill companies and kill jobs and, as former union leaders, this should be the chief concern.

"...You can Fool All of the People Some of the Time..."

As Stephen Colbert (of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report) often says: "Nation, we are in trouble..."

Last week, we were invited to speak before a Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) chapter meeting. The meeting was well attended (between 50 to 75 HR professionals was our guess).

At the beginning of the presentation, our co-presenter asked the question: "How many of you have heard of the Employee Free Choice Act?" A handful of hands were raised.

Next question: "How many of you know what the components of the law are?" Only two hands were raised (and one of them was from a client and loyal EmployerReport.com reader!).

This, dear readers, is frightening. If employers' HR professionals do not know that EFCA is around the corner, this nation is in trouble!

The problem is, to us, union bosses and their Democrat sycophantic puppets are relying on our country's ignorance and they stand a chance of fooling American into voting for candidates that will put them out of work.

After our SHRM presentation, our co-presenter received the following e-mail from one of the attendees:

Good morning,

I attended the SHRM seminar yesterday, and I thought I'd pass along some information for you to share with the other speakers. Last evening, about 20 young guys canvassed my townhouse development in (town name withheld) with a petition for the EFCA act. When approached I looked at the clipboard and counted -every person in my section had signed it - I am sure without realizing what they were signing, it was a petition to the Senate to pass the legislation.

Very concerning........

Following our presentation, only one of the attendees e-mailed to ask for a copy of the presentation to share with his executives. Very concerning indeed.

Sadly, American voters are being subjected to the largest and most expensive union campaign in history and very few realize it. One might say that union bosses and their Democrat dupes are treating Americans like the proverbial mushroom: Keeping them in the dark and feeding them with B.S.

__________________________

For more union-related news, go to 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

How Trade Unions Are Using Democrats to Kill the Union-Free Construction Industry

2008-07-20T21:36:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, November 4th, Americans will learn whether U.S. labor unions’ spending upwards of $1 billion of their members’ money on the general election will have paid off. You see, unbeknownst to most Americans, American voters have become the victims of the largest and most expensive union campaign in history. If the union bosses in Washington and their hand-picked candidates within the Democratic Party succeed in taking over the nation’s federal government, it will have long lasting and, in many cases, devastating consequences to employers and their workers across nearly every industry. However, none will be more ravaged than the union-free construction industry.

The reason unions are spending so much to buy their way into power is that they have gotten a 100% commitment from their Democratic political picks to pass the delusionally-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). EFCA is an extremely anti-business/anti-jobs bill that passed the House of Representatives on March 1, 2007 but later failed in the U.S. Senate.

EFCA is designed to strip workers of a secret-ballot vote on the subject of unionization, relying instead on a manipulative process of unionization called “card-check” which subjects workers to union exploitation, coercion and trickery. Following a union’s successful takeover of a company’s workers under EFCA’s card-check provision, the bill also states that, if a company cannot agree with a union’s demands (regardless if the demands are realistic or not), the employer is then forced into process called “binding arbitration,” which means the negotiating process is turned over to a federally-appointed arbitrator. The arbitrator’s duty will be to decide what the terms and conditions of the first contract will be between the union and the company—whether the contract is competitive or not.

When companies are destroyed, who will provide jobs? While so-called “card-check” will have a detrimental effect on American companies and the jobs they provide, the second component (binding arbitration) is what will kill a vast number of American workers’ jobs, as it will force many employers out of business and others to outsource in order to remain viable. In the construction industry, it will simply and quickly force union-free construction companies out of business.

Unions Like Herpes?

In the mid-90s, while his company Whole Foods was under siege by the United Food & Commercial Workers, company co-founder & CEO John Mackey made an oft-quoted statement that unions and many of their followers still find appalling today: “The union is like having herpes,” Mr. Mackey stated. “It doesn't kill you, but it's unpleasant and inconvenient, and it stops a lot of people from becoming your lover." Well, if unions are like herpes in the grocery industry, trade unions are like AIDS to the union-free construction industry—and just as deadly. For when a union-free construction company becomes unionized, it is all-too-often a death sentence for that company and its workers…And the death of a union-free construction company that becomes unionized usually comes fairly quickly.

There is no other industry in America where the difference between being union or union-free is as stark as night and day. In construction, you’re either union or you’re union-free. For the union-free contractor, he gets almost all of his work based on three things: 1) Price, 2) Productivity (union-free jobsites are rarely, if ever, shut down over such things as union jurisdictional disputes) and 3) because he and his workers are union-free (see numbers one and two).

Unionized construction work is largely uncompetitive. In fact, according to one recent study[1], the costs of building “union-only” can increase the costs by as much as 35%. As a result gross cost of having a union on a jobsite, as well as the separation of union vs. union-free in the industry, it is the union trades that have been on the losing end of the competitive marketplace, as union-free work has grown significantly in the last three decades.. In fact, today, 86% of all construction- industry workers in the United States are union-free.

General contractors that have chosen to use union-free subcontractors know that hiring a union subcontractor or having a union-free subcontractor become unionized will infect the other sub-contractors on his jobsite and, in most cases, put the job costs (or completion of the job) in jeopardy. And, because the construction industry is a fairly tight knit industry where companies know one another and which are unionized or union-free, there is a tendency for union-free general contractors to shun unionized subcontractors and vice versa.

Organize ‘Em Or Put ‘Em Out of Business

Years ago, the AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Department recognized that the trade unions were losing market share to union-free construction companies. As a result, it was decreed that the unions must either unionize the union-free construction companies or put them out of business. Since then, and in large measure, the unions have failed to do either and the union-free construction industry has continued to blossom.

Today, the climate has become so abysmal for trade unions that many union locals have more members on their “bench” (out of work) than have working. As a result, many union pension funds have become underfunded and, in many cases, union workers are losing their paid health benefits due to the lack of hours working in order to maintain the benefits.

In many cases, trade unions have become so desperate for work that they have begun a questionable practice of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union’s treasury to union contractors to enable to the contractor the ability to lower its price in order to get compete. The practice is called “job recovery” or “job targeting” and it is essentially unions subsidizing their own work.

EFCA: A Death Sentence for Union-Free Construction Companies

As stated above, the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act has two main components that will have a damaging impact on the union-free construction industry: First, card-check recognition which eliminates secret-ballot elections, forcing a union-free companies to become unionized based solely on unions obtaining a majority of signatures from workers; Second, binding arbitration which forces a contract upon an employer.

Unionization under card-check makes bidding for new work impossible. Under card-check recognition, unions often use misleading and deceptive tactics to trick workers into signing union authorization cards. In fact, the majority of workers today sign union authorization cards without full knowledge about unions or the process of collective bargaining. In many cases, unions send in union “salts” or union “moles” (which are workers paid by the union to unionize a targeted company) into companies. Indeed, some unions even make “salting” a requirement for union apprentices before they can be sent to union job sites. Despite unions’ underhanded tactics, today’s system allows for workers to have a secret-ballot election wherein the workers can decide after hearing from both the union and the employer whether to unionize or not. Under EFCA, the union will decide if there is to be an election and the vast majority of unions will opt not to have an election, since they stand a greater chance to lose.

Unfortunately, under EFCA, a union-free construction company that becomes unionized under card-check will immediately be put into economic peril. The reason is the nature of the construction industry itself as most construction jobs are short in duration. Immediately upon unionization, the former union-free construction company will be unable to bid on new work as it will be unable to accurately predict its labor costs, since the company is either still negotiating or waiting for an arbitrator to decide its labor costs.

Binding Arbitration Destroys Free-Market Economics. Since 1935, one of the cornerstones of the National Labor Relations Act has been the process of collective bargaining between an employer and the representative of its employees. Under the Act, while it is mandatory for a company to bargain in good-faith with a union over wages, hours of work and other terms and conditions of employment, the Act does not require either party to agree to the other’s proposals. EFCA, however, effectively guts the collective bargaining process by using the state to impose a binding two-year agreement.

Since unions have been failing nearly 50% of the time to win contracts after unionizing workers[2], it is understandable why unions would wish to have state coercion. However, the issue becomes more complicated in the construction industry due to the fact that most trade unions have what are referred to as “area-wide” agreements. Area-wide agreements cover all of the local union’s members in the trade with the employers that are signatory to the union’s contract. Under area-wide agreements, most unions have agreements that contain what are commonly called “most-favored nation” clauses which state that the union will not agree to any other contract with any other employer that is different than what is contained in the union’s area-wide agreement.

Typically, under area-wide agreements, in addition to hourly wage rates, union provisions include such things as union pension, health and welfare benefits paid into the union’s fund, as well as the union’s hiring hall provisions (which mean that employers contract to hire workers through the union hall, as opposed to the open market). Since most trade unions cannot accept anything other than what is specified in its area-wide agreement, it is these provisions that will put the union-free construction company out of business.

Conclusion—Construction Workers’ Unemployment is in the Cards

As unions mount the largest and most expensive union organizing campaign in history, the union-free construction industry will be the first to suffer and fail if the unions and the Democrats succeed with their plans. Under the oxy-moronic Employee Free Choice Act and its coercive card-check provisions and binding arbitration, trade unions will be in a position to shut down companies within a matter of months of unionization, placing a greater number of construction workers on the unemployment lines. Unfortunately, too many union-free companies and their employees remain in the dark about the plan that unions have for them.

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[1] Project Labor Agreements and Financing Public School Construction in Massachusetts. David G Tuerck, PhD & Paul Bachman MSIE, Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University. December 2006.
[2] Source: Wall Street Journal 2006. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, 2004. Brent Garren, Chief Counsel to UNITE-HERE, before the American Bar Association’s Secion on Labor and Employment, August, 2003.

The Union Health Plan

2008-07-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

...Union bosses and their socialist comrades on the Left (like Michael Moore, the Democrat Party, et al) have been demanding "Health Care for All" since we were among their union ranks. Their goal: Import the single-payer Canadian health system (or a variant of it) here to the U.S.

This election cycle, the union bosses are spending $45 million of their members' money to promote socilaized medicine. [Note: While they can call it what they like, it will be socialized medicine...if not sooner, then definitely later.]

After seeing the video below, we're sure you'll agree that Ted Kennedy should have gone to Canada to have his brain surgery...The nation would have been much better off....Canada that is. Imagine having a big US mega-star politician sitting on your waiting list to get medical attention.

[We also think the union bosses should have their medical care done in Canada for...say...three or four years (long enough for the waiting lists to cure them of their their delusions, or they die off...one or the other would be just fine)...]

In any case, check out the video below and you'll see why the AFL-CIO, Change to Win bosses, and their Democrat puppets are wrong on this issue.

Also, check out the producer's website, Free Market Cure, it seems to have a bunch of good reading on there.

As always:

"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 HOUSE OF LABOR: WASHINGTON'S HANOI HILTON-Union Bosses' "Swift Boating" of John McCain will make the North Vietnamese look like amateurs

2008-07-10T16:39:00.007-05:00

We've written how American Voters are the Victims of the Largest and Most Expensive Union Organizing Campaign in History. We've also noted why unions are winning the PR war against business. It's all about the tactics. Namely, it's all about demonizing your enemy.

Unfortunately, the John McCain campaign does not seem to understand that McCain is the target of not a political campaign, but a union campaign. Why else would those Kool-Aid drinking union protesters be at every appearance made by John McCain?

Unless and until the McCain campaign gets it, McCain is destined to lose.

Now, the AFL-CIO is targeting McCain's biggest strength--his military service and torture in the Hanoi Hilton, and the labor behemoth is focusing their efforts on some of his strongest allies--U.S. Vets.

Unfortunately, by the time Big Labor's character assassination on John McCain is done, today's union bosses are going to make the North Vietnamese look like amateurs.

Even though Newsweek is reporting that the AFL-CIO's facts are wrong in the ad (not that we think for a minute that the union bosses will spend any effort in correcting their errors), the following is just the first of what we're sure will be many salvos from Sweeney and his comrades at the AFL-CIO:

Good luck, John. You and your campaign need it.

An Obamanation: Barack Bows to Big Labor

2008-07-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

We've been blogging constantly about the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act for the last year and a half and, unfortunately, there have been a few normally-rational readers who have doubted our motives in opposing the tide of union-bought-and-paid for Democrats.

However, the video below of Barack Obama paying homage to his union bosses and swearing to sign this union-backed, moronic bill into law if he is elected POTUS should leave no doubt in your minds about what this election is really about....

It's not the War in Iraq. It's not the Oil Prices. It's not the Mortgage Crisis. This election is all about today's Big Labor bosses taking over the federal government. If you don't believe it, see for yourself...

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

Hat tip to TheUnionNews blog, for posting this.

Company Discriminating Against Union-Free Construction Workers Targeted for ABC Ad Campaign

2008-07-07T19:41:00.003-05:00

Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. Launches Campaign Against Discriminatory Practices of Almac and Skanska USA Union-only Project Labor Agreement

[Listen to the radio spot here]

East Norriton, PA - Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC SEPA) announced today that it has launched a comprehensive marketing campaign to increase the awareness of the discriminatory practices of Almac, an Irish company serving the pharmaceutical industry and its general contractor, Skanska USA. Almac and Skanska are building a new 240,000 square-foot headquarters for Almac in Lower Salford, Pa. They have elected to utilize a discriminatory device known as a union-only Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the project.

Most people are unaware that more than 75 percent of construction workers in the greater Philadelphia area are Merit or open shop and only 25 percent have elected to join a union. Additionally, $20 million in taxes subsidies is being allocated to this project by the Township of Lower Salford. If Almac opened the bidding to all qualified contractors, the cost of the project would be reduced and there would be no need for a public subsidy.

"We believe a construction job should be based on value, safety, training, quality and experience and be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, regardless of their labor affiliation," said Geoffrey Zeh, president and CEO of ABC SEPA. "Obviously, Almac and Skanska don't have these same values. They are discriminating against the majority of construction workers in the area who are helping to fund the project with their hard-earned tax dollars. Townships, like Lower Salford, need to understand the impact of such decisions and we are hoping that this campaign will heighten the awareness of all the parties involved in this un-American practice."

The awareness campaign includes print advertisements that are titled "My Daddy Can't Work on the Almac/Skanska Project in Montgomery County", as well as 60-second radio commercials, a traveling billboard, an online petition, a resource section on ABC SEPA's website, hand bills, letters to township officials, among other marketing and public relations tactics.

ABC is a national association representing more than 50,000 Merit construction employees in Pennsylvania and 14,000 from the Greater Philadelphia region.

The Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter represents almost 500 member companies from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

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Kudos to the ABC for highlighting the all-too-often overlooked practice of discrimination against union-free workers by extortionate unions and their union-puppet politicians.

They never learn...

2008-07-05T19:49:00.001-05:00

While the following has often been attributed to Abraham Lincoln, it was written in 1916 by a Reverend William J. H. Boetcker. And, although, it was reportedly used by Ronald Reagan, it bears repeating here considering our current political morass:

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

William J. H. Boetcker, 1916

Our Day at a John McCain Meeting & Those Dimwitted Union Protestors

2008-07-02T13:25:00.011-05:00

If you follow EmployerReport.com, you've no doubt seen the articles we've posted from time to time about the union junkies who show up at McCain events to protest and picket and later post their "experiences" on line.

Note: Unlike rank-and-file union members, Union Junkies can be easily defined as your typical Kool-Aid drinkers who follow their union masters with blind obedience, chanting their mindless chant without examining reality--think Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom. We were once union junkies, but after extensive reality therapy and intense doses of reason, we kicked that bad habit.

Well, this past Monday, we had the opportunity to attend a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania with the Senator from Arizona, Mr McCain. Not being ones who are enamored with celebrities or politicians, we went more out of curiosity than anything else. In addition, although we had some questions we wanted to ask Mr. McCain (see blog posting below), it was a great day for a ride.

In any case, the McCain stump speech wasn't anything that you can't see on C-Span or Fox News (CNN won't cover him), so we won't delve into the substance of the actual meeting, as you can watch a video of the speech here.

However, beside the ride, here are some of the more interesting observations we made:

About a block before our arrival, as we were making a left onto the street where the event was being held, we saw about a dozen or so pro-abortion protesters with mostly pink signs stating something about McCain wanting to end abortion (or something like that)...

[In all fairness to the pro-abortionists, it's hard to remember what their signs said verbatim, as it was more important to watch the road with the traffic in front of us.]

As we arrived at the site of the event, which was held at in the rather large warehouse of an employer known as Worth & Company, there were probably a couple of dozen local police officers directing traffic and a lot of people being ushered up the sidewalk to a parking lot where the lines formed to get into the event.

This was going to be a much bigger event than we thought it was going to be.

Parking, it turned out, was a large field--not exactly conducive to Harleys, however, we did find a patch of pavement to throw our kickstands down.

Then came the trek across the field and down the sidewalk where the mostly union protesters had been cordoned off on the side of the street.

Although the AFL-CIO takes credit for 70 protesters, politickerpa.com estimates several dozen, and we only saw maybe 50 protesters at most...PLUS a few thousand (give or take) non-protesters there to see McCain.

Unfortunately, the non-protesters had to pass the protesters to get to the end of the line to go through the Secret Service gates. Not that that was anything special, as most protesters were not unruly. A few, however, did make some anti-McCain remarks to the passers-by and made a few mothers with children nervous.

That said, it wasn't until we stood in line for the next hour and a quarter that we were able to listen and observe the union protesters in all their dimwitted glory.

The make-up of this motley crew consisted of about eight to ten yellow-shirted UFCW protesters of whom we were not entirely sure if they were actual UFCW members or merely paid homeless protesters, as unions are wont to do these days. Another half a dozen or so AFSCME members were in attendance as well as a stray SEIU-er or two and a menagerie of other union reps. Some building trades' guys who weren't actually holding anti-McCain signs but, rather, anti-Worth & Company signs (the host of the event) were also there.

[More on the lack of protester representation from the building trades later.]

As the line slowly moved in a large 'S' curve through the parking lot, we'd hear a chant or two and a few snide remarks rise up from the foppish flock of fools. Most of the union comments were rather incoherent, but here's a few that made it to our ears:

From the cabal of Kool-Aid drinkers: "We blame McCain!..."

For what?...

"The WAR!" Comes the answer from one among them ...

"We blame McCain!" chants the gaggle of goofballs...

For what?...

"No health care!" Comes another answer... (Apparently their union contract doesn't provide them with health care.)

"We blame McCain!" blabs the boors...

For what?...

"No jobs!" crows the dolt (who doesn't realize the irony of his statement...a bunch of union guys standing on a sidewalk complaining about no jobs...talk about playing to your own stereotype!)

"We blame McCain!" shouts fewer of them...

For what?...

Silence...

we wait...

more silence...

and we wait...

Obviously, the dopes can't think of anything else...OR, they finally realized the stupidity of their last outcry....they've gone quiet it seems.

"The Lindbergh kidnapping," suggests one from our side of the lot.

Behind us in line is a Vietnam Vet and (presumably) his wife. We hear the guy explain to his significant other that he thinks one of the protesters is his union steward from work.

"He doesn't do s**t when he's working," the guy explains, "and he always leaves to go on 'union business.'"

[And unions wonder why they have such a bad rap...this coming from a dues-paying member!]

A little while later, some guy is hawking (no pun intended) McCain T-Shirts and hats and one of the protesters calls out: "Buy that shirt and it'll have blood on it!"

A threat?... No, an obvious but in-poor-taste-reference to McCain's position on Iraq. Apparently, for all of their rhetoric about 'dignity and respect' union protesters have very little of respect for the kids of Republicans--many of whom were very young and there with their parents.

A moment later one of the union guys yells out: "Vote for McCain, get the draft!"

Murmurs of assent follow from the goons.

[Obviously, no one has bothered to tell the union boobs that it has been the Democrats (particularly Charlie Rangel from New York) calling for a draft.]

After about an hour of standing in line listening to half-hearted and poorly-rehearsed chants, the line moved on and, at last, we were inside.

We saw some friends, exchanged a few pleasantries and tried to find ourselves some seats in the overcrowded building. Ultimately, after finding some folding chairs to sit on, we then let them go to a couple with three young children and wound up standing and waiting...and waiting...

Finally after about an hour, McCain and his wife Cindy came out. After speaking briefly, McCain's wife introduced the candidate.

While, overall, McCain's speech was average, the questions from the audience were anything but....

The first question was from a guy who was part rocket scientist (from the '60s) and part loon who prattled on for about five minutes about the NASA space program (in the '60s) and Boeing (in the '60s) and something about energy. After about five minutes, the crowd started to the guy and finally McCain had to politely tell him to ask his question.

The second was from a Vet who encouraged McCain not to put up with any of that negative "bulls**t" from the other side. Although the man seemed a bit intoxicated and was a little incoherent, the audience got his point and applauded.

The third was from a woman who didn't like having to press #1 for English (that drew a huge applause) and a not so crowd-pleasing response from McCain.

The fourth was from an RN who didn't like the idea of socialized medicine (we don't either, sister!)...

By this time, after standing for three hours and drinking several bottles of water, we were just hoping the event would end soon and...

It did.

While it was certainly entertaining and Worth & Company (and their employees) did a FANTASTIC job of hosting the event, providing water and superb accommodations for what could have been an unruly mob, it was a long day.

As we exited the parking lot to get back on the road, we couldn't help but notice that all the union protesters were gone.

It seems they didn't have the wherewithall to stay for the whole event.

As former agitators ourselves, we thought it would have been only appropriate to heckle people as they left. Oh well. As we've been saying for years, today's unions aren't like your grandpappys' unions.

This bring us to our last point...

Upon entering the event, as referenced above, the building trades were very under-represented. This struck us as odd.

The reason it appeared strange to us was that, whenever the building trades in Philadelphia want to amass a bunch of protesters, they have no trouble doing it. Just try building a building without using union labor in Philadelphia, the building trades unions will put a hundred unemployed guys on a line without any problem. Granted it usually dies off after the first day, but for five or six trades guys to be at a protest?...C'Mon! That's NOTHING!

Then it occurred to us. The trades guys aren't there because, in Philly, they really don't support Obama. McCain's their man!...They just can't let their union bosses know that!

You see, in Philly, the City of Brotherly Love, the unions have a bit of a problem loving their brothers (it's called racism) and unfortunately they just can't seem to help themselves from having their dirty laundry (make that white sheets) exposed again and again.

As the day drew to a close, and we got back on the bikes, we asked ourselves, was it worth it?

It took a while to answer, but in the end, we diecided it was worth it--if only for the ride and to blog about those dimwitted union protesters!
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For more union-related news, go to EmployerReport.com
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As a post script: The unions decided to post a video about their protest on YouTube.com. As you can tell, we don't think their union protest is something to brag about (especially if you're the union holding the protest), but apparently they do, so here it is...

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

2008-06-29T22:38:00.002-05:00

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

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?
Does the fact that Barack Obama is getting more media attention than you make you jealous?...Do you think it's intentional?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Is Barack Obama America's version of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez?
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?
When will you begin campaigning like you want to win?

For more election coverage, go to EmployerReport.com

Rove: It's All About Obama

2008-06-26T23:05:00.002-05:00

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

2008-06-26T15:32:00.001-05:00

“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.”
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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...

2008-06-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

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

2008-06-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

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

2008-06-16T11:47:00.002-05:00

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

2008-06-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

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)...

2008-06-02T15:56:00.003-05:00

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

2008-06-02T15:17:00.002-05:00

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...

2008-06-01T19:30:00.003-05:00

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

CHANGE TO WIN SHAKE-UP-UPDATE: DEMOCRACY IN UNIONS IS DEAD...

2008-05-27T16:38:00.002-05:00

THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE POST FROM EARLIER TODAY:

Democracy is DEAD in unions. If anyone disbelieves this, all you need to do is point to today's actions of the union bosses controlling the Change to Win federation. Not only did they hand-pick the original leader of their federation, Greg Tarpinian, they got rid of him AND they hand-picked his successor--ALL WITHOUT THEIR MEMBERS VOTING OR HAVING ANY VOICE IN THE MATTER AT ALL.

According to left-wing writer John Tasini (on Tarpinian's own Labor Research Association's Working Life blog), Greg Tarpinian's replacement, Chris Chafe, the new-handpicked ED at Change to W(h)in(e), is a real mensch.

Apparently, Tasini received an e-mail from his "mensch" this morning before the rest of the world knew that Tarpinian was out and Chafe was in, boasting that he "will be announced as the new Executive Director at Change to Win, a labor federation of the SEIU, UNITE HERE, the UFCW, LIUNA, Teamsters, Carpenters, and United Farm Workers, representing six million workers across the US. My appointment will begin in July, and I am honored and excited by this new challenge, and humbled by the CTW Leadership Council's confidence in me."

Obviously, the six million rank-and-file workers represented by these politburo-bred, baby bureaucrats have no idea, no voice and no say on these appointments--as they didn't with the break-up of the AFL-CIO.

Additionally, in the off chance the six million members actually know who Greg Tarpinian or Chris Chafe are, if the recent dictator-like actions of SEIU boss Andy Stern against SEIU's internal dissidents are any indicator, the members have no ability to oppose these top-down decisions either.

Like most leftists, apparently today's union bosses don't get the correlation between themselves and other leftist leaders like Chavez, Castro, Mao, Stalin, Stern...and the list goes on.

It is little wonder they want to end workers' right to vote on unionization entirely through their hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act.

THE CURIOUS CASE AS TO WHY LABOR'S KARL ROVE GOT DUMPED: BIG Shake-Up at Change to Win as Tarpinian Steps Down

2008-05-27T13:06:00.004-05:00

CHANGE TO WIN'S PROM KING GETS DUMPED.
Perhaps size does matter afterall?

Three years after orchestrating the biggest shake-up of the American labor movement in decades (yet producing very LITTLE results), the Change to Win federation announced this afternoon that Greg Tarpinian (pictured on left showing the size of something), the group's Executive Director since the union insurgency broke away from the AFL-CIO in 2005, will be stepping down.

TARPINIAN: LABOR'S KARL ROVE. Tarpinian, a labor union consultant who was not elected by any rank-and-file union members, assumed his appointed role in 2005 as one of the architects of the AFL-CIO break-up after hanging out with one of the bad boys of the union movement: Jimmy Hoffa Jr. Although Hoffa Jr is, admittedly, not as cool as his old man was, he's got good creds with his name, so Tarpinian grabbed onto Jimmy's coattails in 1996 and has been riding them ever since.

In addition to his role as the insurgent federation's executive director, Tarpinian is also President of the Labor Research Association and President of LRA Consulting and, according to Change to Win's Department of Labor filings, has been 'back charging' the union federation for his time as Executive Director.

According to the C2W top cheerleader and SEIU siren Anna Burger: "Greg Tarpinian's vision was instrumental in the creation of Change to Win. He has played a leading role in the development and unity of Change to Win over the last three years and has won the respect of labor leaders throughout the country for his leadership in shaping the movement to restore the American Dream."

Curious. Since Tarpinian was one of the original architects of the break-up of the AFL-CIO, we're wondering why it sounds to us like Ms. Burger and her clique got tired of Tarpinian and kicked him to the curb. (Maybe Biff couldn't deliver on his promises and Anna and the girls got bored?...Hmmm.)

To be sure, the whole break-up and union rivalry hasn't gone all that well for the Change to Win gang.

In fact, following the AFL-CIO's 2006 mid-term election victory, it would be safe to say that the Change to Win strategy has been nothin' but a Change to LOSE strategy. We've even pointed that out on a couple of occasions, urging quarterback Andy Stern to make amends with his old coach.

Maybe The Architect just got unpopular with the bosses?

Prior to his coronation to his prom king role as head of the Change to Win gang, Tarpinian was a staunch supporter of and advisor to current Teamster president, Jim Hoffa, Jr. (pictured on left with C2w'S Anna Burger and Tarpinian), as evidenced by his Letter to the Editor published in the Sept. 7, 2000 edition of the Nation, wherein he wrote:

As someone who has worked closely with Hoffa over the years, I always found it difficult to hear the trite stereotypes used by those who were bent on maintaining their power under a veneer of progressivism.

In addition to his ties to union bosses, Tarpinian also helped run Republican George Pataki's re-election campaign in 2002.

But, Tarpinian also had his detractors, like the rank-and-file members from the Teamsters for a Democratic Union who, in 2005, wrote:

Do you know Greg Tarpinian? If you careabout your union, you should. He’s
practically running it. And you are paying him millions of dollars to do it.
Tarpinian is a labor consultant in New York. He attached himself to Hoffa back in 1996 when he campaigned for him, along with another consultant, Richard Leebove of Detroit. He’s wiggled upward ever since.
His long time close associates have eased into key positions of power. Leo Deaner, a Tarpinian associate for many years, is Hoffa’s new Executive Assistant....
Tarpinian gets big bucks to do dog-and-pony shows at the IBT Convention and Unity Conferences, and he’ll get a lot more PR and “education” money now. In return, he holds banquets in New York to give awards to Hoffa and Tom Keegel, who sign the checks to his consulting company. What goes around comes around. What’s going around is your money.
Tarpinian wrote the plan and the script for the Teamsters to leave the AFL-CIO and join Change to Win, which also pays Tarpinian big bucks.
Most importantly, he is guiding the direction of the Teamsters Union. Remember when Jim Hoffa charged that Ron Carey had outsiders (“SEIU”, “mineworkers,” etc.) in positions of power?
Now we have a New York consultant running our union, who only bothers to speak to Teamsters when he has his hand out for money.

According to the Change to Win press release this afternoon, Tarpinian will be replaced by Chris Chafe, another non-elected staffer who served as Chief of Staff and Political Director from UNITE-HERE before becoming former presidential candidate John Edwards' senior adviser on labor.

While we're not exactly sure why Tarpinian, a Hoffa devotee, is being kicked to the the proverbial trashheap and replaced by another non-elected appointee from another union in the union federation, you can be sure EmployerReport.com will bring it to you as soon as we know.

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

TEAMSTER WORKERS UNIONIZING?...

2008-05-21T18:58:00.000-05:00

So, working for the Teamsters isn't all that it's cracked up to be?

Perhaps wages are too low, or managment is unfair?

So you think maybe you need a union to protect you from your boss?

WAIT A MINUTE!?! YOUR BOSS IS THE UNION???

Oh. Sorry.

Well, out of Michigan comes yet another sordid story of employees seeking to unionize against their employer--the union...

On May 16, the Office Professional Emolyees International Union (OPEIU) filed a petition for an election (no card check?) in order to represent workers employed by Teamsters Local 214.

The irony of it all...

Lazy Union Workers 'a Cancer': Are Union Bosses Finally Getting It?

2008-05-19T22:56:00.003-05:00

"We represent the sick, lame and lazy."

It was said matter of factly by one of the older chief union stewards sitting around the bar one late afternoon after one of our monthly union meetings. That was nearly 20 years ago, but it was something I (like many others) had come to realize as a union rep.

The people who actually needed the union were those that were always in trouble at work--the workers who couldn't make it to work on time, didn't care that their quality sucked, or who generally couldn't do what the company expected of them. Ultimately, it is the syndrome that cost far too many good union members their jobs, as companies have elected to move away from these mutant union members.

Basically, as a union, if you take dues from a hundred people, the union will spend the dues representing the bottom ten percent. The other ninety percent are paying dues for nothing, was something I later realized.

Like I said, that was nearly 20 years ago, and I've long since left the union movement.

Since then, after spending years "on the other side," I've come to know why many companies despise unions and it goes back to that bar many years ago....It's because unions all-too-often represent the 'sick, lame, & lazy.' [Actually, since the passage of the ADA, it's more politically correct to just say 'the lazy'.]

Now, however, it seems that at least one union boss is beginning to send the message that unions are finally starting to get it: That employers' perception of unions is so negative because of the 'lazy union worker.'

Mark Ayers, the president of the AFL-CIO's Building & Construction Trades Department (BCTD), is finally sending a wake-up call to his union bretheren:

"There is no place in our unions for nonperformers," Ayers told business managers of the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons during a recent speech recently.

Calling non-performing union members a cancer that has “dragged us down for many years and damaged our reputation as highly trained and productive craft professionals,” during a Feb. 27 OPC-MIA meeting, Ayers said, “they are the members that scream the loudest about union rights on the job, in your hiring halls and in your union meetings, while at the same time they chip away at our proud foundation.”

In short, he said, “they are simply bad for business, and therefore, they must go!”

He reminded the business managers that in the current business environment anyone can find out anything about an organization with a few clicks of a mouse.

“We must understand that we are constantly being judged by what we do and how we conduct ourselves every single day we are on the job,” he said. “Over the last thirty years or so, we didn’t lose the lion’s share of the market because the competition was so good,” he said. ‘We lost it because our attitudes, our productivity, and our work ethic got worse and we took our jobs and our work for granted.”

Perhaps if all union bosses came to the same conclusion that Ayers has, unions wouldn't be as despised as they are and wouldn't need to spend a billion dollars to buy an election in order to strip workers of their right to vote on unionization (vis a vis the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act).

But, then again, it seems that most union bosses are more interested in preserving their place in history as destroyers of companies, than go against the status quo by looking at their own defective product.

Note: The AFL-CIO's Building & Construction Trades Department encompasses the following unions:

International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers

International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers

International Union of Elevator Constructors

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)

Laborers’ International Union of North America

Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada

Sheet Metal Workers' International Association

United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada

United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers

_________________________________________

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

EOW: Labor Steamrolling its Way to Power & Other News...

2008-05-15T20:06:00.002-05:00

Dear Readers:

We owe you an apology. It's been a couple of weeks since our End-of-Week (EOW) Wrap-Up and we're sorry. We've been somewhat swamped with fighting collectivism on the frontlines and keeping the dragons at bay. And while EmployerReport.com is updated daily (M-F), we are occasionally forced to neglect our duties in posting our weekly updates on the news of what's happening around the country. In this regard, we hope you'll forgive us.

This week, we have two brief announcements about EmployerReport.com for you:

First, we've begun "cross-posting" the EmployerReport.com blog to our main site. Now, you can view out blog postings and other rants by going here as well.
Second, as part of our ongoing effort to awaken Americans to the hallucinogenically-named Employee Free Choice Act, we have updated our EFCA Page by posting numerous EFCA-exposing videos by such freedom fighters as:
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace
The Heritage Foundation
National Right to Work Foundation
UnionFacts.com

We will be continually be adding videos and other coverage to this page, so we encourage you to visit EmployerReport.com's EFCA Page, and pass it along to your friends. If you see a video (or news story, op-ed, etcetera) that you think should be posted, let us know. It is not an overstatement to say that America's system of free enterprise and the future of millions of jobs are at stake, should this Orwellian law pass next year.

Now, on to what's happening:

While there are far too many stories on EmployerReport.com to post here, there are several this week that have captured our attention and one of which may come to serve employers whose employees are under attack by union organizers.

SEIU sues CNA over home mailers. The ongoing dispute between the California Nurses Association (CNA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) took an interesting turn this week when the SEIU filed a lawsuit against the CNA for allegedly violating the Iowa Trade Secrets Act over the CNA's mailing of literature to SEIU member's homes. In its press release, the SEIU states:

"It's frankly scary that an out-of-state union like the CNA would have gotten their hands on our confidential, internal list," said Cathy Glasson, a registered nurse and President of SEIU Local 199. "No one in America should ever have to worry that their private information will be taken and used without their consent." [Emphasis added]

Now, as many of our clients, from construction companies to health care organizations, as well as grocers, often have employees complain of unsolicited mailings from different unions (even in the absence of a union petition and the submission of the requisite Excelsior List), our interest was piqued by this hypocritical action taken by the SEIU. Naturally, we began to ponder: If a union can sue another union for obtaining member/employee information, why couldn't an employer (or an employee) do the same?

Although we suspect there may be an NLRA preemption issue or some other exemption, we submit to you, it may be worth exploring. Additionally, as many of our readers are some of the top labor attorneys in America, should you wish to weigh in on this, please feel free to comment here and we will post your opinion on the EmployerReport.com blog.

A UFCW exploitive attempt to obstruct justice? The second story that has captured our attention is another ICE raid on another slaughterhouse, replete with allegations of ID fraud on the part of the captured illegal immigrants.

While that, in itself, is news, what came as a bigger point of disgust is the revelation that the United Food & Commercial Workers had asked ICE to refrain from raiding the slaughterhouse as it was attempting to unionize the workers(!).

Clearly, if the UFCW was in the process of unionizing this workplace and knew that at some point many of these workers would likely be deported, the union also knew that, if successful, the union would represent whomever the deported workers' replacements were. Talk about a cruel joke!

That said, it's not the first time UFCW bosses got caught in an illegal scheme. Last week, a former UFCW representative who helped illegal workers get jobs at a Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in Marshalltown was found guilty of federal immigration charges. We believe the slang word for this type of individual is "coyote."

For more background on this story, we found an excellent 2007 video of CNN anchor Lou Dobbs slamming a UFCW VP over the union's position on illegal immigration. You can view it here.

The highest-paid people on the unemployment line. The ongoing United Auto Workers' (UAW) strike at American Axle seems to have backfired on the union known today for its ability to kill of American jobs.

As the strike entered its 12th (or is it the 13th?) week, the company has announced that it will be closing a third UAW-struck plant. Upon hearing the news, the incompetent UAW bosses who have severely miscalculated the effects of this strike on the members and had already agreed to close two other plants(!), had very little to say other than: "It just blows me away..."

We're sure that provides some solace to the members who, instead of taking pay cuts that may have saved their jobs, were instead called out on strike and will now be unemployed.

The GOP can't seem to stop the hemorrhaging. Following another Democratic special election victory in a district that has been traditionally a GOP stronghold, the Republican Party is in a panic.

In fact, party insiders are worried that the GOP may lose another 20 House seats and five or more Senate seats. This of course, does not bode well for America's employers. In fact, with the announcement of former-GOP-turned-Libertarian Bob Barr announcement on Monday that he will be seeking the White House, it may be that, with 173 days to go before the general election, Senator John McCain is all but McFinished.

As Barr will surely serve as McCain's Ross Perot (1992) or Ralph Nader (2000), siphoning votes away from McCain, coupled with unions predicted to spend up to $1 billion on this election, the probability of holding back labor's disastrous legislation may come down to a Republican minority in this Senate, IF they can hold onto 41 seats (which is questionable).

On a Lighter Note, Sex Workers of the World are Uniting! While posting YouTube videos on our EFCA Page, we came across an "interesting" video from the Erotic Service Providers Union. Don't ask how we found it (we won't tell you)...No, really...It was truly an innocent search of union videos!

In any case, the PG-rated video (no nudity) is the mission statement of the Erotic Service Providers Union, which is, according to its website(!) affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World--those Wascally Wobblies of the early 1900's fame.

As stated above, there are many, many more labor-related stories from around the nation than could be posted here Therefore, please go to EmployerReport.com for all the latest and relevant news.

Last but not least, we offer you two Public Service Announcements:

EmployerReport.com PSA (part one): The Ayn Rand Institute will be giving a lecture on the Morality of Capitalism in Costa Mesa, CA on May 22, 2008. This is something that is sorely needed in today's socio-economic climate. To get more information, go here.

EmployerReport.com PSA (part two): As springtime is finally upon us, motorcyclists all across the US of A have dusted off their two wheels and have joined you on America's highways and byways. According to a USC study, 3/4 of all motorcycle accidents involved a collision with another vehicle and 2/3 of those involved the vehicle invading the motorcycle's right-of-way and causing the accident. Please keep a watchful eye for us, when making those left turns, lane changes, and pulling out of driveways.

With that said, dear readers, we hope you have a truly enjoyable 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

On a lighter note...

2008-05-14T23:17:00.002-05:00

Sent to us from a well-seasoned EmployerReport.com reader:

Things I do since I've retired...

Well, for example, the other day I was downtown and went into a shop.

I was only in there five minutes and I came out there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.

I went up to him and said,"Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break?"

He ignored me and continued writing the ticket.

I called him a "Nazi."

He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires.

So I called him a "donut eating Gestapo."

He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first.

The he started writing a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, I didn't care...

I came downtown on the bus and the car that he was putting tickets on had a bumper sticker that said "Hillary in '08."

I try and have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important to my health.

John McCain is McFinished...

2008-05-12T22:10:00.003-05:00

Sometimes people don't like to state the obvious. Other people would rather ignore the truth. And still others would rather just hope that reality isn't reality.

That, however, is not us. So here is, for some, a painful truth:

John McCain's campaign just ended today. 176 days before the American people go to the polls to pick the next POTUS (President of the United States), barring some unforeseen cataclysmic event changing our nation's political landscape, McCain's campaign is over.

Here is why (from least to most important):

McCain is pathetically attempting to 'triangulate' Democrat issues (i.e., by 'going green; today in an attempt to lure independents). This will further alienate GOPers who were just starting to get used to the dim prospects of a McCain presidency.

Republicans are still not excited about John McCain, as evidenced by the last three primaries (PA, IN & NC) in which McCain failed to capture 27, 23 & 26 percent (respectively) of the GOP vote, even though he is already the GOP nominee.

Democrats are already succeeding at painting a possible McCain presidency as George Bush's third term.

Labor union bosses from the AFL-CIO and Change to W(h)in(e) unions are due to spend up to $1 billion to defeat McCain and the GOP in November. Unions are united in both their desires and their messaging, while the GOP is having trouble coming up with a coherent sentence. [Ironically, McCain's own McCain-Feingold may prove to be his undoing, as he has limited his own ability to get cash from his too few supporters.]

...and the list goes on...

However, the one thing that will surely crush McCain's presidential aspirations is the announcement today that former-GOP-turned-Libertarian Bob Barr will be running for the White House.

Should Barr capture the Libertarian nomination at the party's May 22-26 Denver convention, given the dissatisfaction of many within the GOP, Barr will serve as John McCain's Ross Perot (1992), or Al Gore's Ralph Nader (2000). Although Barr has virtually no chance of winning the White House, his ability to syphon the much-needed votes from McCain will surely put the Democrats in the White House.

While Libertarian and independent candidates usually don't fare well in general elections, Barr is probably the most well-known presidential hopeful the party has had for years. For those of us who despise freedom-stealing, big governent-loving bureaucrats on both sides of the aisle, the addition of Barr to the race proves to be a tantalizing proposition.

At least for those of us who value principles over pragmatism, staying home on election day is less likely. In addition, Barr will likely capture the hearts and minds, as well as the votes, of the Ron Paul supporters who despise McCain almost as much as Clinton and Obama. This means Barr can possibly get as much as 15% of the vote in November (although we estimate it will only be in the high single digits).

This, dear readers, means that, in the close election that is predicted for 2008, John McCain's campaign for the presidency is finished. Barak Obama will almost assuredly be the next POTUS.

Although the campaign is really just starting and a lot may change between now and November, it may be time to start focusing on shoring up the Senate to stave off the disastrous legislation unions have on the Democratic agenda.

In the meantime, as our tag line says: "I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes."

Stay tuned, we'll keep you posted...

Why American Business is Losing the War to Big Labor's PR Offensive...

2008-04-29T19:53:00.002-05:00

This is an open letter to America's business leaders and, although long in coming, is in response to discussions we've had with several of our readers and clients:

For the last several years, labor bosses and their leftist allies have been waging a PR war on American business. Sadly, American business is losing the war. The problem is, as business loses this war, it is the American worker who ultimately suffers. For those businesspeople paying attention to the climate in the country right now, they realize they are losing the war, but very few understand why.

Note: For an excellent, protagonistic definition of what a businessman is, go here.

As American business is the engine that drives economic prosperity in one way or another for all honest Americans, when the union bosses and their leftist allies win, the results are generally increased regulation, higher tax burdens, or, in the case of the union bosses' ultimate goal (the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act) a broad expansion in unionization--all of these factors result in weighing down and choking the engine that drives prosperity for America.

Why, then, is it that American business is losing the PR war? To answer this question, there are several factors that come into play, as follows:

First, blame Al Gore. For, were it not for his inventing the internet, much of the propaganda spewed by the Left would fall on deaf ears. Now that there is instantaneous communication available to just about anyone with access to a computer, the Left has found innumerable ways in which to spread its message and, in doing so, has formed coalitions among previously disparate groups.

Before St. Gore invented the internet, no one knew (or cared) who Arianna Huffington was, there was no such thing as George Soros' Salon.com, and the proliferation of leftist propaganda was relegated to old mimeographed paper rags. Today, the Left has built an empire almost entirely through cyberspace. Unfortunately, defenders of American business came to the dance late. [To view our post related to this topic, go here.]

Second, though not entirely their fault, blame American business for its complacency. Businesspeople at all levels are generally a positive and productive breed. They see problems as 'opportunities' or 'challenges' to overcome.

Conversely, all-too-often, Leftists have a paranoid, glass-half-empty view of the world. [Think of the saying "it's THEM," then repeat it everytime something remotely bad happens, and you'll understand this phenomonon.] As a result of this frame of mind, Leftists typically blame capitalism (aka businesspeople) for all of the ills that befall society. [Anyone watching the current campaign for president can bear witness to this fact.]

Since the drivers of business generally think in terms of "production" (not "destruction," as many on the Left do), they are generally of the mindset to ignore their detractors on the Left, figuring the detractor is a mere nuisance and that no one of a rationale mindset would give credence to the Left's annoying irrationality.

Note: For a brief description of these two competing worldviews, read Ayn Rand's description of the Malevolent Universe Premise versus the Benevolent Universe Premise. The Left primarily operates in the former, while businesspeople primarily operate in the latter (though not always).

Third, and perhaps most importantly, given the above, it is important to understand that for many on the Left, their full time job is not to build, but to tear down. Not to produce, but to attack. In fact, for most people who are employed full-time in the union movement, their jobs are nothing more than to identify (or invent), complain about and propagandize problems.

Perhaps it is because we came from the union movement and have spent more than a dozen years fighting Big Labor’s propaganda and enlightening workers to the realities of unions that we recognize this for what it is--a war of ideas and a war of propaganda.

You see, whether its the AFL-CIO or the Change to Win union bosses, leaders of these groups (as well as their allies) are either personally trained, or they employ those who are professionally trained in the art of propaganda and very few businesspeople understand this. Businesspeople who fail to grasp the nature of this war are the ones who enable their detractors to win.

Fourth, businesspeople have no idea that by appeasing their detractors, they ultimately lose. It has been said that, "In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit."

Lastly, businesspeople do not understand that there are no Geneva Convention-like rules in this propaganda war. Fair play is non-existent to the Left. Businesspeople do not realize that the Left's malevolent view of the world leads them to deploy a strategy of 'the ends always justify the means.'

In this regard, for businesspeople to have any idea of the type of foe they face, they need to know who Saul Alinsky was. Though dead now for more than 35 years, Alinsky's Rules for Radicals is the foundation of what many on the Left have built their arsenal on.

If businesspeople understand Alinsky's "rules," they can go a long way in countering Big Labor's PR offensive. In this regard, here are Alinsky's "rules," compiled by a friend of ours whom we refer to as Spartacus:

Alinsky emphatically stated that the end justifies the means but cautions that extreme means are only justified in certain situations. Here are Alinsky's rules to test whether the means are ethical.

One's concern with the ethics of means and ends varies inversely with one's personal interest in the issue.

The judgment of the ethics of means is dependent upon the political position of those sitting in judgment.

In war the end justifies almost any means.

Judgment must be made in the context of the times in which the action occurred and not from any other chronological vantage point.

Concern with ethics increases with the number of means available and vice versa.
The less important the end to be desired, the more one can afford to engage in ethical evaluations of means.

Generally, success or failure is a mighty determinant of ethics.

The morality of means depends upon whether the means is being employed at a time of imminent defeat or imminent victory.

Any effective means is automatically judged by the opposition to be unethical.

You do what you can with what you have and clothe it in moral garments.

Goals must be phrased in general terms like "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," "Of the Common Welfare," "Pursuit of Happiness," or "Bread and Peace."

Alinsky also had rules for what he called "power tactics" or the means used to "take." He described it as "how the Have Nots can take power away from the Haves."

Here are his rules of power tactics.

Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.

Never go outside the experience of your people.

Whenever possible, go outside of the experience of the enemy.

Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.

Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.

A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.

A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.

Keep the pressure on with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose.

The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.

The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.

If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through into its counterside.

The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.

Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.

Even a cursory review of these rules for radicals reveals that a Leftist activist schooled in them will have no compunction about using almost any tactic in a conflict with businesspeople. In fact, radicals must often create issues to stir up problems in order to radicalize their potential followers.

As stated above, perhaps it is because we've spent so many years both in the belly of the beast and so many years battling Big Labor's propaganda and educating workers to the realities of unionization that, for us, it is easier to engage in the battle than it is for most. However, even to a lay person, once you recognize the tactics for what they are, the Left can be defeated, but in order to do so, one must sometimes play by the same rules as the radicals.

_______________________

For more information, go to EmployerReport.com

Today's Unions: Stirring the Kool-Aid and Causing Collateral Damage

2008-04-28T20:17:00.001-05:00

As former union leaders, there was a time when we admired unions and what they allegedly stood for. However, like many, the deeper we dug, the more we saw, and the more we experienced the betrayal of workers, the more disgusted we became with the union leaders of today. Like many people who are duped into believing in something, only to find out it is based on a false premise, a collectivist creed, and, in the end, causing more harm than good, we left in order to oppose that which we once preached.

There are several stories circulating in the media that offer prime examples of just what is meant by the above paragraph.

The first, of course, is the sordid battle going on between the SEIU and the CNA. There are enough stories floating around the internet for one to research on their own, so we won't spend any more time on it, except to offer you our opinion on What's Really Behind the SEIU vs. CNA Fight, which we posted on Friday.

The second story comes by way of the Detroit News and discusses a United Auto Workers' (UAW) strike against General Motors at one of its plants and several others that the UAW has threatened with strikes. The title of the piece is aptly titled: Motive in UAW threats unclear.

In the piece, the writer quotes a UAW striker, Michael Shrubbe, as saying: "None of us know why we're here."

Mr. Shrubbe, the article states, has been walking a picket line in Delta Township, where workers have been off the job since April 17 at the factory that builds GM's popular crossovers.

The article goes on to say:

GM believes the UAW threats, all against factories that either make critical models for the automaker or supply the parts to build them, are a tactic being used to draw the company into the strike against American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., according to several sources familiar with negotiations. Labor law prohibits the union from striking because of a dispute elsewhere; many think the union is using local negotiations to apply indirect pressure.

"There's a feeling among workers that their jobs are being jeopardized by things beyond their control," Gary Chaison, a labor specialist at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. "Their expectations were when everything was tied up nationally everything would fall into place. Now it appears to be unraveling so fast."

The American Axle strike, in its ninth week, has created a parts shortage that has forced GM to idle or cut production at more than two dozen North American factories. But GM's bottom line has been relatively unscathed since the affected factories produce slow-selling large trucks and SUV that were backing up on dealer lots.

Now, besides strikers not knowing why they're unemployed and on the picket lines (that, by itself, is condemning enough of the union's leadership), the fact of the matter is, if GM's assumptions are correct and the UAW is trying to use local strikes as leverage to draw the car maker into the American Axle strike, then the UAW has become woefully inept at flexing its own muscle.

As every unionist (former or otherwise) knows, the strike is a union's only weapon and for a union to pull the trigger without making sure its gun is fully loaded and correctly aimed is not only irresponsible, but borders on a negligent dereliction of a union leader's duty--to care for his membership first.

In this case though, it would appear GM workers and their families are being sacrificed because of Ron Gettlefinger's poor calculations in dealing with American Axle and, if true, that is both reprehensible and inexcusable.

Our third and final story comes from the Los Angeles Times and deals with the aftermath of the 100-day writer's strike.

In the LA Times article, the reporter discusses at length the many hardship cases of the "collateral damage" caused by the strike. Namely, the crew members and other talent (mostly union members) that are facing financial ruin from the economic fallout from the writer's strike.

As the article states: Some are at risk of losing their homes. Some can't afford groceries. Others have filed for bankruptcy. Still others struggle to work enough hours to hold on to their health insurance.

Although hard figures are not available, union officials say that thousands of crew members who normally would be busy at this time of year are still idled because of the sharp contraction in television production. Some union locals report a quarter of their members are sitting at home.

Karen Hartjen is one. She can't bring herself to open the utility bills lying on her
kitchen table in Simi Valley.

The 53-year-old assistant prop master has been out of work since early November,
when a string of jobs on TV shows such as "CSI: New York" and "Medium" came to a halt after the writers walked out.Although Hartjen is accustomed to earning $100,000 a year, she is now $10,000 in debt and her home is threatened with
foreclosure. She has turned to her church and the Salvation Army for help with
groceries .

To add insult to injury, these workers who stood behind their union "brothers" and "sisters" are getting the shaft from their own unions who administer their health care...

Many crew members are in a race against the clock to keep their health insurance.
Union rules require that members work at least 300 hours every six months to
maintain their benefits.

After a four-month hiatus, foley artist Dominique Tabach of Valencia recently returned to work part-time on the CBS drama "Numb3rs." But she has nothing else lined up.

Without additional work, Tabach, 43, is concerned that she won't accumulate enough hours to keep her union health insurance beyond September. The insurance covers Tabach, her 8-year-old daughter and her husband, a former TV executive who recently lost his job.

Yet, in the face of an actors' strike that is certain to bring financial devastation to those teetering on the edge right now, NONE of these "victims" seem to question whether their "union solidarity" was worth it. None seem to wonder if "Hollywood is a Union Town" is really a good thing, or perhaps it is a bad thing.

Last December, we received a comment from a rather irate wife of a man who was unemployed due to the writer's strike (which is posted here). In her comment, she called she and her husband "collateral damage," to which we took her to task. In sum, if you place yourself in harm's way, then you cannot call yourself "collateral damage."

In closing, as was stated at the beginning of this post, when people realize that today's unions are based on a false premise, a collectivist creed and, in the end, causing more harm than good, perhaps they will stop allowing themselves to become the "collateral damage" to half-witted union leaders of today who only know how to lead people down a one-way path to self-destruction.

WHAT'S REALLY BEHIND THE SEIU VS. CNA FIGHT...

2008-04-25T22:40:00.007-05:00

Nichole Lucht from the Las Vegas Sun writes about the current war between the SEIU & the California Nurses Association:

On the surface it appears as a fight between the Service Employees International Union and the California Nurses Association.

But the torn history between the service workers' union and the AFL-CIO (which the nurses' association is affiliated with) could be the real reason behind the current rift, as well as the steady decline in union membership across the country.
Ms. Lucht is sort of close to hitting the nail on the head with her piece. However, she doesn't take it where it needs to go...back to basics. And, perhaps because she's not a dude, she's over-thinking it...(no offense, Ms. Lucht.)
You see, this is nothing more than a grudge match between two guys who used to be friends....Except they're letting CHICKS DO THEIR FIGHTING FOR THEM.

Like two old pervs going down to the neighborhood Hooters to check out the Tuesday night mud-wrestling match, the dudes in DC are just hanging back (plausible deniability), checking out the chicks ripping each other apart, hoping the one he's betting on won't lose her top before the other does.

These two three-pieced pimps of power are letting CHICKS do their fighting for them, placing their bets, and each are hoping they don't get too covered in the dirt themselves.

THAT'S IT. IT IS REALLY THAT SIMPLE. HERE'S WHY:

Like most street fights over who controls the corner, Andy Stern, the former student, picked a fight with his old boss John Sweeney a few years ago over money. (Stern wanted to spend the cash on getting more Johns to visit the bordello, while Sweeney wanted the money to go to the politicians for protection).

Stern called his old boss out in front of the whole neighborhood and, while Boss Sweeney showed remarkable restraint, he didn't give in.

It should be noted that Boss Sweeney could have squashed Stern then and there (and, in hind sight, he may be wishing he did), but he let the little traitor shoot his mouth off for months and months.

As the Spring of 2005 went on, like a drunk at the bar, Stern's ramblings got louder, his insults more insulting and Boss Sweeney showed remarkable tolerance and restraint as his former friend slapped him in the face. As a result, Stern got even more upset and decided to try to burn the House of Labor down. By Summer, Stern split the K Street Crew, and almost half the gang went with Stern.

Well, as it turns out, barely a year later, the 2006 elections proved Old Boss Sweeney was right.

Now, Stern's got egg on his face. His gang hasn't grown much and he's back to backing politicians with millions of dollars.

Over the last couple of years, as though having taken a lesson from The Godfather, Boss Sweeney's been patiently lining up his new crew, the California Nurses Association, and waiting for the right time to strike back.

That day came a few weeks ago, when the CNA went to Ohio and snatched 8,000 workers from the SEIU in an SEIU-staged election.

Predictably, like Sonny Corleone whose temper always got the best of him, the younger Stern struck back by sending SEIU thugs to the Labor Notes conference to disrupt in typical SEIU fashion, but it backfired...A woman went to the hospital, an SEIU member died, and its been a PR war ever since.

Unfortunately for Stern, Boss Sweeney's got the upper hand in this war, his moral authority ratings are slightly higher in the world of labor opinion (not that that really matters).

However, until Andy Stern grows up and offers his old boss an apology and kisses Boss Sweeney's ring, it appears that the mud-slinging will continue between the SEIU and AFL-CIO's CNA.

In the meantime, although we wish we had some buttery popcorn, we are having fun watching the melee and reading the dueling press releases. Everyday more mud is thrown and more flesh exposed by this hypocritical internecine war, the more the public sees today's unions for what they are: Parasites living off the blood of America's productive workers.