LaborPains.org

Although plenty of politicians are effectively on labor’s payroll thanks to the massive amount of money that unions funnel into political campaigns, two Rhode Island state senators have taken things to a whole new level. Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio and Senator Frank Ciccone both pulled in six figures from the Laborer’s union, with Ruggerio taking home almost $233,000 and Ciccone’s salary and benefits totaling roughly $197,000. As New Jersey union members know, it helps to have organized labor controlling the state house.

Wisconsin’s Collective Bargaining Law Survives Seventh Circuit

A three-judge panel sitting in Chicago has ruled that Scott Walker’s collective bargaining reform in Wisconsin, Act 10, is constitutional. The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) had sued the state to stop enforcement of the law that limits public sector employee collective bargaining. WEAC argued that the exemption for public safety unions was unconstitutional. If the WEAC’s appeal is not heard by the entire panel, then the current injunction will be lifted and Wisconsin’s labor reforms can finally take full effect.

NY1 is reporting that New York City bus company owners have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to stop its drivers and matrons from continuing the strike that began on Wednesday. Until then, the companies were responsible for getting 152,000 kids to school—at the cost of almost $7,000 per student. The city’s Department of Education wants to open up competitive bids for the routes to save taxpayer money, but the union is insisting that the city impose job protections that New York courts have declared illegal. John Podhoretz of the New York Post says that we shouldn’t be surprised by this strike and that unions will only intensify their strikes over the next decade as old deals collapse under their own financial burden.

In the aftermath of the Wisconsin recall election, many public sector unions are still licking their wounds—and apparently leaving their internal documents out in the open.

In an internal memo obtained by the Center for Union Facts, the Wisconsin Education Association Council outlines the communications strategy for messaging against “Walker and his right-wing allies.”

A few interesting “Dos” and Don’ts” (emphasis added):

DO

Stay focused on students – voters care about schools because they care about students.

Use parents as messengers when possible – while educators themselves can also be good messengers, parents’ motives are seen as less self-interested.

DON’T

Use cuts to teacher/education support professional benefits or pay as an example of the negative impacts of cuts – many voters still view educators’ benefits as overly generous.

Use the “union” entity as a messenger – making this about WEAC vs. Walker causes many voters to tune out and dismiss communications as “politics as usual.” Keep a face on this issue by featuring members/parents to tell about the impact of cuts.

You can view the document below in its entirety. Enjoy!