Public Union Democracy
Unions should be about employees, not about politics
Originally published at The Hill “I’ll be honest with you,” said Teamsters President Sean O’Brien in a recent podcast interview. “I’m a Democrat, but they have f—ed…
Read More: Unions should be about employees, not about politicsPennsylvania will only become a beacon for opportunity when its policies are in the hands of taxpayers and citizens, not special interests and bureaucrats. It’s vital that our government is accountable to the people—not organizations or institutions. Policies that advance transparency and restore workers’ rights are the keys to this happening.
Related Issues
Government Accountability
Wolf’s Budget Borrows Billions and Attacks Schools of Choice
February 4, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, Gov. Wolf outlined a massive spending and borrowing plan in his annual budget address. The $36.1 billion proposed General Fund Budget represents a…
Press Release
Read More: Wolf’s Budget Borrows Billions and Attacks Schools of ChoiceGovernment Accountability
Lawmakers Send Message to Wolf on Eve of Budget Address
February 3, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, on the eve of Gov. Wolf’s sixth state budget address, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a much-needed fiscal reform called the…
Press Release
Read More: Lawmakers Send Message to Wolf on Eve of Budget AddressGovernment Accountability
CF Responds to Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai’s Retirement
January 23, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Mike Turzai announced he will not seek reelection at the end of his term. Turzai, an outspoken…
Press Release
Read More: CF Responds to Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai’s RetirementCriminal Justice Reform
CF’s 2020 Vision
The Commonwealth Foundation’s mission sounds pretty simple: transform free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish. Accomplishing that mission—with a divided government, powerful special interests, and a diverse…
Media
Read More: CF’s 2020 VisionEducation
Pension Pacman Must Be Stopped
Next fiscal year Pennsylvania school districts will pay $4.9 billion into PSERS, the state teachers’ pension fund.1 Less than one quarter of that amount will fund new benefits earned by…
Media
Read More: Pension Pacman Must Be StoppedGovernment Accountability
How to Make an Easy Six Million
A week ago the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office announced charges against Wing Tat Chiu and Ivy Hiu-Ying Li, a married couple whom they accuse of earning $6 million in illegal…
Media
Read More: How to Make an Easy Six MillionEducation
Parents Protest Politicians’ Education Hypocrisy
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the latest in a long line of politicians to take advantage of school choice for their own kids—Sen. Warren sent her son to private schools…
Media
Read More: Parents Protest Politicians’ Education HypocrisyEducation
We’re thankful!
And the winner of “Biggest Home State Win” is … the Commonwealth Foundation! You can imagine the excitement of CF staff when we recently found out we’d won a prestigious…
Media
Read More: We’re thankful!Government Accountability
Sunlight is Always Welcome
Pennsylvania’s two state-wide public pension systems are deeply underfunded. They only have about sixty cents in assets available for each dollar of promised payouts, which means they are at…
Media
Read More: Sunlight is Always WelcomePublic Union Democracy
Pa. Voters Support the Employee Rights Notification Act
66% of voters support the Employee Rights Notification Act.
Poll
Read More: Pa. Voters Support the Employee Rights Notification ActEducation
Former PSEA Director Says Union Flip-Flopped on Charters
“When I was at PSEA we embraced charter schools.” Those are surprising words from former PSEA Executive Director Carolyn Dumaresq. And they carry even more weight, given she was…
Media
Read More: Former PSEA Director Says Union Flip-Flopped on ChartersEducation
Union Donations to Gov. Wolf Drown Out School Choice
Charter schools remain in the crosshairs of the teachers’ unions and their government allies. That much is made evident in the proposals, resolutions and other public statements the National Education…
Media
Read More: Union Donations to Gov. Wolf Drown Out School ChoiceGovernment Accountability
The Cost of Secretly-Negotiated Government Union Contracts
Are Pennsylvanians a bottomless pit of cash? Government union leaders and Governor Wolf seem to think so. The two “re-negotiate” new labor contracts behind closed doors, and each time…
Media
Read More: The Cost of Secretly-Negotiated Government Union ContractsEducation
How to Fix the Teacher Shortage in Pa.
This year Gov. Wolf proposed raising the minimum salary of teachers to attract and mintain the best talent. There's a better way to attract the best…
Media
Read More: How to Fix the Teacher Shortage in Pa.Public Union Democracy
Union Contracts Bow to Worker Pressure
Public employee unions, which spend dues and fees on political activity that frequently conflict with the views of their rank-and-file members, are finally showing signs of yielding to legislative and…
Media
Read More: Union Contracts Bow to Worker PressurePublic Union Democracy
Unconstitutional Union Fees that Won’t Go Away?
The 2018 Supreme Court Janus v. AFSCME decision was a fantastic victory for American workers, striking down the ability of public-sector unions to charge nonunion public-sector employees “fair share”…
Media
Read More: Unconstitutional Union Fees that Won’t Go Away?Public Union Democracy
Why Can’t Workers Leave Their Unions?
We recently released a 50-state report analyzing labor issue trends and grading states by their labor laws. So where does Pennsylvania fall in this ranking? A disappointing D.
Media
Read More: Why Can’t Workers Leave Their Unions?Government Accountability
Worker Freedom in the States
Unprecedented labor issue activity has followed the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME ruling. Read our summary here.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Worker Freedom in the StatesEducation
Teachers Unions are Out of Touch on School Choice
A recently released poll by Education Next finds widespread—and growing—support for school choice in America. Moreover, this support crosses racial and party lines. Pennsylvania’s two types of school choice—charter…
Media
Read More: Teachers Unions are Out of Touch on School ChoiceGovernment Accountability
Transparency Can Curb the High Taxpayer Cost of Government Union Contracts
Behind closed doors, Pennsylvania elected officials routinely negotiate billion-dollar contracts with government unions leaders. Three new contracts will cost an additional $1 billion from 2019-23.
Memo
Read More: Transparency Can Curb the High Taxpayer Cost of Government Union ContractsGovernment Accountability
The Janus Impact and Grading of State Public Sector Labor Laws
In the Janus aftermath, pro-union forces make legislative headway counteracting the court decision, while workers push back in the courts. This report details the trends, and grades each state according to…
Report
Read More: The Janus Impact and Grading of State Public Sector Labor Laws