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Published Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 | 11:49 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 | 10:15 a.m.
Sun Expanded Coverage
(The Sun has gone on the road to listen to voters and talk to political leaders around the West. Reporters have been examining the economic, cultural and demographic forces re-shaping the region as they drove to Denver for the first of the two major party conventions the Sun will cover. This week they are at the Democratic National Convention.)
DENVER -- Heard on the 6:40 a.m. drive to convention-world this morning: A radio ad highlighting Colorado Senate Republican candidate Bob Schaffer on the union card check issue.
My colleague Michael Mishak is the resident expert on this, having written extensively about the importance of card check for unions. Unions want to be able to organize by having employees sign a card rather than going through what they see as an often problematic secret ballot process. They need Congress to pass a law.
But stopping card check is a top priority of the business community, as well as the number one fundraising issue for Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign, who is leading his party’s efforts to elect Republicans to the Senate this fall.
The Colorado Senate race will be among the most watched in the nation as Schaffer and Democratic Rep. Mark Udall battle for the open seat being vacated by a retiring Republican. Polls show Schaffer had gained on Udall last month, but another recent poll showed Udall extending his lead.
What is Today’s Labor Union Contribution to America
The reason that Las Vegas is in a major recession while the rest of the U.S. is in a downturn is the result of the price pressure that Unions have put on Las Vegas services.
Labor Unions have done very little to communicate what their purpose is in today’s society. We know that membership is on decline because most of the old line employers that they have locked up are going bankrupted or are losing market share. Those old employers have generally been ones that produce tangible products which no longer can be priced to compete in the market place (steel, autos, airlines, etc.) without concession in wages and benefit. The UAW had 1.7 million member in 1979 and 465 thousand in 2007. Unions now only represent 7.5% of the private sector employees.
The new employers that Labor Unions are infiltrating are services that are not as subject to being lost to competition such as Teachers, Nurses, State and City employees, Police and Fire, Hospitality, and local commercial construction. Education and Healthcare costs are increasing at twice to three times the national inflation rate.
Unions have created two classes of Working Americans. An elite union worker with free healthcare and padded pensions; and a poor bitter worker. In 2007 Union median income was $863 a week (plus healthcare and a retirement plan), and non-union income was $663.
So now they need more power.
In Nevada Labor Union worker also are citizen legislators and local officials in charge of their own salary negotiations. In Las Vegas the Unions and the elected government leaders are co-dependent on their prospects. Steve Ross is head of the Building and Construction Trades Council and is a Las Vegas City Councilmen.
Labor Unions are one of the largest special interest lobbyist groups in the US. Clearly big supporters of Obama along with hedge fund managers (like Philip Falcone and John Paulson) and trial lawyers (like Mel Weiss and Noel Gage). The AFL-CIO, is sending in May, 2008, more than 6,000 of its people to more than 22 states during the next two weekends to talk to more than 200,000 union voters about McCain.
“Senator McCain’s economic path would lead to disaster for America’s working families,” said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor organization.
They ensure that only the political correct politicians get elected. Intimidations of other candidates including 24/7 (Anthony Pellicano like) electronic surveillance of the opposition (Lynette Boggs) is the norm.
Unions only win when the government takes away peoples freedom to choose.
Future, where did you lift that? Please post the link. I'd like to read the entire piece.
KDR81, what exactly does that mean? It has a nice demonstration-like ring to it, something you could put on a sign or a bumper sticker or scream through a bullhorn, or be a headline at (e.g.) NewsMax or WorldNutDaily, but what exactly does it mean?
No lifting here. Everything that is covered is from articles in the R-J or Sun in the last several months. There is so much more but limited by the Sun
I have been a part of a union vote in my younger day. I worked for a plant that made windshields.
They do not play nice. I send it with my own eyes in action.
If a worker gives an hint of not voting for the union, then they get harass....like in your face type. That is with secret ballots.
Can you imagine if somebody walks up to worker and ask them to sign the card and the worker says no?
You have to be crazy or very brave not to sign the card. If they do not sign it then they should expect to have their tires slash or work equipment messed up. They will constantly get the short end of the stick on everything.
It is Soviet style unionization.
That is what the Democratic party now stands for.
It's a shame the unions are allowing illegals priorities over American citizens. Giving good union jobs away ( the ones Americans' don't want to do ).