Illinois

Jimmy Hoffa Ruffles CEO’s Feathers Over Employees' Decision to Resist Teamsters

John Powell — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:49:16 -0500

What do union bosses do when independent-minded employees refuse to succumb to union organizing pressure?

Well, it turns out Jimmy Hoffa’s solution is to write a letter to the president of the companies he is trying to organize in order to smear those companies.

Teamsters boss Hoffa did just that in writing to CEO Moir Lockhead once FirstGroup employees began showing admirable resistance to the union's thuggish organizing tactics.

Workers at a Hodgkins, Illinois busing facility – owned by the UK-based FirstGroup – are saying “no” to the Teamsters’ unionization hopes, but union bosses don't like hearing "no" from independent-minded employees.

Hoffa's letter underscores the problems with so-called “neutrality agreements,” since FirstGroup entered into such an agreement with the Teamsters union in order to get the union off its back. Neutrality agreements give unions sweeping access to employees’ personal information and ban secret-ballot elections, since the employer agrees to support a union’s attempt to organize its workforce.

Hoffa’s letter shows that anything short of unyielding assistance to lock employees up in forced unionism by employers is unacceptable to union officials.

In a similar Right to Work Foundation-aided case in Batavia, Illinois, another union with a neutrality pledge refused to go away from a FirstGroup facility – just like what is happening here.

Trump Employees May Soon Hear "You're Fired" for Refusal to Pay Dues

Justin Hakes — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:08:41 -0500

If "UNITE-HERE" union officials have their way, employees of Donald Trump's new Windy City hotel may soon be hearing "you're fired" if they refuse to pay union dues. According to Crain's Chicago Business:

The Trump International Hotel & Tower offers both a high-profile target and an opportunity to bring 300 or more employees into the union fold. UNITE HERE wants Trump to approve a so-called neutrality agreement, which would permit organizers to try to persuade workers to sign cards supporting union representation.

So called "neutrality agreements"are anything but- they often require employers to assist union officials in organizing employees. Under such pacts, employers must often grant union organizers sweeping access to employees, hold "captive audience" meetings, and even hand out employees' personal information.

Notice too as you read the article, as is common in many similar situations, that union officials are targeting the hotel's employees rather than vice versa. Makes sense, since without a Right to Work law, union officials can force employees in Illinois to pay dues. Looks like it's all about the forced-dues cash.

No Means No

Justin Hakes — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:53:14 -0500

A group of Laidlaw bus employees outside the Windy City voted to kick out the unwanted Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1028 this week, with help from the National Right to Work Foundation.

Though the employees had already rid their workplace of the unwanted union earlier in the year, once their employer was bought out by another company, union officials began bargaining over workers' wages and working conditions with no legal authority whatsoever! The Foundation helped Russell Haasch and his coworkers immediately take action at the National Labor Relations Board.

Employees need to be vigilant, particulary when union officials don't take "no" for an answer. However, only a Right to Work law will provide widespread for Prairie State employees. Decertification elections are extraordinarily hard to come by and union lawyers often delay them for years by filing baseless charges.

Chicago Grocery Workers Sack Union

Justin Hakes — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:58:23 -0400

Late last week, the fight by Treasure Island Foods grocery workers to kick the unwanted UFCW union out of all six Chicago-area stores officially ended in the employees' favor.

In July, Wilmette store manager Dan Schalin told a major Chicago newspaper:

"People felt that the union wasn't looking out for them. They weren't earning our union dues."

However, as explained last week, decertification elections like those won by the employees in Chicago are uphill battles and no substitute for passing a Right to Work law in combatting compulsory unionism abuse.

Illinois

Top SEIU Official Resigns Executive Post Objecting to "growth at any cost"

Jimmy Hoffa Ruffles CEO’s Feathers Over Employees' Decision to Resist Teamsters

Trump Employees May Soon Hear "You're Fired" for Refusal to Pay Dues

No Means No

Chicago Grocery Workers Sack Union