Apparently, this rumor is serious enough that Senators Grassley, Hatch (R-Utah), Vitter (R-La.), Bunning (R-Ky.), Chambliss (R-Ga.), Isakson (R-Ga.), Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Cochran (R-Miss.) sent President Obama a letter.
Several Senators have learned of a possible plan by the Obama Administration that would provide a mass Amnesty for the nation's 11-18 million illegal aliens. Led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), eight Senators addressed a letter to the President asking for answers to questions about a plan that would allow DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to provide an amnesty if they can't secure enough votes for a bill in the Senate.
The National Labor Relations Board reached its full five-member size for the first time since December 2007 after the U.S. Senate confirmed two of President Barack Obama’s nominees.
Brian Hayes, a Republican Senate aide, was confirmed by the Senate as it approved a package of almost 70 of Obama’s stalled nominees. The Senate also confirmed Mark Pearce, a Democrat Obama appointed to the board in March, for a full term.
However, the one person the Senate appears to have overlooked? The SEIU's Craig "Refuse to Recuse" Becker.
Becker, opposed by Republicans and business groups for his ties to labor unions, wasn’t confirmed by the Senate today. That means he will serve on the board only until the end of 2011, less than the full five-year term.
With Andy Stern opting to reside in Corporate America now, it appears the SEIU may not have as much sway as it did just a few short months ago.
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Not bad enough to cause painful damage to workers who are still paying for his fat compensation package, and too many others who took risks and made sacrifices only to see their organizing or contract campaigns damaged or smashed entirely.
All the while, he’s building his own golden parachute from the burning wreckage he left, polishing up his WH insider portfolio — and then peddling his ass to fat cats and high hats everywhere who must enjoy having a pet labor leader who does tricks upon command — all for the same bastards who are actively destroying the American dream for the working stiffs and huddled masses this punk once claimed to speak for.
For some reason, Andy's switch from union boss to corporate insider isn't sitting too well.
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Well, the New York Post had a great piece on Saturday that started with this:
Remember why unions were formed in the first place -- to protect workers from being taken advantage of?
Nowadays, the rank-and-file mostly need protection from their own leadership.
The Post article goes on to give a few examples of other corrupt union bosses but it is really only touching the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg is here.
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Maybe Andy's sudden resignation from the Service Employees International Union wasn't so sudden after all?...
SIGA Technologies, Inc. (SIGA 6.76, -0.04, -0.59%) , a company specializing in the development of pharmaceutical agents to combat bio-warfare pathogens, announced today that Andy Stern, labor leader and prominent advocate for reform, joined SIGA's board of directors. Mr. Stern is the former president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in North America.
[snip]
"Andy is a strong leader and a great addition to our Board of Directors. His insight, experience, and leadership, particularly his understanding of how our federal government works, will complement the skill sets of our existing board members," said Dr. Eric Rose, SIGA's Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Stern has been cited in numerous publications as being one of the most influential leaders on healthcare and a frequent White House visitor. In 2010, Stern was named a Presidential appointee to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
Shares of SIGA Technologies have approached the eight dollar level of late, rebounding nicely from the low of under five dollars about six months ago. The SIGA stock reached a high of over ten bucks last December in anticipation of a possible awarding of a BARDA contract for the ST-246 smallpox vaccine. The contract did not pan out at the time, although some modifications to the application process in the interest of creating competition were announced around that time.
A $2.8 million contract was awarded to Siga by the Department of Defense in early March, although this one was for ST-669, a broad-spectrum anti-viral.
That's nothing in comparison to the big BARDA contract that investors of the company are waiting for, but it does have the potential to rake in up to ten million dollars for SIGA when it's all said and done.
Welcome to your new home, Andy. We're sure we'll be paying for your avarice somehow.
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is launching a sweeping campaign to convince St. Louis Carpenters Local 57 to stop performing electrical work that undercuts union standards of quality, safety and wages.
Billboards have been mounted in several locations, and the message can be seen and heard in radio and print ads this week. A unity rally June 15 drew more than 1,000 members from several craft unions to hear national leaders of the IBEW and other trades.
A roly-poly ripoff artist with a taste for hookers and gambling pleaded guilty Wednesday to squandering nearly $300,000 in looted union funds.
[snip]
The 400-pound married father of a young son cavorted with prostitutes in Manhattan, the Bronx and a notorious Queens motel offering specially themed rooms and short-stay rates.
"They were $400 to $500 [per date]," Port Authority Deputy Inspector General Michael Nestor told the Daily News about the union-subsidized trysts.
If you have the stomach for it, there's more here.
[Editor's note: We opted not to include pictures.]
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Hundreds of recent federal rulings in disputes between unions and employers could be reopened after the Supreme Court said on Thursday that it was illegal for the National Labor Relations Board to decide the cases with only two sitting members.
But for those of you that like to read the weighter legal stuff, here's the SCOTUS decision (in PDF).
Of course, the AFL-CIO front group American Rights at Work is playing the blame game, as usual.
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Teamsters members growing wary of strike SOME UNION TRUCK DRIVERS SAY THEY WERE MISLED ABOUT CONTRACT
Several members of a Gary-based union have contacted The Times in recent days over concerns that the terms of a labor agreement proposed by employers was misrepresented, and they question why they are on strike.
More than 300 truck drivers with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 142 went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday against 28 contractors after voting down a proposed new two-year contract. In a move of solidarity, union members declined to cross picket lines of certain contractors after Portage-based Ironworkers Local 395 went on strike June 1.
[snip]
One union driver, who declined to be identified fearing retaliation, said a strike vote was taken as early as March 21 at a union meeting. He said Teamsters Local 142 President Mitch Sawochka told members a group of highway contractors was trying to break up the union by separating the people doing highway work from people who work at steel mills and refineries. He said he also was baffled about why a vote was being taken because the contract didn't expire until two months later and that likely a final proposal hadn't been presented to the union.
"He told us they were out to screw us," the driver said. "I don't think he went into negotiations with good faith as these people were led to believe."
Unfortunately, last year, the National Labor Relations Board decided that it's okay for unions to lie to their members and it's not likely, with unions now controlling the NLRB, the Board will reverse its position any time soon.
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
In 28 states across the U.S., unionized workers can be forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. If workers refuse to pay the union, the union can order them to be fired from their jobs.
However, since 1947, the so-called Taft-Hartley Amendments to the National Labor Relations Act (passed over Pres. Harry Truman's veto) enabled state legislatures to enact "Right-to-Work" laws which outlaw forced unionism.
It's not the first time he's pushed it. In 2008, he actually introduced a bill that went nowhere. However, this time union-bought backed Democrat Congressman Brad Sherman's effort to end Right-to-Work laws must be take a little more seriously.
On Monday, Rep. Sherman sent a letter to colleagues encouraging them to join his efforts to force workers to pay union dues by ending Right-to-Work laws.
With nearly $700,000 pumped into his campaign coffers over his career by Big Labor (12 out of his top 20 contributors are unions), there's little wonder why the California Congressman would want to reward his backers. After all, California, (with all its fiscal issues) owes a lot to its unions.
Note: California is not a right to work state but its neighbors Arizona and Nevada are.
If Sherman and his colleagues succeed in getting a bill passed that ends workers' right to work, President Obama would likely sign it and millions of Americans could be forced to pay a union or be fired if they become unionized.
This is why....
Elections have consequences
Get out and vote in November.
hat-tip: Alliance for Worker Freedom
__________________ “I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
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