Free Republic

There are many who argue that President Obama has (repeatedly) broken his promise to bring transparency and openness to the White House. In literal terms, however, Obama may not have actually broken that specific promise ,.. it’s just that people may not have understood what Obama meant by transparency and openness. ..Here’s a case in point: First Dot: Several months ago, the union world was shocked when Andy Stern, the ignominious president of the Service Employees International Union abruptly “quit” as leader of the Purple Hand. Surprise and speculation swelled. Was it the Blago Trial? Is he sick?Second Dot: Then,...

Kinkisharyo International LLC has scrapped plans to build a rail car manufacturing plant in Palmdale following a labor dispute and will instead look outside California to locate the facility. The Japanese company made the decision after failing to reach an agreement with Antelope Valley Residents for Responsible Development, a labor-supported group that objected to the plant citing environmental reasons. The group, which includes members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 11, in Pasadena, also objected to a backup plan by Kinkisharyo to build the cars in leased space from Los Angeles World Airports in Palmdale.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 14, 2014Largest Federal Employee Union Calls for Training, Protective Equipment, to Prevent Ebola Exposure at Ports of EntryWASHINGTON – In response to the recent Ebola crisis and the heightened risk for Transportation Security Officers, Border Patrol agents and other federal employees, the American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. today issued the following statement:“The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) urges the government to take all necessary measures to protect the public and government employees stationed at the U.S. ports of entry and other sites from potential exposure to the Ebola virus. We...

Teachers in Wisconsin's public schools have learned a major lesson from the state's landmark 2011 law neutering public sector unions, with more than a third dropping out of their labor organization. Given no choice but to join and pay dues to the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) for decades, teachers have for the last three years been able to opt out. And that is what tens of thousands have done as a result of Gov. Scott Walker’s Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, also known as Act 10. “Given the evidence, it shows that the union's hold is softening," Patrick Wright, vice...

FERGUSON, Missouri—Supporters of Mike Brown here are officially organized by some of the most powerful left wing interest groups in the nation. additional players have been added to the mix of protesters. Along with the support of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and a mention from President Barack Obama at the United Nations during his remarks, other liberal interest groups found their way onto the Ferguson issue, including: national LGBT organizations, climate environmentalists, amnesty groups, pro-Palestinian organizations, Christian social justice groups, and Planned Parenthood. Abortion rights activist Cecile Richards posted on her Facebook page on August 14 an illustration stating,...

It isn't just Democrat voters who are uninterested in heading to the polls in November. There is one major political group missing from the 2014 midterm election conversation: labor unions. Labor leaders shamelessly helped re-elected President Obama in 2012, but after broken promises on job creation and the destruction of worker healthcare plans, they've taken a major step back from their traditional role of putting or keeping Democrats in office this fall. More from the Washington Times: Labor unions, long a rich source of ground troops for national Democrats’ Election Day victories, are less enthusiastic this year, according to some movement leaders...

After a lengthy discussion with several public comments, the Steamboat Springs School Board voted Monday to make collective bargaining meetings open to the public, regardless of the outcome of Proposition 104. ... If passed, Proposition 104 will require all meetings of school boards, or between district representatives and employee representatives at which a collective bargaining agreement is discussed, be public. School districts in Colorado negotiate contracts annually, with bargaining in Steamboat Springs slated to begin in January or February 2015 for the following year's contract. The board has discussed the possibility of making meetings public since last May, and Andrew...

As working people in Missouri gather for days of action demanding justice for Michael Brown, the labor movement and the AFL-CIO are joining them and supporting the groundwork being laid for racial and economic justice for the people of Ferguson and all over the country. See updates from Ferguson October (Oct. 10–13) by following the hashtag on Twitter: #FergusonOctoberIn the meantime, check out AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka's speech on confronting racism. 

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)The nation's largest union and professional association of nurses said it will rise up in protest if hazardous-material suits are not in every hospital soon. "I'm angry about this," said RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United. "We want the first line of defense to be the most prepared. Our hospitals are resisting us. The CDC doesn't say that we need hazmat suits. If this doesn't change dramatically, we will picket every hospital in this country if we have to."(continued)

American teens are a rich demographic for political investment. Their unassigned stem cells can mature into conservative wisdom or attach permanently to the free radicals that cause liberalism.As an engineer, one of the most valued books in my personal library is How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer. The author briefly uses politics to illustrate his lesson on cognitive dissonance, “Once we identify with a political party, the world is edited so that it fits with our ideology.” Based on Lehrer’s research, advancing an effective appeal to high school age citizens could pay off over 70+ years of voting.As a long...

To those who buy the romanticized image of labor unions - those brave champions of the working man who work day and night to protect the best interests of just plain folks against the robber barons in the boardrooms and the plush corporate offices - it’s hard to conceive of why anyone would not want to join the United Auto Workers. Democrats who hate right-to-work laws in states that have them deride said laws as “right to work for less.” You dumbasses! Why would you not join the union when it’s going to get you more money and protect you...

Thousands gathered Saturday for a second day of organized rallies and marches protesting Michael Brown’s death and other fatal police shootings in the St. Louis area and nationwide. The events remained peaceful but boisterous gatherings into the night. Vietnam-era peace activists, New York City seminarians and hundreds of fast-food workers bused in from Chicago, Nashville and other cities marched alongside local residents, spurred by a national campaign dubbed Ferguson October.

DETROIT (Reuters) - A truck driver in Michigan filed a charge of coercion against the United Auto Workers union for keeping her from exercising her right to quit the union and stop paying dues, according to the National Right to Work Foundation. Michigan became the 24th so-called "right-to-work" U.S. state after a contentious battle in the state's legislature in December 2012. This means that workers cannot be required to join a union or be forced to pay union dues.

In response to the recent Ebola crisis and the heightened risk for Transportation Security Officers, Border Patrol agents and other federal employees, AFGE is urging the government to take all necessary measures to protect the public and government employees stationed at the U.S. ports of entry and other sites from potential exposure to the Ebola virus. “We expect every precaution to be taken to detect and isolate infected travelers at the earliest point in their journey to the United States in order to minimize exposure and reduce the risk of infection,” said AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. “Our members...

Taxpayers on hook for millions in retirement benefits unrelated to teaching . Thanks to a loophole created by the Illinois legislature, retired teacher union leaders are getting pension credit for the years they did union work after leaving the classroom. The arrangement has put taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars in retirement benefits unrelated to teaching, and further drained an already overburdened state pension fund. ... The union bosses collecting the payouts had jobs at the National Education Association (NEA), the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) after their teaching careers. Most got...

Striking workers protest lack of durable gloves and face masks for job that entails ‘contact with a lot of faeces and vomit’ •‘Cases growing exponentially’ in West Africa, UN warns •Ebola: the 10 basic questions you were afraid to ask About 200 airline cabin cleaners walked off their jobs at New York’s LaGuardia airport on Thursday, to protest what they say are working conditions that do not protect against potential Ebola contraction. “When I do bathroom, I come in contact with tampons which I have to grab with my hand, with a glove that’s so cheap that it breaks easily....

An Ebola strike began at LaGuardia Airport in New York City over fears of contracting the deadly virus. The airport workers strike currently involves only Terminal D workers, but air travel could still be impacted by the walk-off and protests. The AirServ company includes thousands of workers at five major United States airports. Representatives from the company told the media that LaGuardia Terminal D workers initiated the Ebola strike due to “documented health and safety violations.” Related complaints have also been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – OSHA. Ebola has become a particular concern for the...

AFGE is proud to represent the more than 45,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who risk their own safety daily to ensure the safety of travelers in our airports. Because of their bravery, countless families travel daily by air without incident. Our union is committed to protecting the pay, benefits, and workplace rights you deserve.

At the United Auto Workers’ 36th Constitutional Convention in June, delegates voted to hike the membership dues rate for the first time since 1967. The 25 percent increase is expected to bring in an extra $45 million annually. The UAW claims that this money is needed to bolster its “Strike and Defense Fund” in preparation for 2015 contract negotiations including with Detroit’s Big Three automakers. This dues hike, however, may be unnecessary and won’t be fully used for funding strikes. At the same convention, delegates also voted to allow their leadership to siphon $60 million from the strike fund over...

If you haven’t previously read about who Judith Faulkner is, it’s imperative – especially if you live in Wisconsin – to read this post first, Will Money & Power in Wisconsin Politics Influence Health Care Policy?, particularly the last third of it. You see, it turns out that one of the biggest backers of liberal politicians and big labor in Wisconsin is actually none other than….an evil corporation!