Posted on 12/12/2012 1:35:18 PM PST by Kaslin
Yes, this is the same elegant creature who screeched about "taking out" Tea Party "son-of-a-bitches" [sic] at a presidential event last year. In case you'd forgotten, both the White House and the DNC conspicuously declined to repudiate his vituperation at the time. Now Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. has taken his anger mismanagement show to CNN, seething about an incipient "civil war" in Michigan:
Jimmy Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said Tuesday he expects Michigan unions and lawmakers to break out into "civil war" after the state legislature passed right-to-work bills that would weaken unions' power. "This is just the first round of a battle that's going to divide this state. We're going to have a civil war," Hoffa said on CNN's Newsroom. "What they're doing is basically betraying democracy," he told CNN's Brooke Baldwin. "If there's any question here, let's put it on the ballot and let the people of Michigan decide what's good for Michigan." Proponents of the legislation say it gives workers more freedom, while opponents say a less robust union presence will negatively affect workers’ rights. Hoffa also argued that those who don't pay union dues will be considered "free riders,” as they’re getting the same benefits from union representation without the cost.
Don't bother calling; the civility police are off duty these days. Let's address each of Hoffa's points: (1) The "war" statement doesn't sound like a lamentation; it sounds like a threat. Hoffa sounds almost giddy about the division and acrimony, like he's thirsty for more. Based on yesterday's displays of organized labor's appalling thuggery, people would be wise to take him at his word.
(2) On the demand for a ballot initiative, two points. First, Michiganders elect a governor and a state legislature for a reason. It's called "indirect democracy," and it's the form of government upon which the republic was founded. Second, as it happens, Michigan voters actually had an opportunity to enshrine union "rights" in their state constitution just five weeks ago. They overwhelmingly chose not to do so. Bear in mind that this is a state that Barack Obama won fairly comfortably. Is Hoffa aware of these facts?
Democrats are complaining about the speed with which Republicans are acting, but the truth is, organized labor has seen this coming for a while. Stung by the success of Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to limit collective bargaining in Wisconsin -- Walker's actions have resulted in more money, more teachers and better conditions in schools around the state -- they tried to make sure it wouldn't happen again. In Michigan, they pushed what was known as Proposal 2, which would have enshrined union collective bargaining powers in the state constitution. If Proposal 2 had passed, what state GOP lawmakers are doing now would have been literally unconstitutional. But Proposal 2 was decisively defeated on Election Day, 58 percent to 42 percent. The path was clear for Republicans to act.
(3) The irony of a union boss bellyaching about "free-loading" is pretty rich, but the argument itself doesn't stand up. The Michigan law merely stops the coercive practice of making dues-paying membership an enforceable entry requirement simply to work at an organization. And where do all those dues go anyway?
When continually focusing in the media on being “forced” to represent people who don’t pay dues under a right-to-work law, union heads are implying that they spend the vast majority of their money on contract negotiations, representation or other non-political work. That is a myth. For example, according to the most recent federal filings, the Michigan Education Association — the state’s largest labor union — received $122 million and spent $134 million in 2012. They averaged about $800 from each of their 152,000 members. According to union documents, "representational activities" (money spent on bargaining contracts for members) made up only 11 percent of total spending for the union. Meanwhile, spending on “general overhead” (union administration and employee benefits) comprised of 61 percent of the total spending. So MEA members who disagree with the leadership of the union are paying up to 90 percent of their dues, but the union is only spending about a tenth of the dues money representing them.
So just a sliver of the dues actually pay for the activities that (supposedly) directly benefit the workers. The rest is poured into expensive overhead -- union boss salaries, etc -- and political activities. Which brings us to the real reason organized labor has been freaking out over the last few years: Most non-compulsory unions can't survive if people are given a choice. The truth is that a lot of rank-and-file union members look at that 11 percent figure above, and think to themselves, no thanks. Since Wisconsin passed its budget reform law last year, union membership has plummeted. That's not Scott Walker's fault; union members have been empowered to make choices about how they want the money they've earned to be spent, and many have availed themselves of that power. Without mandatory dues, unions have fewer resources. And without brimming coffers, unions have less money to put into the pockets of their political allies. And without funds to purchase political clout, unions become less and less relevant. And as unions become less relevant, the people who've made a lot of money off of that racket for years get very angry and start shrieking about Hitler. Hoffa's statements, while unseemly, are basically an expression of impotent rage. That should be encouraging to taxpayers and workers alike.
UPDATE - If there's to be a civil war in Michigan, shouldn't it be over something genuinely outrageous and unacceptable, such as this?
Detroit public-school eighth graders do even worse in math than they do in reading, according to the Department of Education. While only 7 percent scored highly enough on the department’s National Assessment of Educational Progress test in 2011 to be rated “proficient” or better in reading, only 4 percent scored highly enough to be rated “proficient” or better in math. Statewide in Michigan, only 32 percent of public-school eighth graders scored grade-level proficient or better in reading, and only 31 percent scored grade-level proficient or better in math. 68 percent of Michigan public-school eighth graders are not proficient in reading and 69 percent are not proficient in math.
Totally unrelated side note: Tens of thousands of Michigan public school students missed classes yesterday because their teachers were busy protesting the right to work law.
I’ve got an idea, Jimmy...start your own company, then hire union workers. Let’s see how far you get.
Poor union goons. They’ll be left without a shovel to lean on.
And if there is a civil war, Hoffa’s fat ass should make an easy target.
Bring it on thugs. And I am not a small guy that you can bully.
I can’t understand why Baraq, Nan, and Harry didn’t pass “card check” when they controlled the congress in 09 and 10. That was the only hope they had of keeping unions alive.
The UAW is in real trouble now, and the Chinese built cars haven’t even arrived yet.
They bet the farm on Obamacare.
More and more people are doped out couch potatoes, only capable of sending nasty text messages.
LOL. And successful has that been? Those folks have some great jobs! I used to work for Michelin Tire in SC (a very anti-union company). The Tire and Rubber union tried to get us to call for a vote and less than 10% of the workforce would even sign the card to call for a vote. They didn’t offer us anything that Michelin was already beating.
It was really pathetic watching them trying to evangelize to people that love their company and their job.
Rumor in NYC always had it that Daddy was fed to the pigs in Jersey. He had a lot of New York mob connections. I worked in a restaurant, and the restaurant garbage was always collected, put through a big processor of some kind...and fed to the pigs in Jersey.
So yeah, that might be a solution.
Jimmy needs to join his dad.
Well, I think non-Union members should ALSO get to vote on Strikes.
I think non-Union members should ALSO be able to vote on all Contracts.
Well? You don't have to pay Federal Income Taxes to vote in Federal Elections!
Lets call “union dues” a POLL TAX, and make it clear that all workers subject to any contract get to VOTE on that contract, Union member or not!
bills that would weaken unions’ power. ................................... Union speak, it means less dues will come in and the good fellas on the top will not have enough to go around to keep them in the lifestyle they are accustom to.
Damned right we are. And it won't be limited to MI. And I won't be on your side, Mr. Hoffa, you Communist.
Fredericksburg. Chancellorsville. Good luck reconstituting the 24th Michigan, Jimmy.
Excellent......I've got your 5 1/3 cubic yards of concrete already picked out and set aside. Like father like son you wretched bastard.
“Under the Supreme Court’s 1973 Enmons decision, vandalism, assault, even murder by union officials are exempt from federal anti-extortion law. As long as the violence is aimed at obtaining property for which the union can assert a “lawful claim”—for example, wage or benefit increases— the violence is deemed to be in furtherance of “legitimate” union objectives. By the Court’s peculiar logic, such violence does not count as extortion.
“
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-316es.html
Freedom from Union Violence
by David Kendrick
David Kendrick is program director at the National Institute for Labor Relations Research.
Executive Summary
Under the Supreme Court’s 1973 Enmons decision, vandalism, assault, even murder by union officials are exempt from federal anti-extortion law. As long as the violence is aimed at obtaining property for which the union can assert a “lawful claim”—for example, wage or benefit increases— the violence is deemed to be in furtherance of “legitimate” union objectives. By the Court’s peculiar logic, such violence does not count as extortion.
The result has been an epidemic of union-related violence. The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) has recorded 8,799 incidents of violence from news reports since 1975. Those reports show only 258 convictions, suggesting a conviction rate of less than 3 percent. Moreover, local law enforcement authorities often get many more reports of strike violence than journalists can possibly cover.
Many states have taken a cue from the high Court by enacting their own extortion laws with exemptions similar to those established by Enmons. As a result, employees trying to support their families during a violent strike are now denied protection against extortion under both state and federal laws.
Because the federal government for six decades has immersed itself in labor law under the rubric of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), federal action is necessary to see that violence does not accompany the exercise of powers created by that statute. One avenue for relief is the Freedom from Union Violence Act (FUVA), which targets all extortionate activity, even if committed by union militants in pursuit of “legitimate” objectives.
Hey, Jimmy. Your old man still MIA?
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