Failed private sector of the past regresses to oppression
"I can't think of a single situation where workers were permanently replaced on the public sector," said Gordon Pavy, national collective-bargaining director for the AFL-CIO in Washington.
There is a notable exception, and it made labor history. In 1981, when members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization walked out, President Ronald Reagan replaced nearly all of them, breaking the union.
"I think a public employer would be hard-pressed to do that," Pavy said. "We like to think of our government agencies and quasi-government agencies as being more fair-minded than private employers who are out for a profit."
That gives public-sector unions an unfair advantage, said Chris Edwards, an economist for the conservative Cato Institute in Washington. "There is no downside for public-sector unions to push too far because they always have their jobs," he said. "With private-sector unionism, there is a tug and pull between employer and employee," Edwards said. "There is an economic struggle. Public-sector unions have government officials in a tight spot. It's not their money they are playing with."
In 2008, 12 percent of all employees were members of unions. In the private sector, the percentage was 8, but in the public sector, more than a third of employees, 37 percent, were in unions.
Obama-MSM lovefest cracks up over Valerie Jarrett protégé Desiree Rogers
Desiree Rogers described herself as "giddy with excitement" when she was picked as social secretary for the new Obama White House. "This is the perfect combination of some of the skill sets that I have," she told the Tribune at the time. "I don't think it can get much better than this."
But a year and one gaffe-plagued state dinner later, it could be a lot better for Rogers. The former head of the Illinois Lottery and Peoples Gas now finds herself in the Washington political cross hairs after a security lapse that allowed gate-crashers into last week's White House gala for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The 50-year-old Rogers, a friend of President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, has shown a flair for personal publicity in what tends to be a low-profile position. She has been featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair and boasted of the marketing potential of "the Obama brand."
That has raised eyebrows in Washington, the nation's center of power, cattiness and long knives, where some dismiss her as an imperious fashion plate.
What’s going on with Obama’s Justice Department? During the election members of the Black Panthers stood outside a polling site carrying batons to intimidate voters. Has Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, charged anybody? Not yet.
Related video: Securing Philly voting for Obama
In August when Town Hall meetings were being held there were at least two episodes when Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members assaulted citizens — both incidents were on national TV. Has Holder charged anyone? Not yet.
According to White House visitor records the head of SEIU, Andy Stern, has spent more time overnight at the Obama White House, 23 times, than any other person. Do you think the lack of charges against the Black Panthers and SEIU thugs has any connection with the cozy relationship?
In contrast, what is Obama doing to the people in charge of keeping us safe? He issued an order that all terrorists must be read their Miranda Rights. We’d still be fighting World War II if these rules had been in place then.
The Working Families Organization’s 2009 lobbying records also demonstrate relationships among the Party, the Organization and the Progressive America Fund—and not just through what were, until recently, common offices.
One of the two branches of the Fund is the Center for Working Families, a think tank founded in 2006 with co-directors Deirdre Schifeling, a former deputy director of the Party and listed lobbyist of the Organization, and Lisa Donner, a former Service Employees International Union and ACORN staffer.
Currently, the Center’s interim director is listed as David Palmer who has been identified in news articles as also being the legislative campaigns director for the Party. This makes him an employee of a 501 (c)4, a 501 (c)3 and a political party, all at once.
Collectivists on the precipice: Single-payer or bust
Since Rep. Earl Pomeroy was stung by criticism of his vote on so-called health reform, we have been inundated with commercials both pro and con on it.
I've noticed that one of the pro commercials is sponsored by SEIU-COPE. SEIU stands for Service Employees International Union. This organization is closely associated with ACORN, the left-wing community organizers who have been discredited for their tactics and have been tied to the president.
SEIU strongly backs the card check bill that would deprive workers of a secret ballot on unionization. As I understand, this union represents health care, public-sector and custodial workers.
It has used its lobbying power to coerce medical facilities to allow their workers to organize, then lobbies the government for increased spending on health care. Since medical facilities are barred from political activity, they benefit from organized labor as government money is directed to them.
Failed private sector of the past regresses to oppressionThere is a notable exception, and it made labor history. In 1981, when members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization walked out, President Ronald Reagan replaced nearly all of them, breaking the union.
"I think a public employer would be hard-pressed to do that," Pavy said. "We like to think of our government agencies and quasi-government agencies as being more fair-minded than private employers who are out for a profit."
That gives public-sector unions an unfair advantage, said Chris Edwards, an economist for the conservative Cato Institute in Washington. "There is no downside for public-sector unions to push too far because they always have their jobs," he said. "With private-sector unionism, there is a tug and pull between employer and employee," Edwards said. "There is an economic struggle. Public-sector unions have government officials in a tight spot. It's not their money they are playing with."
In 2008, 12 percent of all employees were members of unions. In the private sector, the percentage was 8, but in the public sector, more than a third of employees, 37 percent, were in unions.
