Posts tagged Tennessee
Taxpayer Resources Shouldn’t Be Spent on Union Politics
March 30, 2023 // Members of the Tennessee Education Association must also belong to the National Education Association. Studies show that in 2021, the National Education Association spent nearly $65 million on “political activities and lobbying” – more than double the amount it spent on representational activities. A review of political activities shows that the National Education Association spent its revenue, including Tennessee teachers’ dues, on: Supporting critical race theory Eliminating right-to-work laws Opposing school choice Supporting tax increases The government should not be the bills collector for union dues, especially when those unions are affiliated with national organizations that do not respect Tennessee values. SB 281 and HB 329 would increase minimum teacher pay to $50,000 over four years and end automatic payroll deduction of union dues.
Controversial Provision in TEA Bylaws Allows Union to Skim Teachers’ Pay Raise
March 30, 2023 // “The government should not be the bills collector for union dues,” Vernuccio said, “especially when those unions are affiliated with national organizations that do not respect Tennessee taxpayers’ values.”
Public Funds Shouldn’t Bankroll Union Coercion
March 29, 2023 // These tactics can be overwhelming. One employee testified, “It wasn’t enough that employees were being harassed at work, but now they are receiving phone calls at home. The union’s organizers refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer. The only way, it seems, to stop the badgering and pressure is to sign the card.” In another instance, an employee was told to sign the card or risk the union coming to “get her children” and “slash her car tires.” Even more galling, taxpayer dollars can be used to perpetuate these tactics. Card check occurs in some Tennessee workplaces that receive taxpayer-funded state economic incentives. Last year, Tennesseans voted overwhelmingly to support a right-to-work constitutional amendment, ensuring that workers can’t be fired for not joining or paying a union.
ARKANSAS BILL WOULD END GOVERNMENT COLLECTION OF UNION DUES FROM TEACHERS’ PAYCHECKS
March 28, 2023 // Just weeks after passing the largest education reform in state history, Arkansas lawmakers are now considering a bill that would better protect both taxpayers and teachers in the Natural state by preventing government employers from deducting union dues or political contributions from public school employees’ paychecks. “Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has taken major steps to make good on her promise to be the education governor that others should aspire to,” said Rusty Brown, southern director for the Freedom Foundation. “The governor has already signed into law the largest teacher salary increase in state history, moving Arkansas from having some of the lowest teacher salaries in the country to among the five highest in the nation. I defy any teachers’ union to show where they’ve done the same.”
Southern States Moving Bills to Reinforce Janus Ruling
March 23, 2023 // Moreover, while the Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Oklahoma proposals all include provisions not specifically mentioned in the Janus ruling as written by Justice Samuel Alito and affirmed by four of his colleagues, each is entirely consistent with its unambiguous intent. The ruling clearly states, “Neither an agency fee nor any other payment to the union may be deducted from a nonmember’s wages, nor may any other attempt be made to collect such a payment, unless the employee affirmatively consents to pay.”
Tennessee Senate Committee Tackles Union Coercion Commerce and Labor Committee Passes SB 650 to Secure Workers’ Right to a Secret-Ballot Union Election
March 22, 2023 // Even with the constitutional right-to-work, Tennessee employees can still face union coercion. Card check organizing takes away employees' right to a secret ballot in unionization elections and subjects workers to intimidation, coercion and deception by union leaders. To get these cards, unions can visit workers at their homes or repeatedly call their personal cell phones. Tennessee taxpayers should never have to fund union coercion, nor should companies getting economic incentives need to worry about unions strong-arming them or their employees. Just like Tennessee voters enjoy the right to privacy at the ballot box, Tennessee workers deserve the right to decide union representation through a private, protected ballot. The passage of SB 650 would ensure that, in workplaces that accept state economic incentives in the future, workers have that opportunity.
Nissan tool and die workers vote against union at Tennessee plant
March 17, 2023 // By a vote of 62 to 9 with 97% participation, workers at a Nissan manufacturing facility have again voted overwhelmingly against union representation and elected to maintain their direct relationship with the company. Nissan respects this decision, and we remain focused on working with employees to drive our future forward together," she said. Union spokesman DeLane Adams provided a statement, saying the union would continue to support the workers "so we will be prepared for them to join our union when the time is right again." The statement highlighted the length of the campaign, which began in 2021, with the union attempting to create a small group of organized workers within the plant rather than attempting to organize the entire facility.
Michigan: Listen to union members: Protect right-to-work
March 16, 2023 // Two separate Mackinac Center polls found that voters want to keep right-to-work by a two-to-one margin. Tellingly, that includes 55% of Michigan union members – spot on with the results of the union-backed poll in Tennessee. In other words, the very people unions say they’re fighting for want the unions to stop fighting altogether. It should come as no surprise that union members support this common-sense policy. They understand that right-to-work protects their right to join a union just as much as it does their decision not to do so. They also understand that if the union is not looking out for their best interests, they should never be forced to continue giving it their hard-earned money. And that’s why unions are fighting against their own members’ wishes. They want to keep workers’ money, which they can spend to elect governors and legislators who will protect them – a never-ending cycle where unions and union-backed politicians win. That inevitably means workers lose because no one is actually speaking for them.
Institute for the American Worker Head Vinnie Vernuccio: Tennessee Is Leading the Way with Right-to-Work 2.0
March 15, 2023 // You made it a constitutional right, so it can’t be repealed like Michigan. Now you’re going even further, you’re doing right to work 2.0 by making sure employees of companies that get economic incentives, the secret ballot for them in unionization elections is protected. And your governor is also out there, Governor Lee is protecting teachers’ paychecks, not only giving them raises, but also making sure they get their full paycheck. And part of it isn’t siphoned off and given to teachers’ unions.
Video: ALEC’s Labor of Love: A History of Championing Worker Freedom
March 10, 2023 // Today, ALEC debuts its first episode, “Worker Freedom,” in our 50th anniversary video series. The episode features ALEC champions Scott Walker (45th Governor of Wisconsin), Matt Hall (Michigan House Minority Leader and ALEC Board of Directors Member), and Vinnie Vernuccio (Senior Fellow, Mackinac Center), discussing ALEC’s pivotal role in securing Worker Freedom policy wins across the states. In some states, private sector workers can be forced to join, leave, or pay fees to a union as job requirement. The Right-to-Work Act, which ALEC task forces approved as a model policy, provides a solution to this issue. It prevents private employers from requiring or banning union membership (or fees) as conditions for employment, giving workers in Right-to-Work states a guaranteed right to support a union or not to support a union without this choice affecting their hiring or job security.