After Janus, Report Shows Govt. Union Leaders Striking Back in the States
Government unions leaders are striking back at the state level with flurry of union-friendly bills across the country seeking to cement their power over workers.
Pa. Gets a 'D' in First Ever 50-State Public Sector Labor Analysis
Pennsylvania is one of 22 states ranking an abysmal “D” or “F” for the negative impact of their public sector labor laws on taxpayers and government workers, according to a first-of-its-kind 50-state public sector labor report produced by the Commonwealth Foundation. Thirteen states fared little better with a “C,” and just seven earned an “A+.”
Read More >Transforming Labor
Executive Summary In the last five years, Americans have seen an unprecedented sweep of public sector labor reforms across several states. Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana—and most recently, West Virginia in July 2016—have all become right-to-work states. Other states have limited the scope of collective bargaining, increased the transparency of union contract negotiations, and created stronger protections for individual workers who do not want to be union members. For the first time
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Freedom on the Horizon for Pa. Teachers?
How much money will you have to pay a private political organization just to keep your job this year? If this question sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is—unless you are a public school teacher in Pennsylvania. Then, it’s the sad reality. But a U.S. Supreme Court case could change that for tens of thousands of teachers like us.
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For Teachers, Knowledge is Power
Like any other group of professionals, teachers are a diverse lot, holding vastly differing social, cultural, and political views. So why is it that they’re lumped together and forced to join state and national teachers’ unions that often don’t reflect local teachers’ concerns?
Read More >New Poll: 81% in PA Believe Unionization Should be a Choice
August 11, 2014, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Pennsylvania public school teachers Heather Lister (a Democrat) and Joe Connolly (a conservative) say they should have the right to keep their jobs without being forced to support a union. It turns out, most Pennsylvanians agree: 81 percent support allowing employees to leave their union without penalty, according to a new poll released today by Commonwealth Foundation as part of National Employee Freedom Week (NEFW).
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Taxpayers First: The New, New Deal
Today, the average government employee enjoys better health care benefits, better pensions, better job security, and an earlier retirement than the average private-sector worker. To pay for this, however, taxpayers have been strapped with unfunded liabilities that are poised to raise state and local taxes by billions of dollars in just a few years.
Read More >The Perils of Slavish Devotion to Organized Labor
Labor unions maintain a political stranglehold on legislation in Pennsylvania despite representing less than two out of 10 workers.
Read More >Worker Freedom Ensures Economic Prosperity
Along with the rest of the nation, Pennsylvania is struggling to rebound from the recent economic turmoil. Unfortunately, being a compulsory union state puts the Commonwealth at a marked disadvantage. Twenty-two states have a right-to-work law, protecting their workers from being coerced to join a union as a condition of employment. But Pennsylvania denies the right to reject union membership and dues payments, marginalizing workers and businesses across the state.
Read More >The Impact of Compulsory Unionism on Economic Development
Executive Summary With increasing global competition taking a toll on U.S. manufacturing jobs, and state governments and municipalities struggling to achieve greater operating efficiencies in the face of declining revenues and increasing costs, it is time for Pennsylvania policymakers to reassess the costs and benefits of compulsory unionism on the state’s economic development. The evidence suggests that the Keystone State and its citizens would greatly benefit if Pennsylvania became a &l
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