Big Government » Unions

BREAKING: ‘Occupy CPAC’ Protestors Paid $60 Per Head; Brain Freeze Over Simple Question

Joel Griffith — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:08:38 +0000

Today, outside CPAC’s annual meeting at Washington’s Marriott Wardman Park, union supporters and Occupy DC activists gathered to protest.

One lady wearing an Occupy DC lapel pin proudly displayed a sign stating “Walmart for President.”

Although given multiple opportunities to explain what her sign meant, she stumbled aimlessly for the right words, eventually stating, “I’m going to have to think about that.”

Meanwhile, the Daily Caller’s Michelle Fields reports that protestors were paid $60 each to demonstrate against CPAC:

Protesters at Friday’s “Occupy CPAC” event, organized by AFL-CIO and the Occupy DC movement, told The Daily Caller that they were paid “sixty bucks a head” to protest outside the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.

One protester told TheDC that all the “Occupy” activists were being paid to protest, and that his union, Sheet Metal Workers Local 100, approached him about the money-making opportunity.

“I have nothing nice to say about Local 100. … They just told me ‘you wanna make sixty bucks? So c’mon,’” the protester said.

Fields adds that few of the protestors were willing to speak on camera.

Big Labor Bosses Demonstrate Why Right-to-Work Is Necessary

David A. Bego — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:50:23 +0000

Shame on Big Labor Bosses! For years they have used the tactic of “shame” in an effort to pressure, bully and demonize employers who might stand against their efforts. They have used “shame” in their efforts to misinform the public – to create a misperception that their target is guilty of an unconscionable act and should bear the scarlet letter of these acts. These attacks have been not just against the targeted employer, but against anyone who might oppose them, including the employer’s customers and advertisers, non-union employees, even their own membership if it suits their purposes. Recently, Big Labor has taken the weapon of “shame” to the political arena, both in Wisconsin and now in Indiana.

“Shame” was the word of the day when the SEIU ran one of its Corporate Campaigns against EMS across the Midwest in 2005-2007. The Big Labor bosses never shirked from using the phrase to intimidate loyal EMS employees and customers as they attempted to cross SEIU picket lines. With banners in hand they would publicly attack EMS with incorrect statements and half-truths.

“Shame” was on display constantly last year when Big Labor bosses poured millions of dollars and thousands of foot soldiers into Madison, Wisconsin in an attempt to intimidate Governor Walker and the General Assembly into withdrawing the needed measures to restore fiscal responsibility to a state deeply in debt (see America at a Crossroads! As Wisconsin Goes, So Goes America!). Now, as we approach The Most Important Non-Presidential Election of the Decade, Big Labor bosses are at it again, attempting to “shame” the electorate into replacing Governor Walker via a recall election and then reversing the bills that have arguably put Wisconsin on a path to solvency.

Now “shame” has entered the RTW political arena. In January, 2012, Democratic House leader Patrick Bauer demonstrated his Big Labor allegiances when he incorporated their very own intimidation tactics, as demonstrated in the last line of his rebuttal to the fact the Indiana Right-to-Work Bill Advances(see Bauer to Right-to-Work Supporters: “Shame on You”).

The true colors of “shame,” however, were displayed recently during an obnoxious Big Labor boss and his small crowd’s attempt to intimidate Indiana Associated Builders and Contractors President J.R. Gaylor and his assistant at the Indiana Statehouse. Click HERE to watch the video coverage! J.R. did a great job keeping his cool as the Big Labor boss displayed his arrogance and lack of civility. The fact is, this type behavior and the use of “shame” and other slogans is no more than a blatant attempt to not only intimidate, but to induce the target to react negatively or irrationally so they can escalate the situation and make the target look like the bad guy.

The ruthless attacks by Big Labor are not confined to the statehouse, the courtroom, public gathering spaces, or even private businesses. Big Labor has shown that they, in fact, have NO SHAME, when they order their membership to the personal residences of state lawmakers for the purpose of intimidating them from voting for what they believe to be right and harassing them into giving up the fight. This is what recently happened at the homes of Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma and Senator Jim Banks. Attacks like this were also seen throughout the SEIU’s Corporate Campaign against EMS, and included “house visits” to owners and employees alike.

Imagine your employees, friends, family, children or even yourself enduring this type attack from Big Labor bosses and their cronies. As an employee, how would you not break down and sign a union card during a Card Check drive? This is what EMS employees, customers and family endured for 2 years during one of the SEIU’s most vicious Corporate Campaigns, in an attempt to force EMS to sign a Neutrality Agreement and put Card Check into effect! No human being should be subjected to this type treatment and this is why I believe Right to Work Is A Basic American Freedom, and why I wrote my new book The Devil At Our Doorstep.

“Shame” on Big Labor for misconstruing the facts and taking advantage of the small percentage of Americans buying into their misinformation and propaganda, leading them to believe that employers are the intimidators and destroyer of jobs and wages. The truth is quite the opposite!

In the graphic video above, which is typical of Big Labor coercion, the target did not react to the intimidation, and all that was accomplished by the big labor boss and his group was to make themselves look like radicals. The majority of the population understands who these people are. This is the 1% minority trying to control the 99%. In Wisconsin it was reported that approximately 30,000 protesters (many bused in from out of state) jammed downtown Madison during the height of the protest. AFL-CIO sources claim 10,000 protestors (again many brought in from out of state) filled the Indiana State Capital in Indianapolis to protest RTW. In both cases these were relatively low numbers, less than .5% in terms of percentages, when compared to the respective populations (5,654,744 in Wisconsin and 6,423,113 in Indiana). In either case 99.5% of the population did not buy into the lack of civility.

Interestingly enough neither did the majority of rank and file union members. In the article UAW Member: Union Workers ‘Need to Embrace’ Right to Work Laws,Terry Bowman, a 14-year UAW member who supports the RTW initiative in Michigan, does an outstanding job during an interview exposing the coercion tactics of Big Labor’s Gasping Dinosaurs and their attempt to survive through inflicting forced unionism on employers and employees. Unfortunately, union membership feels as though they have little power to rein in the out-of-control Big Labor bosses (see When Will the Main Stream Media Wake Up?) When will Americans realize the abuse caused by Big Labor and pass Right-to-Work nationally?

Additionally, we need to Free Workers from Union Bosses by passing the Employees Rights Act! If Big Labor can’t compete openly and fairly, without pressure, intimidation and political cronyism to remain relevant, then maybe it is time for it to follow the lead of other businesses that have lost relevance and become obsolete. Shame on Big Labor for using intimidation to accomplish its forced unionization goals!

PR Fail: Former GM Exec Scrambles to Explain Away Chevy Volt Fire(s)

Seton Motley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:03:45 +0000

Bob Lutz is a good man. A Swiss-born immigrant American success story.

He’s held big gigs at BMW and Ford. He also worked way up the food chain at (now $85 billion bailed-out) Chrysler and General Motors (GM) – retiring as GM’s Vice Chairman in 2010.

And he has recently written a piece:

Chevy Volt And The Wrong-Headed Right

…in vociferous defense of the Chevy Volt.

You know, the more-than-$200,000 in government-subsidies-per-unit-sold Volt.

The overproduced, unprofitable, unpopular, combustible Volt. (And January 2011’s sales were no less disappointing.)

That Chevy Volt.

Are we on the Right wrong-headed? Let’s take Mr. Lutz’s piece piecemeal and see.

The recent media coverage of so-called “Chevrolet Volt fires,” especially by the conservative talk shows and Fox News, has attracted my attention and ire.

Let’s set out the facts (and feel free to check them yourself):

Don’t mind if we do.

1) Not one Chevrolet Volt has ever caught fire in normal use or in accidents. Not a single one.

Fundamentally untrue, as we laid out in great detail after last week’s House Oversight Volt hearing.

From our piece:

There were in fact three other, private-owner Volt fires. None of which involved Volts that were in crashes.

These three fires involved Volts that were simply garaged or recharging – i.e. “in normal use.”

Indiana on the Verge of Enacting Right to Work Law

Publius — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:37:50 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Lawmakers put Indiana on the verge of becoming the Rust Belt’s first right-to-work state, passing legislation Wednesday that prohibits labor contracts requiring workers to pay union representation fees.

Hundreds of union members gathered at the Statehouse chanted “Shame on you!” and “See you at the Super Bowl!” as the vote was announced. As the streets of Indianapolis bustled with Super Bowl festivities, protesters planned a downtown rally that they hoped would point a national spotlight on the state.

Indiana will be the first state in a decade to enact a right-to-work law prohibiting labor contracts that require workers to pay union representation fees. Indiana’s move is expected to embolden national right-to-work advocates, who have unsuccessfully pushed the measure in other states following a Republican sweep of statehouses in 2010. But few right-to-work states boast Indiana’s union clout, borne of a long manufacturing legacy.

The law’s passage would close one chapter in a contentious debate that sparked a five-week walkout by outnumbered House Democrats last year and saw them stage numerous boycotts this session, delaying action on other bills and threatening to spill over into the Feb. 5 Super Bowl.

The Republican-controlled Senate approved the bill in a 28-22 vote Wednesday morning. The bill now heads for the desk of Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who has said he will sign it upon arrival.

Union protesters said they were not ready to be silenced.

Capitol Hill Chevy Volt Hearing: What About All the Other Fires?

Seton Motley — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:24:20 +0000

I attended Wednesday’s 8:00am (8am?!?) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing entitled:

Volt Vehicle Fire: What Did NHTSA Know And When Did They Know It?

The witnesses were killer:

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), Barack Obama-appointee Administrator David Strickland.

And General Motors (GM), Barack Obama-appointee CEO Dan Akerson.

The scope of the hearing was a bit too narrow – leaving out some fairly important attending facts. Like, say, the (at least) five other Chevy Volt fires that have occurred besides the one being discussed.

This hearing was all about a single June Volt blaze. The battery burst into flames about three weeks after a test crash at and by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

A fire about which Obama’s NHTSA did tell the Obama White House.

But a fire about which neither Obama’s NHTSA, the Obama Administration nor Obama’s GM told the American people for nearly six months – and then did so only when forced by a looming Bloomberg news story.

But:

The White House had no role in the decision to delay disclosure of a fire that broke out in a crash-tested Chevrolet Volt, the Obama administration told Congress on Friday.

Of COURSE not.

But:

Joan Claybrook, a former administrator at NHTSA believes part of the reason for the delay was the “fragility of Volt sales.” Yet she also believes that “NHTSA could have put out a consumer alert, not to tell them [customers] for six months makes no sense to me.”

Obama is running for reelection in great part on the non-success “success” of the $85 billion auto industry bailout.

On which he once promised we’d make money. Then had to begrudgingly up the (admitted to) loss from $14.3 billion to $23.6 billion.

And We the Taxpayers still own 500 million shares of GM stock – which is tanking. So that loss number still has growth prospects.

That auto industry bailout “success.”

Obama mentioned GM prominently in Tuesday night’s campaign – I mean State of the Union – speech:

America: Built to (Be) Last

And had as one of his bio-props – I mean guests – a GM plant manager.

The takeaway from all of this?

For Obama, notifying Americans of their potential immolation-by-Volt is of less import than his keeping his gig past November.

—–

And there’s tremendous immolation potential.

The one NHTSA Volt fire discussed at the hearing was not the only NHTSA Volt fire that occurred. In November, there were two others.

After conducting three different tests two weeks ago, the NHTSA found that the Volt’s battery either caught fire or began to smoke in two out of the three.

So that’s three Volt fires – all in the hands of the Obama Administration, all after crashes.

But Obama’s GM now says they’ve fixed the problem – and the Obama Administration has (shocker) given GM the good-to-go.

So all is well, right?

Ummm, no. There were in fact three other, private-owner Volt fires. None of which involved Volts that were in crashes.

—–

There was the Volt that in April burst into flames – twice. These were the fires that led to Obama’s NHTSA beginning its investigation.

And then in November another Volt leapt into flames. While Obama’s NHTSA was still investigating – but after the NHTSA-Obama Administration-GM cover-up had come to light (get it?).

The home that garaged this particular immolated Volt gets its power from Duke Energy – which after the fire felt compelled to issue a warning:

Duke Energy officials want anyone who has a (Volt) charging station to stop using it until they know the devices are safe.

So the charging station is at least suspect. (So too the charging station cable?)

We still have no idea what caused these fires. The only thing we do know is that they were not caused by crashes – because these cars were never in crashes.

So why did Obama’s NHTSA, the Obama Administration and Obama’s GM singularly focus on (but one of three) post-crash Volt fires?

When none of these three privately-owned combustible Volts had been in accidents?

We – still – don’t know. Anything.

But don’t worry: The Obama Administration has declared that the Obama-owned GM Chevy Volt is perfectly safe – just in time for Obama’s reelection campaign.

And GM’s new Volt ad campaign, which is pretty much entitled:

If You Don’t Like the Volt, You Don’t Like America

Don’t you feel safer?

Obama and NLRB Continue to Cost Union Jobs

David A. Bego — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:40:56 +0000

Labor union membership continues to be blind to the fact that the support of its “leadership” to President Obama and his political allies is coming at the cost of the members. Big Labor bosses and their political allies are happy to continue to throw the membership under the bus for their own personal gain. For President Obama, this is the prospect of re-election; for the labor bosses, this is the survival of their “way of life.” This can be seen through the President’s actions and comments over the past three years.

Early in his presidency, President Obama made disparaging remarks about business owners whose companies had corporate jets. This was done in a blatant attempt to incite class warfare, despite the fact that the country was in a deep recession. By his words, the President willingly sacrificed the jobs of the very people who supported him through union dues. He knew the liberal media would not expose the tragic result his words would have on the private jet and airplane manufacturing industry.

In Wichita, Kansas, the home of private aircraft manufacturing has suffered tremendously, as thousands of union employees employed by Cessna and Beechcraft have been laid off, not to mention the thousands of jobs affiliated with general aviation lost across the country including manufacturers, part suppliers, fuel, pilots, mechanics, FBO services and insurance providers. Additionally, due to the loss of significant sales, use, income environmental and aviation tax revenues, thousands of local, state and federal employee positions, many of which were union jobs, have disappeared.

Adding insult to injury now the White House Defends User Fees of $100/flight on general aviation and corporate aviation to raise revenues in Obama’s continued class warfare and redistribution of wealth scheme in his effort to bring down America. Ironically this will cost more jobs, many of them union, as revenues ultimately will be reduced as fewer aircraft are purchased and general aviation travel is curtailed due to the added expense. The vicious cycle will continue to perpetuate itself at the expense of American jobs!

Further evidence was seen in December when Obama began his campaign against the Keystone XL pipeline (see White House, GOP Battle for Supremacy on Keystone) and again recently when he voiced his opposition of the Keystone XL pipeline that would have created or saved some 20,000 union jobs. He did so to cement campaign support from his environmental buddies. His reasoning:

The President says he’s turning down the project not because it isn’t worthy, but because of what he calls an arbitrary Feb. 21 deadline he was given by Congress to make a decision. The deadline was set by a GOP-written provision as part of a tax bill that Obama signed into law just before Christmas.

This is the same President that rejected a Republican controlled house offer in December 2011 to extend employee payroll deductions until December 31, 2012, and instead demanded a two month extension so he could further evaluate the Keystone XL pipeline (see Obama’s Keystone Delay Flouts the Law). This is despite the fact 56% Favor Building the Keystone Pipeline, Think It’s Good for the Economy (see Obama Ignores His Own Energy Goals in Rejecting Keystone XL). It should be apparent this President has no loyalty to anyone, except himself. It is another perfect example of his intent to Rule by Fiat and move America to totalitarian socialism!

Based on these comments, the President has riled certain labor leaders (see Job Killers-2, American Workers-0). It is apparent that some union members are now questioning who the President is looking out for!

Knowing he had to mollify union members and Big Labor bosses after throwing them under the bus the last three years, Obama recess appointed radical members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in an effort to achieve Card Check. The Rogue NLRB has responded by reversing previous pro-business decisions and proposing new regulations designed to promote union Corporate Campaigns in a blatant attempt to achieve EFCA Through the Backdoor. Additionally, the NLRB decided to take on Boeing in an effort to further big labor power and suppress Right to Work in South Carolina and across the country. However, despite the fact that the Machinists’ union and Boeing came to an agreement and the NLRB has rescinded its charge this Sleight of Hand from the Rouge NLRB has actually resulted in the loss of union jobs, not reported by the liberal media. Boeing recently announced it will be closing its 85 year old plant in Wichita, which will result in the loss of approximately 2100 jobs, most of them union (see Kansas Common Sense – Kansans Troubled by Boeing’s Announcement to Close Wichita Facility).

Again, Obama’s media friends provided little coverage of this disastrous loss of jobs seemingly oblivious to the fact America Needs an Effective Leader, Not a Politician! Their liberal ideology blinds them to the fact Obama’s Rule by Fiat is A Death Penalty for Employees and Employers. When Will the Main Stream Media Wake Up and realize they are adding and abetting the loss of the very middle class they claim to support?

It is inconceivable that rank and file union members will continue to allow the Big Labor bosses and the President to sell them down the river. However, with little mainstream media coverage most of them are going about their daily lives taking care of their families, doing their jobs and trying to enjoy life. It is a shame that the President’s delusional ambition of Political Aspirations & Payback Ahead of American Jobs combined with Big Labor boss greed and quest for survival are rapidly destroying the middle class dream they purport to defend. Each union rank and file member needs to realize that America needs a new leader and it is time for a change at the top, before the American dream is gone forever.

Judge Orders Bailout of Union-Dominated School District

Education Action Group — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:18:49 +0000

These days a lot of school budgets are being held together by the accounting equivalents of bailing wire and duct tape. But one Pennsylvania school district is so broke that it needs the state to provide the wire and the tape.

The Chester Upland School District began this week with only $100,000 in its savings account, and had no way of meeting its $1 million payroll – that is, until a judge ordered the state to give the district a $3.2 million advance in its allowance, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The money will allow the teachers to be paid and the lights to remain on, at least for a few more weeks. The district is on track to be $20 million in debt by the end of the school year.

“Anxious parents are looking at other options for their children, such as sending them to private schools or having them live with relatives and go to other public schools,” the Daily Journal reported two days before the bailout was announced.

What’s causing Chester Upland’s financial meltdown?

According to school officials, the state has been illegally giving some of the district’s money to charter schools. State officials say the law requires it to fund the schools where students actually attend, and many choose to attend charter schools. A judge is expected to settle the dispute next month.

While the district might win its case in court, it seems destined to lose in the court of public opinion.

Since 2006, Chester Upland’s enrollment has dropped by almost 1,000 students. During that same time, the district has increased its workforce by 145 employees, and its budget by $28 million, reports the PhillyBurbs.com.

Members of the local teachers union have pledged to keep working “as long as they are individually able … even if they are not paid.”

While that makes for a nice press release, it appears that none the district’s three school employee unions have agreed to open their contracts and offer any concessions to help the district survive.

Just another financial crisis, courtesy of Big Labor.