Fairness
Unions at a Crossroads: Democracy, Transparency, and Bridging Divides
Jake Altman, author of Socialism before Sanders, joins Disunion: The Government Union Report podcast host David R. Osborne to discuss labor unions and their challenges. Altman, a former union leader,…
Read More: Unions at a Crossroads: Democracy, Transparency, and Bridging DividesCompulsory public unions threaten individual worker rights and cost taxpayers billions. Reforms to the Pennsylvania Public Employee Relations Act are needed to restore and protect workers’ rights. No one—including government employees—should be blocked from leaving a union. To increase government integrity and accountability, policies should be adopted that ensure all special interests groups, including government unions, interact with the state government on a level playing field.
Public Union Democracy
Missed Opportunities: Fall Legislative Session
Three critical bills stalled last week amidst a flurry of last minute legislative activity. Failure to reform pensions, repeal the e-cigarette tax, and prohibit ghost teaching were missed opportunities that…
Media
Read More: Missed Opportunities: Fall Legislative SessionEducation
Ghosts in the Education Machine
If Pennsylvania students miss three days of school without an excuse, the law says they must be reported. But across the commonwealth, certain teachers have been absent for years—without consequences…
Commentary
Read More: Ghosts in the Education MachinePublic Union Democracy
Unions Profit by Restricting Workers’ Choices
The gold standard for labor reform is right-to-work, according to the conventional wisdom. However, our latest policy report…
Media
Read More: Unions Profit by Restricting Workers’ ChoicesPublic Union Democracy
Union Leaders Kill Critical Pension Reform at Members’ and Taxpayers’ Expense
Union Leaders Kill Critical Pension Reform at Members’ and Taxpayers’ Expense Reform Could Have Freed Public Employees from Restrictive, Failing Pension System October 27, 2016, Harrisburg, Pa.—In a…
Press Release
Read More: Union Leaders Kill Critical Pension Reform at Members’ and Taxpayers’ ExpenseEducation
APSCUF Threatens Faculty
This morning, APSCUF, the union representing 5,000 faculty at the State System of Higher Education schools, went on strike. As we pointed out a few weeks ago, one…
Media
Read More: APSCUF Threatens FacultyPublic Union Democracy
Top Ten Recipients of Government Union Contributions
Election season is in full swing, but so is the fall legislative session. This time of year elected officials walk a narrow line to avoid the illegal practice of using…
Media
Read More: Top Ten Recipients of Government Union ContributionsGovernment Accountability
New Labor Contracts Will Add to Taxpayers’ Burden
New union contracts will make state government more expensive, according to two analyses released by the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO). The IFO projects contracts negotiated by the Wolf Administration…
Media
Read More: New Labor Contracts Will Add to Taxpayers’ BurdenPublic Union Democracy
Wolf?s Union Agenda Loses Big in Court
David Smith and Donald Lambrecht were up against a powerful foe: Gov. Wolf and an executive order that granted a sweetheart deal to a union at their expense. In a…
Media
Read More: Wolf?s Union Agenda Loses Big in CourtGovernment Accountability
Teachers’ Union Deceives on Dues Donations
Last week, the Commonwealth Court ordered the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board to investigate Mary Trometter's allegation that the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) used her union dues to support Tom Wolf's run…
Media
Read More: Teachers’ Union Deceives on Dues DonationsEducation
Teacher Shortages Haunt Philly Students
Philadelphia's teacher shortage is making headlines, and city council is demanding the district solve the problem. A classroom without a permanent teacher is certainly unfair to students, yet Philadelphia teachers…
Media
Read More: Teacher Shortages Haunt Philly StudentsEducation
Local Union Complains About Transparency
The school board and the local teachers union in the West Shore School District are in conflict. The two sides have been unable to agree on a contract for two…
Media
Read More: Local Union Complains About TransparencyEducation
Faculty Benefits Driving Up Tuition Costs
APSCUF—the union representing faculty at state-owned universities—has begun a vote to authorize a strike. One of APSCUF's complaints with the proposed contract is higher health care expenses. In…
Media
Read More: Faculty Benefits Driving Up Tuition CostsGovernment Accountability
Transparency Improves the Collective Bargaining Process
On August 30, Secretary of Administration Sharon Minnich announced the details of a new three-year labor agreement between the Wolf Administration and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal…
Media
Read More: Transparency Improves the Collective Bargaining ProcessEducation
Public Remains Supportive of School Choice
That’s the upshot of the 10th annual public opinion survey from Education Next, which covers a range of topics including school choice, school spending, personnel policy, testing, and accountability.
Media
Read More: Public Remains Supportive of School ChoiceEducation
Understanding Your School District?s Labor Contract
CF reviewed labor contracts in each of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts and uncovered several interesting findings. These contracts, known as collective bargaining agreements, are negotiated behind closed doors between…
Media
Read More: Understanding Your School District?s Labor ContractGovernment Accountability
School District Labor Contracts: Surprising Provisions
More than 1.7 million students rely on Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts to meet their diverse educational needs. School boards from each district agree to collective bargaining agreements (labor contracts) with local teachers’…
Memo
Read More: School District Labor Contracts: Surprising ProvisionsEducation
Trapped: 5 Ways Union Contracts Trample Teachers’ Rights
Trapped: 5 Ways Union Contracts Trample Teachers’ Rights Forced Unionism, Ghost Teachers Among Ways Contracts Exploit Teachers August 17, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—As students across Pennsylvania head back to…
Press Release
Read More: Trapped: 5 Ways Union Contracts Trample Teachers’ RightsPublic Union Democracy
Poll: Union Leaders Out of Touch, Too Powerful
Poll: Union Leaders Out of Touch, Too Powerful Just 25% of Current or Former Union Members Say Union Leaders Represent Workers Well August 11, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Out of…
Press Release
Read More: Poll: Union Leaders Out of Touch, Too PowerfulPublic Union Democracy
DNC in Philly: Top 5 Ways Big-Government Policies Are Killing the Host City
DNC in Philly: Top 5 Ways Big-Government Policies Are Killing the Host City Philadelphians Suffering, Fleeing Due to Policies that Hurt Economic Growth July 21, 2016, Philadelphia, Pa.—As all…
Press Release
Read More: DNC in Philly: Top 5 Ways Big-Government Policies Are Killing the Host CityEducation
PSERS Revokes Ghost Teachers? Illegal Pension Credit
In a victory for taxpayers, the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) has revoked pension credit illegally given to Allentown “ghost teachers” who were hired to teach but instead…
Media
Read More: PSERS Revokes Ghost Teachers? Illegal Pension CreditPublic Union Democracy
Union Demands vs. Fiscal Realities
One government union’s insatiable appetite for more tax dollars has hit a brick wall. The Wolf Administration is in the process of negotiating a contract with the state’s largest…
Media
Read More: Union Demands vs. Fiscal Realities