Posts tagged Idaho
Labor Day: Americans Flee Forced-Unionism States and Move to Right-to-Work States
September 6, 2026 // Among the top ten growth states in the U-Haul index, nine have a Right-to-Work law that protects workers from being forced to pay dues to union bosses as a condition of employment. -Among the bottom ten states in the U-Haul index, NONE has a Right-to-Work law. All are forced unionism states. -Of the 25 top ranked cities in the U-Haul Growth Index, 24 are located in Right-to-Work states.
Portland’s Union Electricians Are Moving to Idaho at an Alarming Rate
September 2, 2026 // And it’s not just Boise. Major data center projects are drawing IBEW members—on a temporary and permanent basis—to Reno, Nev., and Kennewick, Wash. Closer to home, geothermal projects near Bend are keeping electricians busy. Union leaders are desperate to stem the exodus of apprentices from Portland. To IBEW, data center construction is one obvious solution. But that viewpoint puts Local 48 at odds with other key members of the Democratic Party’s base.
Idaho Teamsters Face Federal Prosecution for Illegal Threats, Fines Targeting UPS Employee Post-Membership Resignation
July 28, 2026 // Teamsters Local 983 falsely told worker that informing coworkers how to resign was a “federal crime,” then fined him for exercising his federally protected rights
Teachers’ Unions Are Losing One of Their Government Perks
July 22, 2026 // The question is not whether teachers unions should exist, but whether taxpayers should subsidize organizations that subsequently seek more taxpayer subsidy, often for actions the taxpayer wouldn’t otherwise support. Removing public subsidies forces unions to rely on voluntary member support, increases accountability, and keeps government resources focused on their proper purpose: educating children. The reforms in Idaho, Florida, and Arizona mark the beginning of a necessary correction.
Op-ed: Union transparency rules are only as strong as their enforcement
July 12, 2026 // Only after Ormond and Bilodeau sued their unions to compel them to follow the law did the agency finally start doing some of that “paperwork.” Last month, the department sent public-sector unions in the state a notice reminding them to follow the law, and it created an apparently new online portal for them to file the required financial reports. The department’s official guidance also said that unions must provide employees with hard copies of the reports and hold a meeting to discuss them.
Portable Benefits Win in Six More States
June 24, 2026 // A company willing to contribute toward benefits risks having the independent contractor reclassified as a traditional W2 employee, which brings new tax obligations, wage rules, and liability. Faced with that risk, most companies contribute nothing. Independent contractors are left to pay for benefits on their own, and many go without, with no safety net if they get sick, lose work, or grow old without savings. Portable benefits laws cut that knot. They establish that a voluntary contribution to a worker’s benefit account does not make the worker an employee. The account under this framework belongs to the worker, rather than the company, and follows them from one contract to the next. Contributions can fund health coverage, retirement savings, paid leave, disability protection, and emergency income, the protections a traditional job provides.
Journalists at McClatchy-owned papers in WA and Idaho go on daylong strike
May 28, 2026 // For the one-day strike, journalists at the news outlets are asking readers not to visit the newspapers' websites. With the local journalists off the job, Courtney Scott, executive officer of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, said it's anyone's guess what the company will fill its news sites with. " I think there's a chance that they post a bunch of AI garbage, that's a thing they've done," Scott said. "I don't know. But it's not our problem today." One of the things union members have fought for in this contract is better protections against AI. The company has used AI-generated content on its websites, at times without prior authorization or notice to the reporters, whose content is feeding the AI.
Workers Voted on Decertifying Unions 1,600 Times in the Past Decade. Teamsters Are the Most Common Target.
May 5, 2026 // Dozens of union decertification elections are held in workplaces across America every year, according to data collected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The Teamsters are often the target. Of the 1,620 decertification elections that the NLRB tracked between 2016 and 2025, more than 23 percent sought to end Teamsters representation. The 373 decertification petitions targeting the Teamsters during that period were more than twice the number filed against the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which had the second most.
Idaho law ends use of public funds for teachers’ union
April 15, 2026 // “Government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers in political debates,” Maxford Nelsen, the Freedom Foundation’s director of research and government affairs, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview. “It shouldn’t be aiding and providing special privileges or subsidies to particular advocacy groups.” “By getting school districts out of this business of using taxpayer funds, collect union dues and prop up teachers' union activity - that's just restoring neutrality,” Nelsen added.
A giant barrier to being self-employed is falling, state by state
April 13, 2026 // As more states pass permanent reforms, millions of independent contractors could gain access to benefits they’ve never enjoyed. But states aren’t the only ones that can act. Congress could also amend federal law so that companies may offer benefits without facing liability. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-California) have introduced bills to that effect in their respective chambers. They deserve the support of the full Congress and the White House in giving millions more workers long-term financial security along with the flexibility that self-employment provides. The portable benefits revolution can’t sweep the nation fast enough.