Archive for the 'Big Labor' Category

RISC Calls for Probe of Bristol-Warren NEA Activity

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Rhode Island Red

The Rhode Island Statewide Coalition (RISC) is calling on the Superintendent of the Bristol-Warren School district to immediately investigate whether inappropriate – -and possibly illegal- -political campaign activity associated with the approaching Primary election was conducted during a portion of the teachers’ official orientation session held Monday, August 30th.

Superintendent Melinda Thies has received an official complaint by Bristol Rep. Doug Gablinske who claims that Pat Crowley of the statewide National Education Association (NEA) delivered political remarks and went so far as to urge teachers in attendance for an official orientation session to vote against Gablinske in the approaching September 14th Primary. Gablinske has been a supporter of reforms to public employees’ pensions and other elements of their contract compensation packages as well as a supporter of the state’s new Education Aid Formula.

“It’s outrageous, it’s inappropriate and RISC is demanding to know if, in fact, there was illegal political campaign activity conducted by the local teachers’ union and statewide NEA during an official teachers’ orientation, on public school grounds, during a professional teachers’ forum,” blasts RISC President Jim Beale. Beale notes that several hundred teachers and other school staff assembled for the orientation are paid for such out-of-classroom orientation days by the school district as part of the duties associated with their professional contract. Continue reading ‘RISC Calls for Probe of Bristol-Warren NEA Activity’

Filed Under: Big Labor, Liberals and Leftists, Press Releases and Reformers 0 Comments

EPTA Seeks Auditor General Review of Teachers’ Contract

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Rhode Island Red

EPTA Seeks Auditor General Review of Impact of Teachers’ Contract on School Deficit and Taxpayers before Council Approval of New Pact

The East Providence Taxpayers Association (EPTA) today wrote to Acting Auditor General Dennis Hoyle expressing its concerns that ratification of the newly proposed teachers’ contract by City Council would result in additional unlawful school department deficit spending unless a viable deficit elimination plan approved by the Auditor General is adopted first. The East Providence City Council is set to consider approval of the new teachers’ contract at its meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM at City Hall.

The School Department announced in April that it had an anticipated school budget deficit of $2.5 million in the current fiscal year. State law requires the School Department to develop a corrective action plan to eliminate the deficit and to transmit the plan to the City Council within five days of the discovery of an anticipated budget gap. The plan must also be approved by the Auditor General. The School Department has not yet produced a deficit corrective action plan approved by the Auditor General.

The EPTA letter asked the Auditor General to communicate to the City Council before the close of business Tuesday his views about the advisability of the Council ratifying the teachers’ contract before a corrective action plan for eliminating the current year’s school budget deficit was approved. The letter also asked the Auditor General to communicate to both the City Council and the School Committee his opinion about whether or not the East Providence School Department is currently in compliance with the state laws requiring development and approval of a deficit elimination plan. The EPTA also asked the City Council in a separate letter to defer approval of the contract until a deficit plan was approved. Continue reading ‘EPTA Seeks Auditor General Review of Teachers’ Contract’

Filed Under: Big Labor, Economics and Public Policy Closed

‘Organized labor just flushed $10 million down the toilet’

Posted on June 9, 2010 by The Ocean State Republican

A Senior White House official:

“Organized labor just flushed $10 million of their members’ money down the toilet on a pointless exercise,” the official said. “If even half that total had been well-targeted and applied in key House races across this country, that could have made a real difference in November.”

Lincoln relied heavily both on Obama’s endorsement, which she advertised relentlessly on radio and in the mail, and on the backing of former President Bill Clinton, who backed her to the hilt.

Lincoln foe Bill Halter had the unstinting support of the AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME and other major unions. And labor officials Tuesday evening were already working to spin the narrow loss of their candidate, Bill Halter, as a moral victory, but the cost in money and in the goodwill of the White House may be a steep price to pay for a near miss…

Read More: Politico

Filed Under: 2010 Elections, Big Labor and US Senate Closed

Frank Caprio Makes About Face on Pension Reform

Posted on April 20, 2010 by The Ocean State Republican

CAPRIO MAKES ABOUT FACE ON PENSION REFORM WITH HYBRID PENSION PLAN PROPOSAL

It has been reported that Frank Caprio, candidate for Rhode Island Governor, has proposed a new form of hybrid pension plan for active state employees. While promoting this plan might appear to be a legitimate state function for the General Treasurer, the timing of Caprio’s proposal, coming just days after the Providence Journal published an op-ed piece by RIGOP Chairman Giovanni D. Cicione exposing Caprio’s past opposition to pension reform and in light of Caprio’s history on this issue, demonstrates that the proposal is nothing more than political posturing and the misuse of his staff’s time to promote his gubernatorial campaign.

“For three and one-half years, General Treasurer Frank Caprio embraced the status quo in Rhode Island’s public employee pension plan,” noted Chairman Cicione. “This transparent attempt to score points as a fiscally responsible candidate for governor is an election year ploy and the General Treasurer is using taxpayer supported staff and resources for political activity. Caprio and the employees of the General Treasurer’s office should be apologizing to Rhode Island taxpayers for the billions of dollars in unfunded pension liability that Caprio has been content to oversee instead of working on his campaign for Governor.”

In announcing this plan, Caprio was quoted as saying, “he first recommended a hybrid system in 2008.” This statement, however, is completely refuted by the facts. For example, the Providence Journal reported in January of 2008 that “Caprio has not yet taken a position on what, if anything, the state should do to lower its annual pension costs or $4.9 billion in unfunded liability for the promises the state made in earlier years to current and future retirees. Instead, he has been ordering up studies.” (ProJo 1/25/08). Speaker of the RI House, William Murphy, appointed Caprio to a pension review panel later that year and he continued to “study” the pension issue throughout 2008 as the panel missed deadline after deadline to issue its report. (ProJo 9/22/08).

As late as March of 2009, the Treasurer’s designee to the pension review panel opposed a proposal to limit annual COLA increases to the first $30,000 of pension benefits, which is similar to the proposal now supported by the Democratic leadership of the General Assembly (Pension Commission Final report, pp. 229-230). As recently discussed in Cicione’s op-ed, Caprio has a long history of collaboration in the under funding of the State pension system and the use of unrealistic projections to hide the true scope of vast unfunded liabilities.

“Now that the political winds have shifted, Caprio wants to portray himself as a fiscal conservative,” continued Cicione, “but taxpayers will remember Frank Caprio’s history as a member of Rhode Island’s Democratic leadership that is responsible for this pension mess and that can no longer be trusted to oversee a defined benefit pension system. Thanks to the irresponsible actions of the General Assembly, including those of Former State Representative and State Senator Frank Caprio, the burden on taxpayers to support the state pension system is far beyond anything that Caprio’s hybrid pension plan could address adequately. Instead, we need to move as many public employees over to a 401k style plan as soon as possible and get this pension mess behind us as quickly as possible,” concluded Chairman Cicione.

Press Release: Rhode Island Republican Party

Filed Under: 2010 Elections, Big Labor and Republican Party Closed Tags: Frank Caprio.

RI Finally Waking Up to Union Underhanded Tactics

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Rhode Island Red

The greed of these public union hacks at the state house was made abundantly clear with this latest move on the supplemental budget bill by Mr. George Nee of the AFL-CIO. “Don’t touch my union’s benefits!” The League of Cities and Towns had lobbied for a 25 percent co-share – a figure that would have saved a collective $17.6 million if all municipal employees paid that rate, according to a league review in January. Mr. Nee said union leaders objected to a mandatory co-share because it would be “an intrusion into the collective-bargaining process.” “To have it mandated or essentially decided by the General Assembly is basically unacceptable to us,” he said. Well Mr. Nee, the taxpayers do object to continue footing of the entire bill for your people. The private sector has been doing co-shares for decades and it is now time for the public employee unions to step up and do the same. State law does trump contracts and it would affect all of them. By running to speaker Fox to remove the co-share from this bill shows the total contempt you have for the taxpayers of this state.

Mr. Nee also wants mandatory binding arbitration this year and expressed that it was his “number one priority.” This would hinder any attempt to reduce the give-away deals that are present in many of these state and municipal collective bargaining agreements. Binding arbitration and perpetual collective bargaining agreements are bad legislation and puts the municipality at a disadvantage at the bargaining table and places an unfair tax burden on the property owners. These union groups have had it their way for decades but now they must be stopped to save the state from a pending receivership. The RI AFL-CIO leadership only cares about the public unions and not the welfare of the taxpayers of this state. Their constant dominance and lobbying at the state house has hurt every taxpayer of this state.

With this state being in the deplorable economic condition, perhaps the taxpayers should start calling for Rhode Island to be a right-to-work state and have “open shops.” The public unions are abusing the “privilege” they were given back in 1966 with the passage of “The Michelson Act.” Perhaps that law needs to be revisited and repealed as well. The taxpayers can and should push for that legislation to counter what big labor is doing to them right now; make it their “number one priority.” If this legislature is unwilling to listen to the taxpayers and allow themselves to be intimidated by these union hacks and their threats of withdrawing support for their re-election, then they will discover the voters will have the final say in the matter come November. Rhode Island is finally waking up to these unions and their underhanded tactics. The corruption is spreading in the municipalities and the unions do nothing to stop it; they pander to this behavior. Enough is enough – a change is needed now!

L.Chappell
Saunderstown, RI

Filed Under: Big Labor, Commentary and RI General Assembly Closed

Alert: Binding Arbitration Bill in the RI Senate!

Posted on March 8, 2010 by The Ocean State Republican

BINDING ARBITRATION ALERT!
BINDING ARBITRATION BILL IN SENATE!
Take Action!

You told the House, Now Tell the Senate: NO BINDING ARB!

Thank you for your recent messages to the RI House of Representatives in objection to the new Binding Arbitration bill. Now, however, it is time to address Bill S2603 in the Senate. This bill is the Senate version of the House Binding Arbitration bill, and it has been introduced by Senator Michael J. McCaffrey.

Like the bill in the House, S2603 provides that if a new collective bargaining agreement cannot be agreed to by the parties, the terms and conditions of the old three-year agreement remain in full force until a new contract agreement is reached. The result: public-sector unions would have no motivation to negotiate new contracts that bring their salaries and benefits into line with those of the average taxpayer.

Furthermore, senators who are themselves state workers or related to state workers will vote on this bill when they should recuse themselves, despite their obvious conflicts of interest.

Please notify your senator that you expect him/her to oppose this Binding Arbitration Bill and that your vote in November will be based upon his/her actions during this legislative session.

News Release: Rhode Island Statewide Coalition

Filed Under: Alerts, Big Labor and Education Closed Tags: RISC.

Trustees Vote to Axe Central Falls High School Teachers

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Will Ricci

Big Labor Predictably Not Happy About it…

Last night, the Board of Trustees which oversees the grossly under-performing Central Falls High School voted 5-2 to terminate every teacher, as well as the principal and his 3 assistants (including my state senator). 93 total.

As you might imagine, those who’ve been riding the gravy train are none too pleased. RI state law requires layoff notices be issued by March 1st. Under the reorganization plan, up to half will be rehired for the fall and half will be new. Special thanks to DOE Secretary Arne Duncan for making this all possible. Yes we can!

…state and local education officials received some high-powered support of their own, when U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan weighed in, saying he “applauded” them for “showing courage and doing the right thing for kids.”

Busloads of teachers from across the state turned out.

“I think the real goal is to bust the unions,” said Julie Boyle, an English teacher at Coventry High School. “Sometimes a teacher is the only touchstone in a student’s life. I’m sad for the students who will lose their touchstones.”

Just an hour after the rally, the Central Falls school Board of Trustees, in a brief but intense meeting, voted 5-2 to fire every teacher at the school. In all, 93 names were read aloud in the high school auditorium — 74 classroom teachers, plus reading specialists, guidance counselors, physical education teachers, the school psychologist, the principal and three assistant principals…

Read and Comment: The Providence Journal

Filed Under: Big Labor, Education, Reformers and Rhode Island Closed

37th Providence Newspaper Guild Follies | February 26

Posted on February 24, 2010 by The Ocean State Republican

Update: The RIRA’s supply of tickets for the Providence Newspaper Guild Follies is completely sold out. If you want a ticket, you’re on your own. You can try calling the Guild office at 401-421-9466, but no guarantees. You’ll probably end up in the nose-bleed section, if you get in at all.

For quite a few years now, the Rhode Island Republican Assembly has had reserved tables for Republicans at the annual Providence Newspaper Guild Follies. Assuming that The Providence Journal doesn’t shutter its doors by February 26th (cross your fingers!), this year will be no exception!

Because this great event has long-since outgrown Rhode Island’s ability to contain it, and sales tax is still cheaper in Massachusetts, the Follies will be held on Friday, February 26th at 7:00 PM just over the border at the [in]famous Venus de Milo Restaurant , 75 Grand Army Highway (Route 6) in Swansea, MA.

This popular dinner and political satire show is attended by every politician, activist, and news media personality in Rhode Island’s political scene, for a total of about 1,250 people. Tickets are $60.00/person. A spectacular buffet dinner is included, and of course, the big show. So far, RIRA has reserved two tables (20 seats), with the option of reserving more if there is additional demand.

Please note that since this is a union-held event, the audience does tend to skew Democratic / leftist, so if you are a Republican / conservative and want to sit with us (for your own safety), please contact RIRA President Raymond McKay right away at president [at] ri-ra [dot] org . These tickets are definitely going fast, so do not wait, as this event always sells out. You do not want to end up on the dreaded waiting list!

Filed Under: Big Labor, Coming Events and RIRA Closed

For Chafee, The Question Is: Did Father Know Best?

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Rhode Island Red

“THE OPPOSITE OF RIGHT PART IX”

On February 14, 2010, the Providence Journal reprinted a letter by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a federation of government employees dated April 16, 1937 in which President Roosevelt declared: “All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management.” While Rhode Island Democrats try to figure out whether they should agree with the patron saint of their party, President Franklin Roosevelt, or with their modern day masters, the public employee union bosses, the RIGOP has searched the archives and has found an interesting letter about state employees unions that may be of interest to at least one current gubernatorial candidate.

On April 28, 1966, then Governor John Chafee sent a letter to the Rhode Island Senate explaining why he vetoed a bill that gave Rhode Island state employees the right to collectively bargain as a union. Governor John Chafee saw the “organizational problems inherent where the machinery designed for private industry is imposed on State employees”. He explained that “since wages, hours and practically all working conditions are now established by laws enacted by the General Assembly … or regulations”, collective bargaining for state employees will “inevitably” lead to “bad relationships between …employees and the State” resulting in “the public [being] the loser.”

Unfortunately, the would-be Governor Lincoln Chafee won’t follow the sage advice of the former Governor John Chafee when it comes to state public employee unions. Candidate Lincoln Chafee wants “the endorsement of organized public sector unions” (Warwick Beacon 1/5/10) and has “urged” the House Finance Committee “to leave benefits alone” for public sector union employees (ProJo 1/13/10). Said Republican Party Chair Giovanni Cicione: “Despite a recent WPRI 12 Poll that shows voters think labor has too much power by a margin of 57% to 31%, Linc Chafee ignores this enduring warning from his father and embraces the same public employee unions that his father fought against.” “I wonder who Linc will defer to on this question,” asked Cicione – “his respected late father or his more recent benefactors – the fat cat public employee union bosses.”

News Release: Rhode Island Republican Party

Filed Under: Big Labor, History, Republican Party and The Missing Linc Closed

Chafee: Leave Union Benefits Alone By Raising Taxes

Posted on January 13, 2010 by The Ocean State Republican

“THE OPPOSITE OF RIGHT PART V”

CHAFEE’S NEW WAY FORWARD – GENERAL ASSEMBLY VERSION:

At the Rhode Island House Finance Committee yesterday, Gubernatorial Candidate Chafee made it clear once again he is no champion of the property taxpayer but merely a politician who will grovel for the support of the public sector union bosses. He has officially broken his first promise of his new gubernatorial campaign, which was “to be a champion of the property taxpayer” and “a partner with our mayors and town managers … to repeal many of the costly state mandates on cities and towns.” Instead of siding with mayors and town managers in favor of reducing benefits through pension reform (i.e. a minimum retirement age) and a 25% co-share for health care premiums for public sector employees, he “urged” the House Finance Committee “to leave benefits alone” for public sector union employees (ProJo 1/13/10).

Without a doubt, Mr. Chafee does not want his mayoral legacy in Warwick of giving away the store to public sector union members to be tampered with in anyway. He is proud of signing union contracts that allows employees to retire with no minimum retirement age after only 20 years of work. (ProJo 7/29/96). He believes it was his “biggest achievement” as mayor to give public employees big raises while paying no co-share of their health care premium. (ProJo 5/3/94, 10/10/2000) He thinks it is “awesome” to give part time crossing guards “full benefits.” (ProJo 9/3/93) No doubt the public sector unions thought these kinds of these deals were “awesome” too. This is why “local unions were endorsing Lincoln Chafee’s 1998 City Hall reelection bid” and letters were being sent out to “municipal union members on Chafee’s behalf” as a “payoff for the years” Chafee “spent nurturing labor friendships in the state’s second-largest city.” (ProJo 10/10/2000). This is also why, in a prior mayoral campaign, after “Chafee helped the union with a good contract,” the American Federation of Teachers asked other unions to have “the favor be returned” by supporting Chafee. (ProJo 1/6/95).

Rhode Island Republican Party Chair Giovanni Cicione commented: “Mr. Chafee’s old three step plan has not changed one bit – give the public sector unions what they want, get the unions to support your campaign; raise taxes to pay for those sweetheart deals.”

“Mr. Chafee may not have any coherent plans to cut spending, but taxpayers can be certain he will not to cut the generous benefits of public employees – he seems to be going out of his way to protect these outrageous union benefits by raising taxes on groceries and medicine,” concluded Cicione.

Press Release: Rhode Island Republican Party

Filed Under: 2010 Elections, Big Labor, Economics and Republican Party Closed

Chafee: A Champion for Big Labor, Not Taxpayers

Posted on January 5, 2010 by The Ocean State Republican

“THE OPPOSITE OF RIGHT PART III”

When Lincoln Chafee announced his candidacy for Governor this week, he pledged “to be a champion of the property taxpayer” and “a partner with our mayors and town managers … to repeal many of the costly state mandates on cities and towns.” Unfortunately, when he was mayor, Mr. Chafee acted more as a champion for public sector unions than for the taxpayers when he gave sweetheart deals to unions, like the Warwick Teachers Union, and then raised regressive property taxes year after year to pay for these deals. (As noted by the RIGOP in its press release yesterday entitled “OPPOSITE OF RIGHT PART II: Chafee’s ‘New Way Forward’ Will Send Rhode Island Backwards.”)

If Mr. Chafee is really a champion of property taxpayer who will support city and town officials in their efforts to eliminate state mandates, the RIGOP challenges Mr. Chafee to unequivocally support the elimination of state law mandates that benefit public sector unions. Here are two simple examples:

First, will Mr. Chafee support cities and towns who want to be free from being required to negotiate with firefighter and police unions as to minimum staffing levels? This was proposed in Article 43 of 09-H5019, and was supported by Dan Beardsley of the R.I. League of Cities and Towns (Beardsley 2009 Final Legislative Report), and the Democratic and Republican Mayors of Cranston, Cumberland, Johnston, Lincoln, North Providence and Pawtucket (Letter from The Coalition of Communities Improving Rhode Island 4/14/09)

Second, will Mr. Chafee support cities and towns who want to be free to impose a 25% co-share for health care premiums on all city and town employees without having to negotiate with local public sector unions? This was proposed in Article 44 of 09-H5019, and was supported by Dan Beardsley of the R.I. League of Cities and Towns (Beardsley 2009 Final Legislative Report), and the Democratic and Republican Mayors of Cranston, Cumberland, Johnston, Lincoln, North Providence and Pawtucket (Letter from The Coalition of Communities Improving Rhode Island 4/14/09)

“If Mr. Chafee is, as he claims, a champion of the property taxpayer, then Mr. Chafee should not hesitate to support these two pieces of legislation,” said RIGOP Chair Giovanni Cicione. “I suspect, however, that he is simply avoiding the hard choices and once again robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

“The last thing this state needs is another privileged member of the Rhode Island political class who has spent a career currying favor with public sector unions in order to win office,” Cicione continued. “Mr. Chafee’s plan to tax food, clothes, and prescription drugs will just be yet another ‘new way’ to raise taxes in an era when we should be finding solutions to put more money in peoples pockets by cutting taxes across the board.”

News Release: Rhode Island Republican Party

Filed Under: 2010 Elections, Big Labor and Press Releases Closed

American Spectator: Labor Unions and the News Media

Posted on December 17, 2009 by The Ocean State Republican

The issue that has sparked a lot of interest lately, however, has involved schoolteachers, not industrial unions. Their two main unions are the National Education Association (with 3.2 million members, dedicated to themselves first, the Democratic Party second, and the children third) and the American Federation of Teachers (1.4 million members; same priorities).

These unions have played a major role in the decline of public education with go-slow work rules and by making it almost impossible to fire teachers, no matter how incompetent.

Today, however, in both Washington and New York, the collapse of inner-city schools has reached a point where the newspapers can no longer avoid addressing the role of unions…

Workers Blow Whistle on SEIU Election Fraud

Posted on November 24, 2009 by The Ocean State Republican

This video illustrates why it is no surprise that the SEIU beat up a Tea Party vendor, and that it has adopted the role of brownshirts for the Obama revolution, albeit the SEIU thugs wear purple instead. SEIU doesn’t represent workers, it preys upon them.

This year the “card check” bill, otherwise known as the “Employee Free Choice Act” — an Orwellian title if there ever was one — has been in the news because of its attempt to effectively eliminate secret ballot elections in union organizing drives, and so the protections built-in to a secret ballot process.

As that attempt at a totalitarian-like union election process has been intense, “compromises” are being floated, such as mail-in ballots.

This video demonstrates why that will be a farce, and such a “compromise” will still enable the unions to realize the goal of EFCA, that is, to intimidate workers into allowing the union into their workplaces, and thus into their wallets.