Labor Related Articles
A recent opinion piece in the Las Vegas Review-Journal takes on union’s anti-choice mentalities. Until recently, unions could force all employees nationwide to pay dues, even if the workers did not want to be part of a union, and in some states, they still can. Likewise, once unions are certified, they often never have to go through the process again, leaving union members with unions that were certified decades before the employees began working in their companies.
Legislation has aimed to correct these injustices. Right-to-work laws, which allow workers to opt-out of union dues, have been passed in 28 states. Federal reform is also making its way through Congress as the Employee Rights Act. The Act would update antiquated American labor laws, requiring secret-ballot union elections and periodic recertifications. The same Act would make it illegal for union bosses to spend dues on political activity.
Although most union leaders fight against these pro-worker laws, even claiming right-to-work is meant “to destroy unions,” some see value in the proposed measures. Gary Casteel, formerly in charge of organizing Southern auto plants, and Ben Johnson, former president of Vermont AFL-CIO, feel moving unions in a pro-worker direction is good for union performance. It forces the unions to focus on their employees’ needs instead of their own agendas.
Union workers agree. According to a recent study conducted for National Employee Freedom Week (Aug. 20-26, 2017), 70 percent of the 1,700 union workers surveyed thought periodic recertification elections were a good idea. Perhaps its time for unions to listen to them.
Read the full article here.
The Texas Organizing Project Education Fund has begun fundraising efforts in post-Harvey affected Texas in a questionable way. Although some of the funds they raise will go to aiding those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, their donation page states that funds will also help the group organize workers, which is beyond standard humanitarian assistance and expectations for relief donations. The group is sponsored by a number of advocacy groups and unions, including Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Communication Workers of America, Faith in Texas, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Texas Housers, and the labor-affiliated Workers Defense Project. SEIU has been the group’s largest union sponsor to date.
“The fine print for this so-called ‘relief fund’ makes clear that it funds workplace organizing efforts, rather than direct aid for Harvey victims,” said Michael Saltsman, research director for the pro-free market Employment Policy Institute. “If Americans want to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, they should donate to an organization like the Red Cross—not Big Labor and its affiliates.”
Read more here.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has committed to making a huge investment in swaying the 2018 elections, particularly in the Midwest and the Rust Belt. By funneling tens of million of dollars into those candidates they feel are labor-friendly, they hope to galvanize their agendas on minimum wage, unions, and healthcare. One of SEIU’s biggest initiatives in recent years has been the “Fight for 15” campaign, which aims to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour.
This newest election effort comes after some union leaders conceded that the majority of their members voted for President Trump in the November election.
SEIU intends to formally unveil the initiative on Labor Day 2017. Read more about it here.
Ben Johnson, former union president and current right to work supporter with Progressive Labor Solutions, has written an op-ed piece for the Washington Times that details why he opposes agency fees. He has made some excellent points on why right to work laws help everyone involved, including the unions. Some of those points are detailed below, but additional ones and Mr. Johnson’s full article may be found here.
- Although unions are “membership” organizations, forced fees permit them to believe they no longer have to work to recruit non-members;
- Because unions no longer need to work for their fees, they have evolved to think they know what’s best for workers, rather than the workers knowing what’s best for themselves. They have become out of touch with workers’ needs;
- This belief that they know what’s best creates an environment where they do not have to reflect morally on their actions, creating an “ends justify the means” mentality;
- The system is subject to “self-deception,” where the union forgets employees sometimes join because they are already paying dues, rather than because they want to, which creates an illusion membership numbers mean something to the greater good.
Although the causes of declining union memberships are more complex than a sole source, by removing agency fees, unions will be forced to change in order to gain memberships. Then, hopefully, they will learn to serve the workers instead of believing the workers are there to serve them.
Marvin E. Kaplan, who received Senate confirmation August 2, was officially sworn in to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) today (August 10). He serves a 3-year term through August 27, 2020.
Previous to this appointment, Mr. Kaplan served as Chief Counsel to the Chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, as counsel for the House Committee on Oversight Government Reform, and as policy counsel for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He has also worked at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards and with the law firm McDowell, Rice, Smith & Buchanan. Mr. Kaplan holds a J.D. from Washington University in St Louis, and a B.S. from Cornell University.
Mr. Kaplan chose James R. Murphy to serve as his assistant chief. Read more about Mr. Kaplan and Mr. Murphy here.
Canton, Mississippi Nissan employees have rejected the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union’s bid to represent them, with a 2,244 to 1,307 vote.
“Now that the election is complete, Nissan will focus on bringing all employees back together as one team, building great vehicles and writing our next chapter in Mississippi,” Nissan Corporate Communications Manager Parul Bajaj said.
UAW has filed charges against Nissan Canton, accusing them of breaking federal labor laws. UAW’s seven allegations included denying the union equal access to the voter list, creating a system that rated employees according to their level of union support, and improper surveillance of union employee related activity.
Nissan denied the allegations with the statement “The UAW is again launching baseless and unsubstantiated allegations against Nissan Canton in a desperate, last-minute attempt to undermine the integrity of the secret ballot voting process.”
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will review the charges. If they find in UAW’s favor, they could order a new election; however, this decision could take months or even years.
Read more about the vote and UAW accusations here and here.
Articles by the RWP Team
