Posts tagged Republican
Union endorsements cross party lines in Mont. federal races
September 8, 2026 // Democratic candidate Sam Forstag and Republican Aaron Flint — both competing for the 1st Congressional District — signaled they support collective bargaining rights for public and private workers. This position is similar to Montana U.S. Senate candidates independent Seth Bodnar, Democratic candidate Alani Bankhead and Republican Kurt Alme. Forstag, Flint, Bodnar and Alme have union endorsements.
Opinion: Biden made poor labor choices. I had a front-row seat.
September 5, 2026 // With three Republican votes, the NLRB is well positioned to address these — and many other — poor decisions that have exacerbated the board’s backlog. I know from experience that there will never be a quiet docket. But I also know that the number of open claims will shrink further if the board restores standards that are grounded in law and common sense. The NLRB already has the cases to overturn the board’s old rulings. It has the authority. Now it has the votes — and the duty to act.
Trump formally proposes pay freeze for most federal workers, 3.8% increase for law enforcement
September 1, 2026 // Trump first proposed the pay freeze as part of his fiscal 2027 budget proposal. Though the document was silent on federal employee compensation, officials with the Office of Management and Budget quickly clarified that its omission equated to a planned freeze for 2027. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, dated Thursday, Trump said increasing most federal employees’ pay would be “unacceptable and unfair” given the inflation that occurred under the Biden administration. Inflation actually has risen from 2.8% when former President Biden left office to 3.3% as of last month.
Striking workers will need to seek jobs to qualify for WA unemployment benefits
August 24, 2026 // Workers on strike can receive up to six weeks of benefits. Unemployment is available following the second Sunday after a strike begins, plus a one-week waiting period. Typical unemployment insurance is offered for up to 26 weeks. The six weeks for striking workers was the result of negotiations between House and Senate Democrats. A person seeking unemployment benefits must show they are available and actively seeking suitable work. For each week they submit a claim, the person must complete three job search activities and keep a record of their efforts. They also must be signed up with a WorkSource employment center in the state, or an equivalent if they live in another state.
NLRB confirmations secure Republican majority
August 11, 2026 // The Associated Builders and Contractors in a Friday statement commended the confirmation of Macy and Prouty, noting that losing a quorum would have left NLRB "unable to issue decisions, creating additional uncertainty for the construction industry and the broader employer community." "A fully functioning NLRB is essential to reducing the growing case backlog and ensuring labor disputes are resolved in a timely and predictable manner," Kristen Swearingen, ABC vice president of government affairs, said. In addition to the NLRB confirmations, the Senate also confirmed economist Brett Matsumoto to a four-year term as DOL's Commissioner of Labor Statistics.
Bipartisan Bill to Accelerate Labor Contracts Roils Employers
August 6, 2026 // “The notion that I’m going to bargain a fresh contract and think of all the terms and conditions of employment that get woven into a contract, a contract that on the light side might be 10 or 15 pages single space and on the long side 50 pages, that’s just ridiculous,” he said. “People that have never bargained wrote this law.” The bill could also exacerbate timelines instead of accelerating them, as arbitrators and mediators become increasingly overwhelmed with an influx of contract disputes. That could be especially aggravated by ongoing staffing challenges at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said Steven M. Bernstein, regional managing partner and Labor Relations Group co-chair at Fisher & Phillips LLC.
Opinion: Sneaky new teachers’ union plan to indoctrinate our kids: classroom AI
August 3, 2026 // Their objective is to indoctrinate, not educate. That misguided mission is largely to blame for the past decade of drastic learning loss in K-12 schools: Too much indoctrination, too little emphasis on the basics of math and reading. It’s a bad omen for our country.
GUEST COLUMN Eugene V. Debs’ socialism still is relevant in America today
July 21, 2026 // Debs’ loyalty to the Socialist Party was stronger than his commitment to the IWW. To him, establishing a socialist alternative to the two electoral business parties, the Democratic and Republican parties, was more vital. Debs is a hero who is still relevant. Wealth inequality is similar to when Debs was active in labor and political organizing. The Democratic/Republican duopoly cannot meet the needs of people in the U.S. Debs was an inspirational leader who learned the hard lesson: Labor and capital are bitter enemies who cannot be reconciled. Be like Eugene Debs.
Pennsylvania minimum wage bill stalls in state senate amid push for $15 an hour
July 1, 2026 // Citing the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office, many GOP members say an increase in the minimum wage would result in layoffs, reduced hours, increased costs to customers, and the destruction of small businesses. At this point, House Bill 2189 remains in the Senate but off the table and unlikely to be debated or voted on—at least for now.
Exclusive: Republican blasts AI, endorses union agenda at Teamsters convention
June 23, 2026 // A Republican featured as a speaker at a Teamsters event serves as a stark illustration of how the political lines are blurring for Big Labor, once a dependable political ally for the left.