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

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

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

"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

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

What's in the News (OMG)...

Barely a week has gone by since our last post to you. Yet already this week, the news seems to beg for commentary. Therefore, without further ado...

On the Labor Front:

• In Altoona, PA, the SEIU is poised to take the RNs out on strike over (of all things) the Altoona Regional Medical Center's refusal to require forced-dues in its contract. It seems that a fair number of RNs are opposed to the SEIU's insistence of pay-dues-or-be-fired language and have petitioned the hospital to refuse to agree to the language.
• In St. Louis, in a rather bold move, the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission has locked out the IBEW and IATSE over language issues, as well as the lack of diversity in the unions' ranks. [Editor's note: It is too bad Philadelphia doesn't take St. Louis' lead and do the same with the unions there, since they also continually refuse to bring diversity to their ranks.]
• In the Mid-Atlantic States, the UFCW's contract with grocers Safeway and Giant is due to expire on March 31st. While it may be posturing, both sides seem ready for a strike and the grocers, for their part, have been advertising for replacement workers.
• In Philadelphia, that City of Not-So-Brotherly Love, Teamster-beating victim Don Adams has finally reached a settlement with the Teamsters for a beat-down that several union-thugs gave he and his sister in 1998. What was Mr. Adams' offense? He was a protestor of President Bill Clinton's dalliances with Monica Lewinsky who happened to be at the wrong protest, at the wrong time, in the wrong city.
• In La Jolla, CA, as John McCain attended a fund-raising luncheon, he was greeted with more union protestors. Last week, the AFL-CIO announced that it would be spending $53 million to bring McCain down. It appears that part of the union strategy is to picket each of McCain's events from now until November.
• In Maine, the Machinists' union has itself in bit of a sticky situation. As negotiations are about to begin with Bath Iron Works, the Machinists has placed its local under trusteeship as it looks into allegations of financial mismanagement and a lot of pornography found on the union's computers.

In Other News:

• There is a nationwide strike brewing among (mostly independent) truck drivers to take place on April 1st, in protest of high fuel prices. While it does not appear that this strike is union-related, if successful, its impact on our already-lagging economy may have a negative affect....Or, as the drivers are independents, they may just find themselves unemployed.
• As she attempts to maintain a semblance of momentum against rival Barak Obama heading into the Pennsylvania primary, former first lady Hillary Clinton has gotten herself into a pickle with getting caught in an (um..) 'untruth' over her comments about landing in Bosnia in 1996 under a hail of sniper fire. CBS news exposes the former first lady, which you can view here.
• In the "Yee-Haw, the Bush-Administration-Finally-Does-Something Right" category, the Department of Justice finally gave satellite-radio providers XM Radio and Sirius the okay to go ahead with their over-a-year-old merger plans. Although the two providers are still hemorrhaging cash, at least the stocks got a bounce for a day.
• On our blog (below), we take aim at John Dingell's Deadly Idea to impose a $0.50 per gallon gas tax on all Americans. As Mr. Dingell represents the economically-ailing state of Michigan, we wonder: With representatives like that, who needs enemies?

Lastly, in the "OMG" & "WTF" Category:

• In an article that is sure to raise employers' ire and get unions and employee-rights advocates salivating, the American Journal of Psychiatry has found addiction to text messaging and emailing could be another form of mental illness. While it may be premature to say that eventually workers may be taking FMLA leaves because their children are addicted to text messaging or reasonable accommodations must be given for myspace.com-addicted employees, the writing (er...text) may be on the proverbial wall.

For more news, go to EmployerReport.com.

[IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR READERS: Due to certain objections raised by a few readers that EmployerReport.com is too slanted against Democrats and their labor-union puppet-masters (sorry, couldn't help that one...), we are striving to provide a more 'fair & balanced' approach in our slams against all things political. During this hyper-sensitive political season, WE KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR READERS ARE FEELING BELEAGUERED AND BUSH-WHACKED. However, our goal is not (nor has it ever been) to boost one political party over another.

Unfortunately, as labor unions are solely focused on defrauding (read: screwing) the American worker of his right to vote on the matter of unionization through the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act and educating the populace on EFCA was one of the primary reasons for the establishment of EmployerReport.com, we realize that there may be some who have been offended from time to time by our postings and rants. Unfortunately again, unions can only accomplish their goal of killing workers' rights by using the Democrats, and the Democrats can only get elected through the unions. It is, indeed, a sad state of affairs that our nation finds itself in.

However, for those of you who may have preconceived notions about our politics-at-large, please be comforted in knowing that, like all liberty-minded persons, it is our view that both political parties have a tendency to be injurious to personal liberty and, therefore, as with all governments, neither should be trusted. That said, it is our intent (and our tagline) to continue to "...bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." We'll also continue to be a bit irreverent from time to time, as that is just our nature.]

Please have a productive and prosperous week.

P.A. List

Editor & Chief Blogger

MINORITY RULES: Unions' new tactic to try and infiltrate companies

In August of last year, in an attempt to short circuit the principle of 'majority rules' in the workplace, the United Steelworkers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Communications Workers of America, the United Auto Workers, the International Association of Machinists, the California Nurses Association, and the Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America petitioned the National Labor Relations to issue a proposed rule recognizing that federal labor law forces employers to bargain collectively with a union that represents a minority of the employees.

Clearly an attempt to do an end run around the rights of workers and employers, the attempt nevertheless demonstrates the level to which today's unions will stoop in order to secure workers' wages through union dues and control the American workplace.

Well, on January 4th, the Change to W(h)in(e) federation jumped on the 'minority rules' bandwagon and sent in its own me-too petition to the NLRB.

To read the Change to W(h)in(e) Petition to the NLRB click here.

The sad fact is, although this distorted theory is rooted in the National Labor Relations Act's Section 7 Rights that state that workers entitled to (among other things) "...bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing...", the NLRB may, at some point in the not-too-distant-future and given a future next president's political appointees, actually grant the union's request.

As/if unionization occurs under regulatory fiat, similar to the potential enactment of the cynically-named Employee Free Choice Act, causing the unionization of hundreds of thousands of employers (and their workers) against their will and without a secret-ballot election, America will no longer be the land of opportunity, but the land of mediocre and the unemployed.

Uh...Detroit...We Have a Problem...

Problems are afoot for the top brass at the United Auto Workers.

Perhaps Gettlefinger and the boys at UAW's Solidarity House thought the Chrysler workers would just fall into line after walking out on strike for a mere six hours on October 10th. However, that now appears unlikely as ratification of the Chrysler deal is in serious trouble.

Almost immediately following one of the shortest strikes in the history of Big Three negotiations, questions arose about whether the UAW's strike was mere 'showbiz' than a real showing of strength and "solidarity."

Unlike their counterparts at General Motors (who ratified the GM deal without a hiccup), UAW members at Chrysler seem to be rebelling at their own union leaders. So much so that one UAW member stated: "The UAW is trying to be a big powerbroker on Wall Street at our expense. They must think that we are illiterate and unable to read what the contract says."

At present, a larger-than-expected number of UAW locals have voted against the tentative deal. If the final numbers come in later this week, and members fail to ratify the deal, this will leave more egg on Gettlefinger's face and prove to be tougher for the UAW to negotiate a better deal with Cerebrus-owned Chrysler, not to mentioned Ford.

The heart of the disgruntlement seems to be three-fold: 1) members' concern over the lack of job security* in the contract, 2) the two-tier compensation package and 3) the VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) the contract establishes.

*Note: Less than two weeks after GMs ratification, it was announced that GM would be cutting more than 750 jobs at one of its plants.

As former unionists, all of these are rife with problems for the rank-and-file-minded individual... even though they may be necessary to ensure Chrysler's viability for the future.

However, as the UAW expands its membership away from representing just autoworkers and takes on new customers (aka members) like casino dealers and graduate students, it seems the UAW may be less interested in the auto industry workers themselves anymore and may be more interested in the lucrative financial opportunities the creation of a VEBA presents.

For a good insight into the issues the rank-and-file have with the new contract, go here.

On a different, but related subject...

There was recent op-ed in the Washington Post about the American consumer not caring about whether or not a product is union-made.

For us, nothing could have illustrated that point more appropriately than driving along the interstate last week.

Alas, we came across a car with a union bumper sticker. As avid bumper sticker readers, we believe that bumper stickers can say a lot about the people driving the car. As a result, we always take notice of what people have on their bumpers.

Well, in this particular case, the bumper sticker was an IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) sticker that had only about two words (along with the IBEW logo) on it: Productivity. Craftsmanship.

Okay, although debatable in many circles, those words are pretty normal on union bumper stickers. So, that wasn't what was too shocking...

What was shocking is the fact that the dude wasn't driving a union-made vehicle. He was driving a Suburu!

At that point, in a startling moment of repeating clarity, it became all too clear.

If unions can't even attract their own members to buy union-made products, then why do they think the rest of America is going to buy their products?...

Talk about not walking the talk!

That's like those morons who put bumper stickers on their cars that say "Live Better, Work Union." Yet, when you look at the car, 95% of the time it's a piece of crap!

[If you don't believe us, start looking at the cars that are festooned with that particular bumper sticker!]

For the record: We at EmployerReport.com drive Fords. Yeah, they're union-made...but we don't hold that against the Company or its employees.

Labor's Lost Love for Democratic Leadership

At EmployerReport.com, we are please to have friends and acquaintances who provide additional food for our collectively independent minds to digest. As such, the following was submitted by our old friend and accomplished writer, Mr. David Denholm:

Brother Saul Alinsky, who trained union organizers through the Industrial Areas Foundation, reminds us in his Fifth Rule of Power Tactics, that "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." It is, therefore, a shame to pass up an opportunity to ridicule union officialdom.

Here's a story with some potential. The "Hall of Fame Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO" (Stark County, Ohio) has informed the Democratic Party Executive Committee that it will no longer support Democratic political candidates in Stark County. "Labor's love lost for Democratic leadership"

This move seems to have been instigated by Mike McElfresh, President of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 540 and the Labor Council's second vice president, who is upset because he lost a vote in the Democratic Executive Committee for a seat on the county election board.

This may not just be a case of "hell hath no fury like a Union Boss scorned." Another story, "Labor cuts support for county Dems," says that the vote for the election board seat may have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

It is worth noting that earlier this month - "Project Labor proposal downsized" - a Democrat on the Massillon, Ohio (in Stark County) City Council offended the building trades unions by indicating a willingness to water down a proposal for a Project Labor Agreement.

It is also interesting to note that, according to Union Stats dot com, in 2006 private sector union density in the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area (Stark County) was 14.9 percent, down only 1.1 percent from 16.0 percent in 1986. This compares very favorably, at least from the unions' point of view, to the drop of almost 10 points from 19.2 to 9.3 percent for private sector union density in Ohio and a decline nationally from 14.0 to 7.4 percent.

It’s not clear who needs whom the most, the Democratic Party or the labor unions. In this case, however, the unions seem to be abusing their constitutional right to be stupid by withdrawing support for the Party over a fit of peak.

David Denholm