Posts tagged Democratic
Commentary: Tough Lessons of the CRA: Part III
June 17, 2024 // They need to hear it from all of us who wish to remain independent contractors. That means truckers. Translators. Graphic artists. Financial advisers. Nurses. Tutors. Sheep shearers. Writers. They need to hear it from every kind of independent contractor that exists in more than 600 professions identified as being affected so far.
EDITORIAL: Project labor agreements are bad policy
May 29, 2024 // And limiting the bidding only to union labor hikes project costs. Such a price-increasing effect is a generally recognized impact of constricted competition. It pertains in particular when nonunion firms have been eliminated from even bidding on the project; if unionized firms know their only rivals for a project are other union firms, they will feel significantly less pressure to take a sharp pencil to their bid. Various studies have estimated the added cost of PLA-ed projects in the 10 percent to 20 percent range (though other analyses contend there is no significant price effect).
Commentary: Biden sacrifices workplace free speech to satisfy labor unions
May 8, 2024 // This attack on workplace speech is part and parcel of Mr. Biden’s ultimate goal — legalizing union harassment of workers. Mr. Biden reiterated his support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act in his State of the Union address, legislation that would rewrite U.S. labor law to the unions’ benefit. One little-known PRO Act provision would force employers to hand over sensitive employee contact information — including phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses and shift times — to union bosses during organizing drives. If the act became legal, workers on the fence about unionization could get a 3 a.m. knock on the door from organizers attempting to “help” them make up their minds. Mr. Biden’s devotion to labor unions has come at a significant cost — the chilling of workplace speech. If Democrats are serious about being pro-worker, they should stand up and oppose Mr. Biden’s anti-speech crusade. But as long as labor unions continue to spend billions to elect Democrats, don’t hold your breath.
Half of Massachusetts residents support legalizing teachers’ strikes
April 22, 2024 // Massachusetts state leaders have said they have no appetite for changing Massachusetts law to make it legal for public teachers to go on strike, but public opinion is more on the union side. In a new CommonWealth Beacon/GBH News poll, 50% of state residents favored legalizing teachers’ strikes, while 34% said strikes should remain illegal, and 16% said they were unsure or did not answer (toplines, crosstabs). The survey, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group, comes on the heels of strikes in five Massachusetts school districts over the last two years. It is illegal for public sector employees to strike in the state, but that hasn’t stopped a wave of walkouts signaling a more militant posture on the part of teachers’ unions. The longest – and most recent – strike closed schools in Newton for two weeks in late January and early February.
Unions using ESG to control workers — and drain Americans’ retirement savings
March 21, 2024 // They’re pushing board nominees and shareholder proposals that aim to force more workers into union membership, even when workers don’t want it. The Biden administration has smoothed the path for this underhanded strategy, and not only does it threaten workers, it endangers millions of Americans’ retirement savings. A new Institute for the American Worker report shines a light on labor unions’ reliance on ESG.
Steelworkers union president expects Biden endorsement soon
March 20, 2024 // The statement comes after Biden opposed the sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese conglomerate. The president said it was “vital” that the industrial giant remain domestically owned, garnering praise from the union. The 1.2-million-member union endorsed Biden in 2020, once projecting a massive Biden campaign sign onto the side of a Chicago skyscraper. The move would be consistent with Biden’s focus on unions. Biden has dubbed himself the “most pro-union president in American history” and made firsts last year by joining striking auto workers on the picket lines in Michigan.
Biden’s campaign plans to recognize a union organizing effort from its staff
February 26, 2024 // The move will trigger a collective bargaining effort between the reelection effort’s leadership and qualifying staff over conditions like salary, working hours and overtime pay. The union will represent staff in headquarters and based in battleground states. Biden’s staff union will affiliate with the Campaign Workers Guild, which has represented staff for a number of Democratic state parties and other campaigns. Members of the Democratic National Committee staff officially formed a union in 2022, joining the SEIU.
California dockworkers have a new target in their fight against automation
February 2, 2024 // Although automated port technology has existed for decades and is already employed at three terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the vast majority of dock operations are still conducted using human-operated equipment. Union workers and the shipping industry say that could change if the ports are forced to adopt electric equipment. “This rule, aimed at meeting environmental standards, has raised worries about the potential increase in automation at the ports,” said Gary Herrera, president of ILWU Local 13, in a statement. “While it is important to prioritize environmental sustainability, it is equally important to consider the impact of these measures on the local workforce and community as it pertains to jobs in the community and region.”
Trump will meet with the Teamsters in Washington as he tries to cut into Biden’s union support
January 31, 2024 // During Trump's presidency, the National Labor Relations Board reversed several key rulings that made it easier for small unions to organize, strengthened the bargaining rights of franchise workers and provided protection against anti-union measures for employees. The Supreme Court's conservative majority — including three justices that Trump nominated — overturned a decades-old pro-union decision in 2018 involving fees paid by government workers. The justices in 2021 rejected a California regulation giving unions access to farm property so they could organize workers.
UAW president says Biden has ‘history of serving others,’ while Trump ‘serving himself’
January 29, 2024 // When asked if it is difficult to convince UAW members to support Biden in light of his push towards electric, Fain said, ” Look, our- our union has a history going back- I- I saw a statement 54 years ago in 1970, UAW President Leonard Woodcock was talking about, we needed to get away from the internal combustible engine because it’s poisoning the environment.” “Look, the UAW has always been at the forefront of environmental issues, and of working class issues. The biggest thing to us is, no matter which way we go on this, we’re gonna have security for our members and for the working class people,” Fain added, pointing to the assurances in the UAW’s new contract.