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Home Archives for union

5/30/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Union LIAR Ready to Suck Money from Workers to Attack Bill Ritter?

Sound the alarm on Bill Ritter's re-election chances. Hard-core Democrats are swearing they're going to abandon ship, at least if you take the Dead Governors at their word. But really, Ritter's sagging popularity is not exactly newsworthy for those who have been paying attention the past couple months or so. The real reason I gave a link to Colorado Pols was the unintentional humor behind a new union political group aimed at challenging (or at least threatening) Colorado's incumbent Democratic governor:A group calling itself Labor Initiatives Against Ritter - or LIAR - has filed the paperwork needed with the Internal Revenue Service to begin raising money for political purposes. Mark Johnson, an International Brotherhood of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, liberty, PPC Tagged With: abandon ship, agency fees, agent, alarm, area, Bill Ritter, certainty, challenging, chances, Colorado, Colorado Pols, Colorado Springs, Dead Governors, Democrats, filed, greater, hard-core, hard-earned money, Humor, Internal Revenue Service, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Labor Initiatives Against Ritter, LIAR, link, Mark Johnson, member, money, newsworthy, paperwork, paying attention, plans, political group, political purposes, popularity, portion, re-election, really, Reason, sagging, sound, swearing, Trust us, unintentional, union, union goons, union members, word, workers

5/22/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Big Labor Ramps Up Pro-EFCA Efforts with Biased Report, Religious Lobbyists

Update, 10:00 AM: Labor Pains' Justin Wilson has a more thorough refutation of Big Labor's new report here. In an effort to ramp up their efforts to pass the Employee Forced Choice Act (EFCA), Big Labor is touting a new report that suggests employers are rampantly breaking the law (PDF) during union organizing elections. The problem? The report's data all are based on interviews with union organizers -- hardly an unbiased source. But anything goes. While Big Labor appeals to EFCA apologists who need rational cover with impressive-sounding reports, it seems they also think they must appeal to the populist masses of religious believers. So they have sent clergy member lobbyists to Washington, DC, to insist that card-check legislation is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: advocacy, aligned, American, apologists, appeal, appointed, balance, believers, Big Labor, binding arbitration, breaking the law, card-check, chances, clergy member, coercion, Colorado, Democrat, deprive, economy, EFCA, efforts, elections, emerge, Employee Forced Choice Act, Employer Advantage, employers, expensive, George McGovern, God, Heritage Foundation, impressive-sounding, interviews, intimidation, jobs, labor law, legislation, liberal icon, lobbyists, mandatory, manufactured, masses, Michael Bennet, moral imperative, myth, nation's capital, new report, opposes, payouts, phenomenon, political desperation, populist, pro-union, procedures, protect, ramp up, rational cover, religious, Religious Left, secret ballot, skewing, social justice, source, stars, struggling, tactics, teetering, thousands, transparent, twin, U.S. Senator, unbiased, union, union organizers, union organizing, Washington DC, weak, weeks, workers, workplace

5/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Public-Sector Unions vs. Taxpayers: Timely Lesson for Governor Bill Ritter

Quick post, but an important read for a Friday: As clearly and as effectively as I've seen done, Steven Malanga's Wall Street Journal column explains the negative impact of public-sector union strength on the well-being of taxpayers. (H/T Labor Pains) Read it. Maybe it will help clarify the reasons why Governor Bill Ritter ought to veto Senate Bill 180. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Bill Ritter, clarify, column, Friday, Governor, important read, Labor Pains, negative impact, public sector, quick post, reasons, Senate Bill 180, Steven Malanga, strength, taxpayers, union, veto, Wall Street Journal, well-being

5/8/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Colorado LOSES: Represent State Employees, No Union Middleman

Having already won Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's November 2007 executive order allowing exclusive union representation in state government, the table is set for organized labor to push for full-fledged and permanent bargaining legislation by next year. Many of those who would be purported to benefit from such legislation might have a different idea, however. On an iVoices podcast, I talk with state employee Dave Ohmart about his developing plan to provide representation for state employees without the costly union middleman services of Colorado WINS: Dave says he's open to input to refine and improve his plan. You can contact him by leaving a comment at the Colorado LOSES website. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, PPC Tagged With: audio, bargaining, benefit, Bill Ritter, Colorado, Colorado WINS, comment, contact, costly, Dave Ohmart, developing, exclusive, Executive Order, full-fledged, Governor, idea, improve, input, iVoices, legislation, middleman, organized labor, permanent, plan, podcast, purported, services, set, state employee, state government, table, talk, union, union representation, website

4/28/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Which Nickname Should Honor Michael Bennet’s Ongoing Indecision?

While we're killing time waiting for newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet to make up his mind on the union card-check bill, we can entertain ourselves with a good, old-fashioned nickname debate. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has started a video campaign (watch below the fold) to label Colorado's junior senator as "Back 'N' Forth Bennet": … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Back 'N' Forth Bennet, bill, Both Ways Bennet, candidate, card-check, commission, debate, dilemma, effectiveness, El Presidente, entertain, entries, familiar, gubernatorial, homegrown, ideas, irony, junior senator, killing time, label, Michael Bennet, National Republican Senatorial Committee, newly-selected, nickname, old-fashioned, poll, possible, recycle, Republican, Rocky Mountain Right, struck, submit, U.S. Senator, union, video campaign, YouTube

4/23/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

On Socialism and Ron Paul: Two Timely Essays for Lovers of Liberty

A quick-hit double-link in the form of two recent essays I recommend as timely and relevant reading for thoughtful lovers of liberty: "The Welfare State and the Meaning of Life" by Greg Forster, whose work I have come to know through his excellent research and analysis of school choice issues, but in this case makes a strong moral case against socialism "Ron Paul's Secession Lies on Video" by libertarian lawyer and thinker Tim Sandefur, a college classmate of mine who delivers a remedial lesson in United States history and the Constitution to the Congressman and former presidential candidate ... It's one thing to speak up loudly against federal overreaches and for a renewed respect of the 10th Amendment, it's quite another to call for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Cultural Conservatism, General, History, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights Tagged With: 10th Amendment, analysis, articulate, critical times, discerning, essays, federal overreaches, Greg Forster, History, lawyer, lesson, libertarian, lovers of liberty, moral case, reading, recommend, remedial, research, Ron Paul, school, secession, socialism, Texas, thinker, thoughtful, Tim Sandefur, U.S. Constitution, unilateral, union, welfare state

4/16/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Months Later, Michael Bennet Still Vacillating Over Union Card-Check Bill

More than two months ago I noted that the union card-check bill had put newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet in a bind. Three weeks ago I observed that Bennet might be finding relief in the fading prospects of the legislation. But Big Labor proponents haven't backed down, and business leaders are in the fight for the duration. So where does that leave Michael Bennet? As indecisive as ever, reports the Denver Post:"The issue is an important issue. We have lots of important issues," he said. "I'm in a much better position to be helpful to a constructive conversation by not having taken a position on the existing language in the legislation than I would be if I had." I wasn't sure what to expect when Governor Bill Ritter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: ambitious, backed down, Big Labor, bill, Bill Ritter, bind, business leaders, candidate, card-check, challenge, Denver Post, duration, fading prospects, fight, fundraising, Governor, indecisive, issues, legislation, Michael Bennet, newly-selected, proponents, relief, Ryan Frazier, talented, U.S. Senator, union, vacillation, vacuousness

3/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Study: Union Card-Check Could Cost Thousands of American Jobs

A new study released gives you one more reason to write your Congressman and Senators to tell them to vote No on the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Economist Anne Layne-Farrar's quantitative analysis finds that "for every 3 percentage points gained in union membership through card checks and mandatory arbitration, the following year's unemployment rate is predicted to increase by 1 percentage point and job creation is predicted to fall by around 1.5 million jobs." Let's simplify: EFCA (or union card-check legislation, if you prefer) will keep many, many Americans from a productive job and a paycheck - an especially devastating effect in the midst of our current economic turmoil. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: American, Anne Layne-Farrar, arguments, Barack Obama, binding arbitration, card-check, challenge, Congressmen, devastating effect, economic turmoil, economist, Ed Morrissey Show, Employee Free Choice Act, employment, holding my breath, Hot Air, job creation, Labor Pains, Labor Relations Institute, massive threat, Michael Bennet, money, mouth, newly-selected, paycheck, poorly-named, productive job, quantitative analysis, rights, secret ballot, senators, sound research, U.S. Senator, unemployment rate, union, wasteful spending, workers, write

3/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

At Least Agnes Sobczyk Didn’t Come Out for a Republican Candidate

"And people wonder why union card-check legislation is such a problem for workers" Exhibit # 2863. From the Chicago Sun-Times (via The Union Label):[United Food and Commercial Workers staff employee Agnes Sobczyk] said she passed a letter to a co-worker detailing her concerns about State Rep. John Fritchey, the candidate the union has endorsed to replace [Rahm] Emanuel. She passed the letter to her co-worker on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, she said Union President Ron Powell called her into his office. "He shoved this in my face and said, 'Explain this!'" she said. Sobczyk said she told Powell she was concerned about some stories she read about Fritchey and that she thought [Victor] Forys was a better candidate. "Then I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Agnes Sobczyk, candidate, card-check legislation, Chicago Sun-Times, co-worker, Colorado Loses, danger, Dave Ohmart, Democrat, employee, endorsed, fired, John Fritchey, letter, office, President, problem, Rahm Emanuel, Republican, Ron Powell, sympathy, UFCW, union, Union Label, Victor Forys, workers

2/13/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Gazette Columnist: Democrat Senators Bowing to Plumbers Union Lobby

Last week I brought to your attention an organized labor power play at the State Capitol that shot down a simple effort to make school plumbing inspections more efficient. Today in the Colorado Springs Gazette, guest columnist Daniel Cole tells the story at greater length and offers a forceful conclusion:The unpleasant reality is that Democratic campaigns in Colorado are often financed by unions, so only the strongest Democrats dare defy a union's wishes. Union camaraderie means that a Democrat who votes against a single union can earn a reputation for disloyalty and untrustworthiness. Considering that unions gave [state senators Bob] Bacon and [Evie] Hudak $90,000 for their most recent campaign - [Senator Keith] King's entire war chest … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: Bob Bacon, careers, Colorado Springs Gazette, commonsense, conservative, contrast, Daniel Cole, Democrat, Democratic campaigns, efficient, Evie Hudak, federal stimulus package, forceful conclusion, guest columnist, heated debates, Keith King, laid over, legislation, mindless bullying, organized labor, organized plumbing, plumbers, plumbing inspections, power play, pro-liberty, Republican, Rollie Heath, school, simple effort, special interests, state budget crisis, State Capitol, state level, state senator, story, union, votes, welcome addition, whim

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Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

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