On behalf of the GOP, I would like to thank the AFL-CIO for NY-04 and CA-07.

Basically, the AFL-CIO will be attacking Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-04) and Rep. Ami Bera (CA-07) for the next year and a half because both support TPP. Speaking as a Republican operative, I think that this is a marvelous idea. By all means, Big Labor: eat your own. I’ll happily pass you the salt. Maybe some pepper?  And a nice Chianti, to wash it all down. Continue reading On behalf of the GOP, I would like to thank the AFL-CIO for NY-04 and CA-07.

Big Labor prepared to burn ALL Democrats, do you hear me?!? ALL OF THEM!!!!!!1!!!!

(H/T: Instapundit) This bit from Roll Call on how Big Labor is simply… not answering calls from any Democrat is a good bit:

“We’re getting close to the end of the second quarter now … and now the answer they give us is, ‘Even if you vote no on TPA and no on TPP, you still may not get checks because we may be trying to take out people who did vote for it,’ ” said one House Democratic aide. “It’s not like they are going to reward good behavior. Now they’re saying, ‘We may have to take our money elsewhere.’ ”

But it’s not the funny bit. This is the funny bit:

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama will come to the aid of any Democrat who finds themselves in primary peril because of backlash for supporting the “fast-track” bill.

“Those who are concerned about it I think do take a lot of solace in knowing that they can count on the support of President Barack Obama in a Democratic primary if they need it,” Earnest said.

Continue reading Big Labor prepared to burn ALL Democrats, do you hear me?!? ALL OF THEM!!!!!!1!!!!

Big Labor seeks LA minimum wage hike exemption for companies that hire Big Labor.

Full points for chutzpah: “Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces.”  And, here’s the funny part: there’s a section of the Right that actually hopes that the unions manage to get this. Of course, most of the aforementioned section live in Texas…

Via  Continue reading Big Labor seeks LA minimum wage hike exemption for companies that hire Big Labor.

Big Labor: Wait, this #Obamacare thing we passed is going to hurt *us*?

Unite Here has discovered the indifference of Barack Obama:

A national union that represents 300,000 low-wage hospitality workers charges in a new report that Obamacare will slam wages, cut hours, limit access to health insurance and worsen the very “income equality” President Obama says he is campaigning to fix.

Unite Here warned that due to Obamacare’s much higher costs for health insurance than what union workers currently pay, the result will be a pay cut of up to $5 an hour. “If employers follow the incentives in the law, they will push families onto the exchanges to buy coverage. This will force low-wage service industry employees to spend $2.00, $3.00 or even $5.00 an hour of their pay to buy similar coverage,” said the union in a new report.

Continue reading Big Labor: Wait, this #Obamacare thing we passed is going to hurt *us*?

Why Big Labor thinks that McJobs are more fertile ground than Dirty Jobs.

Nick Gillespie, on the misdirected zeal of Big Labor trying to up the unemployment rate by upping the minimum wage:

While there is nothing wrong with any job, the simple fact is that nobody is going to get rich—or even comfortably middle class—if his or her main gig is punching the buttons at a McCafe. The skills necessary to work there are simply not that advanced to increase wages exponentially and the entire economy of fast food is based on keeping prices—and by extension, wages—relatively low.

Rather than focus on fast food, it would be smarter to focus where the jobs—and wages—are. There’s something on the order of 3.7 million openings (about the size of the entire minimum wage workforce) in various trades ranging from construction to carpentry to ++electrical to welding. These are jobs that are not only in high demand but pay relatively high wages, often around the median household income of $51,000. Mike Rowe, the former host of the cable show Dirty Jobs, makes a compelling case that these are exactly the sort of gigs that can secure people steady work that allows for advancement and serious benefits.

Continue reading Why Big Labor thinks that McJobs are more fertile ground than Dirty Jobs.

Why @barackobama will not bail out Big Labor’s #obamacare plans.

Word has gone out that the Obama administration has decided, formally, to deny various labor unions’ requests to give special waivers to their health care plans.  Basically, the plans in question were negotiated between labor and management, and have significant differences from ‘standard’ employee health care plans; the administration will refuse to treat said plans as being eligible for subsidies under Obamacare.  This means that the plans will almost certainly get tossed by employers in preference to exchange-based plans, thus depriving Big Labor of both a personal revenue stream AND one of the best arguments for joining a union in the first place.  Shorter version: Barack Obama has just done more damage to the American labor movement than most of the people reading this could ever hope to do. Continue reading Why @barackobama will not bail out Big Labor’s #obamacare plans.

Quotes of the Day, Big Labor Finally Formally Joining The Democratic Party edition.

Took em long enough:

Facing what AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka called a “crisis” of membership, officials took the dramatic step at their annual convention of adopting a resolution that invites anyone in the country to join, regardless of union affiliation.

Continue reading Quotes of the Day, Big Labor Finally Formally Joining The Democratic Party edition.

Breaking: Right-to-Work legislation passes Michigan State House.

The Monroe News has reported that the legislation (part of House Bill 4054) just (4:45 PM) passed 58-52 in the state house, and will now go to the State Senate (I’m being told that the Senate will vote on this legislation within five business days).  Governor Rick Snyder (R) has already indicated that he will sign the legislation if it gets to his desk; given that the Michigan Senate has a two-to-one Republican majority, this is likely to occur.  Right-to-work opponents have already showed their disapproval of the measure, to the point where the cops had to use pepper spray to get control of the Michigan State Capitol.  All in all, today’s demonstration is unlikely to be the only response by Big Labor to Michigan’s union reform bill/law, in the same way that water is somewhat wet and the sun’s surface can get a trifle warm sometimes.

More as it happens.

UPDATE: Annnnnd Fox News reports that they’ve just passed a similar bill in the Senate.  Five-day delay before the final version gets passed; I assume that the first labor-induced (I am so dreadfully sorry for that) rioting has been tentatively penciled in for Monday morning.

Moe Lane (“Breaking: Right-to-Work legislation passes Michigan State House.“)

 

Michigan to be scene of the Right-to-Work War of 2013?

It’s an interesting situation up there in Michigan: as the Detroit News rather sourly notes, the Republicans control the legislature and the governorship, while the extremely-Big Labor-friendly Proposal 2 went down in flames (58/42, not that the Detroit News wanted to mention that statistic).  This opens up the possibility of right-to-work legislation being introduced in either the current or the next state legislative turn; it also opens up the virtual certainty of a Big Labor response that will make the Wisconsin recall meltdown look like… well, I was going to write ‘a petulant, foot-stamping, and ultimately impotent temper tantrum conducted by spoiled brats with no conception of how the world really works,’ except that that was what the Wisconsin recall meltdown really was.  Anyway, it’ll be worse in Michigan.  To the point where things may start actually be set on fire.

But does it matter?  …Maybe not.  Consider the chart below:

State Sen House Cong
MI N/A -4 0
OH 0 1 0
WI 3 2 0

Continue reading Michigan to be scene of the Right-to-Work War of 2013?

Big Labor apologists overlook hidden lede of Unionmade flap.

Short version: some California chain selling men’s clothing is calling itself “Unionmade” when it’s not particularly featuring stuff made by unions, and the AFL-CIO is getting shirty about it.  But here’s the point/counterpoint kicker:

“We sell really beautiful well-made products. Products I’ve always liked,” [Unionmade founder Todd] Barket told me. “Our clothing is honest and straightforward. Everything has a reason for being there. Good design. High quality. Not too tricky. Any guy can walk in and understand what we’re presenting. Everything is really understandable.”

[snip]

…only about three to five percent of the items sold at Unionmade are union-made.

Translation: union-made products are pretty much crap quality these days.  I think that the AFL-CIO should probably worry about THAT more.

Moe Lane