Colorado

The Denver Post: Still Clueless About Forced Unionism

Will Collins — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:19:12 -0400

As Patrick Semmens pointed out recently, Denver Post columnist Al Lewis got quite an earful for suggesting that workers are rarely dissatisfied with compulsory union representation. But at least Al has the grace to admit he was wrong. In a recent post, he acknowledged that "unions make workers pay."

His colleague Bob Ewegen, on the other hand, is an unrepentant forced unionism propagandist. In a recent column, he trots out the same tired talking points in defense of non-Right to Work states' supposed economic vitality:

Colorado Union Victims Deluge Journalist Who Doubted Big Labor's Penchant for Abuse

Patrick Semmens — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:26:52 -0400

On Sunday, Denver Post columnist Al Lewis asked with skepticism "Where are the victims of unions?"

It must have struck a nerve out there. Only days later he writes a column with quotes from the "scores" of people who wrote in. Here are a few of the responses Lewis received:

Fact Check: The Source of Big Labor’s Forced Dues Powers

Patrick Semmens — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:15:09 -0400

The Rocky Mountain News recently published a misleading op-ed by union organizer James Hansen. The article contains a number of misleading claims, but the following passage’s description of a Right to Work law is so fundamentally wrong that it has to be addressed:

“A right-to-work [sic] law would allow the government to intervene in labor-management relations, undermining the freedom that employers and workers now have to negotiate the best agreement possible for both sides.”

Union officials in Colorado already have government granted power to force every employee - member or not - to pay union dues as a condition of keeping their job (or getting a job in the first place). No other organization or association is allowed to extort forced fees from individuals.

Colorado Executive Order Leaves Door Open for Forced Union Dues

Justin Hakes — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:58:23 -0500

Following up on last week's post, Stan Greer of the National Institute for Labor Relations Research spoke out last week against a recent executive order in Colorado extending union monopoly bargaining over state employees. (NRTW Foundation Vice President and Legal Director Raymond J. LaJeunesse, Jr. spoke at the event.)

According to an article in the Denver Business Journal:

Greer also said that even if legislators approve a law prohibiting
government workers from striking -- and Ritter signs it -- 48 percent
of public sector strikes are technically illegal, meaning that
legislation is not an effective deterrent against strikes.

"By all economic measures, Colorado would be better off without
forced dues and fees and everyone would be better off with right to
work laws."

How true- if strike prohibitions work, how did union officials shut down New York City just before Christmas in 2005" They didn't seem to mind the illegality of that strike. The imposition of forced union dues has also prompted state employees in Washington and Maine to fight back.

Imposition of Forced Union Dues a "Dirty Deal"

Justin Hakes — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:12:55 -0500

The Denver Post published an article earlier this week featuring the NRTW Foundation's work on behalf of state employees in Washington in 2006, including Patricia Woodward. Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) union officials ordered Ms. Woodward fired for refusal to pay dues. In the Post article, her niece, Darla Branif, called the imposition of forced dues on Washington state employees a "dirty deal."

In 2006 WFSE spokesman Tim Welch told dissenting employees exactly what he thought when asked by a local newspaper:

"You can choose to be a member of the union, you can choose to pay a fee. But ultimately, if you don't like that, you can choose to be unemployed."

Sadly, with no Right to Work law in place in Washington, Welch is right. However, employees in Washington did fight back with the Foundation's help. Watch Patricia Woodward's statement at a related press conference below.

No Middle Ground on Employee Free Choice

Justin Hakes — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:47:22 -0400

Ray Hogler of Colorado State University, an advocate of forced union dues, recently mischaracterized Colorado as a "modified right to work state." He cites a law that simply makes it just a little less easy for union officials in Colorado to impose forced union dues on employees. That law requires a secret ballot election in which a majority of eligible voters or 75 percent of actual voters must favor firing workers if they refuse to pay union dues.

Make no mistake about it, despite this procedural hurdle, union officials can still order workers across Colorado fired for refusal to pay dues once they clear it. All they have to do is quash employee dissent, and with the laws of 28 states mandating compulsory dues, they have plenty of cash to do it.

Hogler continues:

The rhetorical hyperbole about Colorado's unions does raise issues of labor law reform that are complicated, contentious and of serious consequence.

Actually, it's not that complicated, employees are either truly free to choose whether to join or pay dues to a union or they're not. And in Colorado, despite Hogler's objections, the law still favors coercion over free choice.