Free Republic

With a U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Janus v. AFCSME case expected any day, Connecticut’s public sector unions are trying to convince members not to opt-out of membership if the Supreme Court decides in favor of Mark Janus. The Connecticut State Employees Association and the American Federation of Teachers informed their members of a Freedom of Information request for union members’ contact information that originated out of Illinois. Leaders say this information could be used for an opt-out campaign in the wake of a positive Janus decision. ... A decision in favor of Janus would essentially make Connecticut a...

Speaking in New York City last week, Wall Street billionaire Tom Steyer laid clear his vision for penalizing people whose actions may contribute to climate change.“We need to reward people whose behavior reduces climate risk and penalize people who add to it,” said Steyer “If we can get this right, I think there’s no doubt that our economy is going to continue to do very well.”He was joined by several wealthy businessmen — such as Michael Bloomberg and former bankers and government officials Hank Paulson and Robert Reich— to unveil a report from Risky Business, an economic analysis of the...

“A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.” ~ Mao We are currently in the midst of a battle for the heart and soul of America. This war is being waged at our schools, the workplace and in our communities. States struggling to moderate impossible debt and balance budgets are examining ways to free themselves from the fiscal and political shackles imposed by labor unions whose exorbitant pensions and benefits comprise the bulk of their debt. With the economy tanking and the fight over public union benefits and collective bargaining spreading across the...

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz today announced an agreement with the AFSCME union representing city workers ahead of the implementation of the governor's budget repair bill provisions restricting collective bargaining. The deal announced with AFSCME Local 60 would require a 50 percent contribution to members' pensions and decrease a proposed pay increase at the end of the year from 3 percent to 2 percent. The agreement also extends the contract for an additional 15 months, which would allow the union and city to work together through 2013, and comes with the mayor's assurance that he'll "do everything we can to avoid...