Posts tagged political activity
SEIU Wants Unemployment for Strikers — While Blowing Cash on Billboards
July 23, 2025 // When 1,700 unionized healthcare workers went on strike in the spring of 2023, SEIU 1199 New England had millions in reserve — including a strike fund. But instead of using it to support the walkout, the union spent big on billboards and ads while members lobbied for unemployment benefits to shift the cost onto employers. According to SEIU’s federal LM-2 filings covering July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, the union reported $876,570 in strike benefits along with sitting on almost $22 million in assets. The U.S. Department of Labor defines strike benefits as “all disbursements made to, or on behalf of the members… associated with strikes, work stoppages and lockouts during the reporting period.” In other words, that figure represents the total support SEIU provided its members during the 2023 strike.
Chicago Board of Election workers should not be barred from unionizing, judge finds
July 17, 2025 // Attorneys for the board argued that because election workers are prohibited from engaging in “political activity” by the state’s election code, they should therefore be barred from joining SEIU. In legal filings, hired counsel for the board of election noted that SEIU 73 is politically active, lobbies legislatively and makes endorsements and financial contributions to political candidates. The union, for instance, helped propel Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who received more than $4 million in contributions from SEIU affiliates during his mayoral campaign, to victory.
Bid Protests Offer a Way Around PLAs, But Will a Slow, Steady Precedent Win the Day?
June 25, 2025 // The OMB memo instructs federal agencies to maintain the labor pact requirements but also points to a Federal Acquisition Rule provision that provides an exception to the PLA requirement for large construction projects when its use would substantially reduce the number of bidders and impact the price. But it has left neither contractor groups nor NABTU happy. "To that extent this isn’t what we hoped for, it is definitely better than what was in place with the Biden administration,” Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs and workforce at AGC told ENR. “In addition, given the recent court decisions, it is hard to see how the administration will be able to impose a mandated PLA without facing successful bid protests."
Walberg, Allen Seek Feedback on Path to Give Rank-And-File Workers a Bigger Voice in Unions
May 28, 2025 // “Too often, rank‑and‑file workers lack the timely information and meaningful voice they need to hold elected leaders accountable for both fiscal and political decisions. Recent misconduct cases, ranging from embezzlement to unauthorized political expenditures, underscore the need for a modernized framework that prioritizes the rights of individual members to hold union leadership accountable and that provides individual union members with more control over how labor organizations operate.”
Freedom Foundation Takes the Teamsters to Court
April 16, 2025 // Although Ms. Tarbah is not a member of the Teamsters, a portion of her wages is automatically deducted every pay period and directed into the union’s “Health and Welfare Trust Retiree Plan.” While the plan is presented as a retiree health benefit, the lawsuit alleges that the funds are routinely used for union-driven initiatives that include political and ideological activity. “Karima Tarbah has a constitutional right to decide where her money goes and what causes she supports,” said Timothy Snowball, Litigation Counsel for the Freedom Foundation. “This case is about the fundamental right of every public employee to make choices that align with their own political conscience. California’s laws must align with the Constitution—not empower unions and governments to coerce funding.”
Minnesota Electric Utility Employee Challenges IBEW Nationwide Policy Coercing Worker Contributions to Union’s Political Activity
April 10, 2025 // An employee of Agralite Electric Cooperative, an electric utility company in Western Minnesota, has just filed federal charges against the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union, challenging nationwide restrictions union officials impose on workers who wish to cut off financial support for union political activities. The worker, Theresa Klassen, filed charges against both the IBEW international union and IBEW Local 160 at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 18 in Minneapolis. Klassen is represented for free by National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.
Chicago election workers say board is blocking unionizing effort: ‘We have had enough of these games’
September 26, 2024 // The unionizing campaign began in July when 55 of the 80 potentially eligible workers signed union cards, Deming said. Since a petition to unionize was filed with the state’s labor board, SEIU alleges the city elections board has tied up the effort in court. Deming said the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has filed six objections to the petition to organize. One objection is that unionizing would break an employee prohibition of political activity, which Deming said is not the case. SEIU does endorse political candidates, but no union dues are used to fund political activity, Deming said. SEIU 73 already represents employees of the Cook County Electoral Board, Deming said.
Republicans Should Beware the Big Labor Snake
July 31, 2024 // If presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris wins in November, organized labor will tighten its grip on American workers. In 2020, Ms. Harris ran on banning right-to-work provisions, codifying “card check” union election theft and sectoral bargaining. If Ms. Harris imposes her radical agenda, organized labor will likely expand its tentacles into new frontiers, such as pharmacists and ride-hailing companies. Republicans should understand that the best way to win over union workers is by doubling down on Mr. Trump’s worker freedom agenda. Tax cuts and deregulation spur economic growth and job creation, a rising tide that lifts all boats. Right-to-work laws ensure that American workers are not forced to pay dues to a union boss to put food on the table. Strong protections for independent contracting allow Americans to make a living by being their own boss.
Opinion: Trump, Republicans Must Resist Dem-Funding Union Leadership’s Attempt To Con Them
July 3, 2024 // A new report from the Center for Union Facts, first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation, shows that the Teamsters spent $9 million on politics between 2019 and 2022. Of that, a staggering 99% funded Democrat-aligned groups and anti-Trump media outlets. More than $2.6 million in Teamsters political donations went toward registered Democrats and Democratic campaign arms. The Teamsters also funded anti-Trump activist groups that plan to bury a second Trump presidency in litigation. Given that nearly all of the Teamsters political spending went to Democrats and far-left causes, it would be reasonable to assume that rank-and-file union members uniformly vote Democrat. That is not the case: In 2020, 40% of households with a union member voted for Trump.