Wisconsin Teacher Unions

Union Thugs                      Left Losing Wisconsin’s Teacher’s Unions

“ It’s getting harder and harder to find left-wing activists, even in public school unions in progressive Wisconsin. “In 2011, in the wake of the largest workers uprising in recent U. S. history, I was elected president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association,” Bob Peterson writes in the journal Rethinking Schools. “Unfortunately, that spring uprising, although massive and inspirational, was not strong enough to stop Gov. Walker from enacting the most draconian anti-public sector labor law in the nation.” Reality check: “Only 305 Wisconsin school districts’ unions sought recertification this November, dropping from 408 that did the year before,” Diana-Ashley Krach writes in School Reform News. “Additionally, state employees voted to decertify 25 school district unions.” “Under Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, which went into effect in 2011, recertification requires a 51 percent “yes” vote from eligible union members.” “Using those criteria, Walker would never have been elected,” Peterson asserts. Actually, Governor Walker was reelected with 53 percent of the vote.  What’s really astonishing is that the unions cannot even inspire the loyalty of one of the most left-leaning voting blocs in a left-leaning state. Ironically, by Peterson’s own summary, the reforms were hardly draconian. He writes of Act 10 that “It left intact only the right to bargain base-wage increases up to the cost of living.” Most people think this is the prime purpose of a union. [The fun continues] Jeb Bush or Scott Walker.  Soooooo hard to choose.  LOL ”

When Liberals Are Losing ...

a major award

“ SCOTT WALKER Wisconsin Ranger Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is a sheriff who's been called-out by the bad guys so many times it's a wonder he's still walking.  But he is, and the floor is littered with dead union thugs who tried to kill him.  What we have here then, from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,  is the familiar Liberal contrivance of offering advice to the guy who's just kicked your ass. Is Wisconsin better off with weaker unions? Some conservatives think so. Legislators will consider the question when right-to-work legislation is introduced early next year. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said members in his house would begin debate within weeks. But I think Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican leadership should tread carefully. There is scant evidence that right-to-work laws boost job creation; there is evidence that weaker unions hurt working people. And there is no doubt whatsoever that a fight over right to work in Wisconsin will be bloody. Remember Act 10? Under right-to-work laws, workers in unionized shops cannot be required to pay dues as a condition of employment. That creates a "free rider" problem for unions as workers calculate that they can benefit from representation without paying for it. As a result, unions have a harder time organizing and less clout. Twenty-four states have some form of right to work including Michigan and Indiana. Walker says right-to-work is not a priority but he hasn't said whether he would sign a bill if one reaches his desk. If a bill gets to Walker, I don't think there is any question what he will do. He will sign it. Conservatives have long argued that workers should be free from the coercion that comes from forced union dues, and they believe that right-to-work gives workers more choices. I understand their arguments. Years ago, I was approached to organize the newsroom where I was working at the time by a rep from the typographers union. I declined. As a young reporter, I wanted the freedom to work as many hours as I needed to learn the craft and felt the union might limit my ability to do that. But that said, I don't think workplace freedom is the real objective here. This is about weakening unions. James Sherk of The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank, wrote in a 2011 paper that right to work "makes unions less aggressive and encourages business investment, creating jobs." Does it really encourage job growth?  (OMFG, YES).  (Continued) ”

AFSCUM & Scott Walker

Union Thuggery                           “ We have seen this picture before in the Wisconsin’s union-induced long strange trip during the 2012 Recall Election: Police insurrections.  Palace guards.  Catch a Senator contests.  Doctors behaving badly.  Massive national solidarity protests which weren’t.  Identity theft as political theater.  Shark jumping.  Legislators who run away to other states.  Busbang bangs.  Protesters locking their heads to metal railings and pretending to walk like Egyptians.  Beer attacks.  Canoe flotillas.  (alleged) Judicial chokeholds.  Tears falling on Che Guevara t-shirts at midnight.  Endless recalls.  And recounts.  Communications Directors making threats.   Judges who think they are legislators (well, I’ll grant you that one is common).  V-K Day.  Hole-y warriors.  Cities namedSpeculation and Conjecture.  And the funniest blog headline so far: First They Came For The Right To Retire After 30 Years On Full Salary With COLAs The collective bargaining law that precipitated the insanity recently was upheld in its entirely by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Now the unions are doubling (or is it tripling, at this point?) down on the get Walker meme, viaWaPo: The nation’s largest public sector union is mounting an intense effort to eject Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office this fall, determined to oust the Republican who punctured the power of organized labor in the state. “We have a score to settle with Scott Walker,” Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said in his first interview about the union’s midterm strategy. “He took collective bargaining away from us,” Saunders added, noting that the union was first started in the 1930s by state employees in Madison. “He stole our voices, in a state where we were born.” Okay, then. AFSCME may be getting a helping hand from the Democratic Prosecutor in Milwaukee County, John Chislhom, whose wife is a union activist and allegedly behind the John Doe investigation of Walker following the failed Recall attempt. Will it be different this time? (Continue Legal Insurrection) At least with normal cancer you can treat it with radiation — wait.  *Light Bulb* ”

SEIU LOWER THAN WORM SHIT

Thug Culture                                   “ Big Shrinkage at SEIU Healthcare Michigan: Not Just the Pool SEIU Healthcare Michigan loses 44,000 members after they were no longer forced to unionize. Worse, Service Employees International Union has shrinkage all over. “DADDY, WE NEED SOME GOOD NEWS” The SEIU has (sic) always been all about using dirty tricks and shady lobbying to accomplish their only real goal- to grow at any cost. But what SEIU Healthcare Michigan did to home healthcare workers in their state has to be one of the dirtiest tricks ever used. SEIU Healthcare Michigan exploited a legal loophole using the Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MCQ3) to force parents and family of sick children into their union. Families who saved the state thousands of dollars a month by taking care of adult children with disabilities had money taken out of their pockets as they were forced to pay dues to the SEIU. Meanwhile, the SEIU racked up nearly $33 Million in forced dues. It took a court ruling and a statewide ballot initiative for judges and voters to finally put an end to the SEIU’s disgusting practice. Now that the SEIU has been forced to stop unionizing these families, it seems these healthcare workers are no longer interested in the SEIU’s “services”: More than 44,000 home-based healthcare workers parted ways with SEIU Healthcare Michigan after learning they did not have to join the union or pay dues, according to reports the union filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. So SEIU Healthcare Michigan is feeling the icy chill of tens of thousands of members leaving their union. Like the George Costanza character in the Seinfeld TV show, the union is experiencing “significant shrinkage”. But unlike Costanza, the shrinkage isn’t just limited to one area… [Read more] Added to the list ”

Teachers Strike Back at the Union!

ThugBama                       DON'T TREAD On US Is Back! “ Maryland Teachers Union Strikes Back As previously reported on NetRightDaily.com, the Wicomico County Education Association (WCEA) is scheduled to hold a vote on April 28th and 29th on changes to the teachers association bylaws, removing the WCEA’s mandatory association with the state union.  Needless to say, the MSEA isn’t going let this vote happen without consequences. In response to the impending vote, loyalists to the state union secretly entered the WCEA’s offices, changed the locks and security codes, altered office equipment, and fired the WCEA’s sole employee, all in violation of the law and the governing documents of the WCEA, according to WCEA leadership. This response is akin to the bully tactics of a neighborhood gangster after a local business misses its latest “protection” payment—but instead of “protection” extortion, the state union is ensuring that it won’t lose county teachers’ annual dues in excess of $500,000. It appears the MSEA is making an example of Wicomico Country teachers, lest any other small county teachers decide they don’t need to pay half a million dollars or more to a politically-charged, scandal-ridden state union. The disassociation vote is still scheduled to commence as planned. Read more at NetRightDaily.com: http://netrightdaily.com/2014/04/teachers-union-strikes-back/#ixzz2zFHY5CrJ ‘Culture of intimidation’ and "bullying tactics;" phrases that capture the American political left in this Age of Nefarious. But, whoa!  Teachers taking a stand against their union!  In Maryland!  And the citizenry standing up to government intimidation in Nevada!  Oh, sweet Jesus! I feel the vapors coming on. ”

Obamunists Okay College Football Labor Unions WTF.

Thug Culture                                   overtime The New Meaning For Football overtime “ You may have heard that President Obama’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) just decided that college football players can unionize.  So what does this mean for the future of college sports? lll The NLRB’s decision is a classic example of mission creep. As the percentage of unionized employees in the U.S. has declined over the last several decades to the point where only 6.7 percent of the private sector workforce are members of unions, the Board has found a need to push the envelope in order to maintain its relevance. That’s because with fewer unionized employees the Board’s influence has shrunk. This decision, which if upheld will likely lead to unions gaining more members, is just another among many recent actions that the Board has taken in an effort to increase unionization. For instance, the Board is also in the process of changing the rules for unionization elections to make it much easier for unions to win. Returning to the college football context, what can we expect if the players are unionized? First, since the National Labor Relations Act only applies to private sector employers, public universities will not be affected. This means that things like pesky union work rules, grievance adjustment, etc. will work to give public universities an advantage in terms of flexibility that private universities will not have. If this decision stands, look for private universities to begin lobbying their states to change the public sector employee laws so that players at public universities can be unionized as well. Next, before a union can be formed, the appropriateness of a particular unit of employees for bargaining must be determined. Since football players have different needs and wants from other scholarship athletes like golfers, most sports will probably have their own bargaining unit. At a large university with a dozens of sports this could mean dealing with dozens of bargaining units. In the midst of a union’s campaign to unionize players, management will have difficulty trying to figure out what is and what is not an unfair labor practice under NLRB precedent. Can the coach promise to improve working conditions if the players vote the union down?  No. Can the coach limit what player can and cannot say on Facebook about their working conditions? Maybe, but it’s safer to not go there. Would your average coach know this without having a lawyer pre-clearing everything that they say?  Unlikely. This is enough to give even the most weathered coach migraines. Also, since what is and is not an unfair labor practice seems to be changing on a daily basis due to the NLRB’s mission creep, one needs not only to know what the NLRB has decided in the past but also to anticipate what they will decide in the future. Labor and employment lawyers and consultants are the only people that will like this because it means new revenue streams for their firms. Every unit of unionized players will, of course, need a shop steward. The union will also need officers and personnel to negotiate with the university on a collective bargaining agreement. Since employees who work under a collective bargaining agreement are not allowed to individually bargain with the employer over anything that affects the terms or conditions of their employment, all such issues will have to be handled by a union representative. The union will have to collect dues from the players to support its existence. It will have to file annual financial disclosure reports with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). The union officers and employees will have to file conflict of interest reports with OLMS as well. If the university makes certain types of payments or loans of money or other things of value to the union, its officers, agents, stewards, or other representatives, it will have to file disclosure reports. Since oversight of union officer elections falls under the jurisdiction of OLMS pursuant to the Labor-Management reporting and Disclosure Act, not only will the private universities be dealing with the NLRB, but they will likely have investigators from OLMS around from time to time as well. And, don’t forget union officers and employees embezzling from their members and other related criminal acts. It happens. Investigating these is also the responsibility of OLMS which obtained 121 criminal convictions for such acts in fiscal year 2012. Oh, there's more at NetRightDaily.com: Your Daily Gob-Smacked, wot. ”

Christians Need Not Apply

When Democrats are in charge                                                While I'm at it .... Non-Christians Given 'Special Consideration' In Union Teacher Contract Ferndale Public Schools provision could violate state and federal laws By Tom Gantert | March 19, 2014 | The teachers union contract in Ferndale Public Schools in Oakland County gives "special consideration" to applicants who are of "the non-Christian faith." Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment and public services on the basis of religion. The state constitution says it, "shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting." And the Federal Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. The contract ran from 2011 to 2012 but was extended to 2017. The teachers belong to the Ferndale Education Association, a division of the Michigan Education Association. Regarding promotion to a vacant position, it states on page 22:     Should there be two (2) or more of these applicants with equal qualifications for the position and one (1) or more of these applicants with equal qualifications is a current employee, the current employee with the greatest seniority shall be assigned. Special consideration shall be given to women and/or minority defined as: Native American, Asian American, Latino, African American and those of the non-Christian faith. However, in all appointments to vacant positions, the Board's decision shall be final. Earlier in the contract is a "no discrimination clause" that states no employee can be discriminated against based on their religion. Ferndale Superintendent Gary Meier, Board President Jim O'Donnell, and MEA UniServ director Troy Scott did not return several requests for comment. "This just strikes me as so un-American that they can put in open language for people to see that they are going to be discriminating against Christians," said Richard Thompson, president of the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor. "Why would they be discriminating against Christians? They are not supposed to be discriminating against people for their religious beliefs. It's outrageous. And I believe it's unconstitutional." Thompson also wondered why a public school district was tracking the religious beliefs of employees. "Now, they are going to ask people, 'Are you a Christian?' " Thompson said. "Are people going to hide their faith so they can get a promotion? There is a subtle persecution [here] of Christians." Rana Elmir, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said she couldn't speak to the specifics highlighted in the contract "because it comes down to how it is implemented." "There's nothing wrong with encouraging people from diverse faiths to apply for a position. In fact, doing so recognizes that our classrooms and communities are diverse," Elmir said. "However, public schools themselves should not be in the business of promoting particular religious beliefs or religious activities over others and they should protect children from being coerced to accept religious or anti-religious beliefs." A spokeswoman from Ferndale Public Schools, who responded after the story's original posting, said the district does not discriminate when hiring. "The district appreciates your bringing this antiquated language to our attention. The timing is perfect since Ferndale Public Schools just completed bargaining and, with the advice of our legal counsel and approval from the district EA (union) representative, this language will be deleted from new contracts," said Shelley Yorke Rose, a spokeswoman for the district. "Unfortunately, there are no employees in the district who have been here long enough to explain the origins of the language, which we estimate to have been inserted between 1976-79. "Please note that the district does not discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion or other related issues," she said. A recent study from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy showed that about 60 percent of public school union contracts in Michigan had illegal provisions. Michigan Capitol Confidential has reported on some of the most egregious. For example, in 2012, Capitol Confidential reported on a teachers union contract in Bay City that had provisions allowing teachers to be drunk and on drugs several times before being fired. (Editor's note: This story has been updated since its original posting. Ferndale Public Schools replied with a comment this afternoon.) I'll leave it to you to figure out the whys and wherefores of excluding Christians (who gains?). To  give us a further sense of the depth of Michigan (& much of the nation's) teacher union depravity — Union Contract: Teachers Can Be Caught In School Drunk Five Times and on Drugs Three Times Before Being Fired 'Super Seniority' For Union Officials, Other Clauses In School Contracts Forbidden By Law Roadblocks To Reform? A Review of Union Contracts In Michigan Schools Multiple School Districts Breaking Law on Transparency How CapCon Uses Transparency Laws To Hold Government Accountable School Districts, Union Working To Try and Ban Charter Schools Unions, Government Entities Team Up to Try and Keep Information From Citizens

SEIU- A Plague

ThugBama                       SEIU Front Group “Wisconsin Jobs Now” Promotes ObamaCare, Law Breaking “The article further explains the ties to the SEIU, describing how many of the top organizers of Wisconsin Jobs Now also drew paychecks from the SEIU directly. But the questionable activity did not end there – Wisconsin Jobs Now organizers have been legally implicated in 40 arrests and multiple investigations ”  “Wisconsin Jobs Now” is a self-described “community-based, non-profit organization” focused on issues like “economic justice” and “fighting income inequality.” However, when you look into their financial statements, it becomes immediately clear that they are little more than an arm of SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin and SEIU International, from whom they received over $100,000 in 2012. The “nonpartisan” Wisconsin Jobs Now, funded nearly entirely by SEIU Healthcare, is an Obamacare certified application counselor with a history of lawbreaking. Their partisanship was clearly on display in 2012, where they were at the forefront of the Wisconsin State Senate recall elections: “The group Wisconsin Jobs Now! gained notoriety last year when it was caught handing out barbecue chicken dinners to voters in conjunction with free rides to the polls in last summer’s Wisconsin state senate recall elections. That activity landed them an investigation by prosecutors. This year the group, which bills itself as a “non-partisan organization” on its website, is leading early voting efforts in Milwaukee that predominantly benefit the Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.” The article further explains the ties to the SEIU, describing how many of the top organizers of Wisconsin Jobs Now also drew paychecks from the SEIU directly. But the questionable activity did not end there – Wisconsin Jobs Now organizers have been legally implicated in 40 arrests and multiple investigations: “Police cited Zellner and 16 others for harassing and disrupting a political fundraiser held by a Republican state official in January of 2012. In addition to Zellner, at least three of those cited worked for Wisconsin Jobs Now. They were Matthew S. Finnell, who still blogs and writes for the organization, Nicholas A. Janis, and the previously investigated Stoner. “An early participate in the Occupy Wall Street movement, Wisconsin Jobs Now has hosted sit-ins at district offices of Republican members of Congress and recruited people to disrupt an in-district speaking engagement of Congressman Paul Ryan. The result was 19 people arrested for disturbing the peace at the office of Senator Ron Johnson, and three people arrested during the Ryan speech.” And now, the group responsible for so many broken laws and arrests is certified to promote Obamacare in Wisconsin. Despite the fact that they have zero experience with healthcare, they will be responsible to “help people understand, apply, and enroll for health coverage through the Marketplace.” If their previous experience is any indication, you can expect to see more questionable activity. Particularly given the fact that as of October 2013, “less than 50” people had signed up for Obamacare in the whole state of Wisconsin. Given their history, it wouldn’t be surprising if even that number was manipulated as well. Story and Links HERE S.O.S. What's the difference between SEIU and ACORN?  There are no differences.

If it's Philadelphia, there must be union thugs about

What I See                                   International Brotherhood of Pipe Swingers  president Tony Siciliano (back to camera) sets a pick on high school marathon runner Debbie Marie Reilly.  The ploy worked, allowing union member Jerry "Piccolo" Szatkowski to deliver a timely backhand— and win the race by a scant.0001/second.

Today's Power Twattage

Thug Culture                                                  Michelle Suggests Republicans are Liars Plus- Union Twattage “ Just know one thing, Rick Snyder: You sign that bill, you won't get no rest," Williams said. "We'll meet you on Geddes Road. We'll be at your daughter's soccer game. We'll visit you at your church. We'll be at your office. Geddes Road is where the Snyder residence is located. [Full Story] At best Michelle believes her own shit; at worst she's the insufferable liar and rabble rousing  twat I've always thought she is. The monstrous reaction by Michigan's unions—to CHOICE—is a RICO case if ever I saw one, but Holder would quash any such attempt.  Gov. Snyder ought, and I'm not kidding here, arrest those involved including all union officials; put  Michigan's Guard on full alert, and by God use them locked and loaded at the first sign of trouble. Also, Detroit is a combination malignant tumor and brain dead person on life support. End it with bulldozers operated by non union crew. Aside- Ten reasons why Michigan’s right-to-work law matters. Amazing read from WaPost's token American Jennifer Rubin.  The comments are, well, what you'd expect. ”

Michigan Bombs Unions!

Obama's Brown Shirts                        Today's Equivalent of the Raids on Schweinfurt Another state gives individuals the right not to join a union. “ Worker Liberation in Michigan You can tell this is a big deal based on the fury of Big Labor's reaction. Union activists plan to descend on Lansing Tuesday to protest, including many from out of state. State police will have to be on duty to ensure that legislators can get through what is likely to be a loud and abusive cordon of activists who want to block the vote. This thuggishness is a deliberate and familiar union political strategy: Cause as big a ruckus as possible in hopes of making right to work seem radical when it's already the law in nearly half the country. Truly, unions are the ball bearings of Obamunism.  Get ready for Wisconsin II.  ”

Murdered by Union Thugs - RIP

RIP

Tom Mann

Cupcakes

Hostess Bakery  Report: Hostess Bakery plants shut down Friday due to a workers' strike.  It was split up.  The State Department hired all the Twinkies,  the Secret Service hired all the HoHos,  the generals are sleeping with the Cupcakes and the voters sent all the Ding Dongs to Congress. Tim W

Blame Hoffa's Thugs

ThugBama                              The Real Culprit ...        The chauffeur; in the kitchen; with a club “ My Thanksgiving Union Rant Wordled Newser) – What killed Hostess? Don't believe the people blaming private equity or America's changing tastes. Labor was the real culprit, writes Holman Jenkins at the Wall Street Journal, but don't blame the striking bakery union, which is, at worst, "guilty of perfectly justifiable attempted homicide." No, the real problem was the Teamsters. The bakers wouldn't budge because, as they "rightly saw it, they were being asked once more to prop up Teamster jobs." Hostess' bakery operations were actually pretty efficient. But its distribution was a mess. Don't blame the striking bakery union, which is, at worst, "guilty of perfectly justifiable attempted homicide." No, the real problem was the Teamsters. Drivers weren't allowed to help load or unload shipments. Wonder Bread and Twinkies had to travel in separate trucks. The company was, it said in court, "unable to profit from many of their existing delivery stops," or to enter juicy markets like vending machines or movie theaters. Bakery jobs, meanwhile, "have become crummy-paying thanks to previous givebacks," and Hostess already planned bakery closures. So bakers decided to let the company liquidate and try their luck with new owners—even if it meant "throwing their Teamster brethren under a bus." Read the full column here. Aside: A quick survey by the National Bureau of Surveys shows that 71% of Americans hate union guts.  Eighty-one percent of the 71% were union members. via NEWSER ”