Compulsory 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

Union Executives Refuse to Answer Lawmakers’ Questions

  • June 6, 2014

For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-6971-1901  Union Executives Refuse to Answer Lawmakers’ Questions Provides Deceptive Testimony June 6, 2014, Philadelphia, Pa – While public…

Press Release

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Public Union Democracy

Paycheck Protection Hits the Airwaves

  • June 5, 2014

What would you do if the government spent your tax dollars to promote politics you disagreed with? In Pennsylvania, that’s exactly what’s happening, and it is the subject of our…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Paycheck Protection Supporters Rally at the Capitol

  • June 5, 2014

Yesterday, hundreds of concerned citizens packed the Capitol rotunda to voice their support for paycheck protection legislation. Watch TV reports from ABC27 and CBS21 to see the impressive…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

The Case for Paycheck Protection

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • June 5, 2014

Thank you Chairman Metcalfe and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify on the policy question of whether or not Pennsylvania should continue to allow one special interest…

Testimony

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Education

Political Fairness Issue Goes Before Lawmakers

  • June 5, 2014

For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Legal Loophole Exploits Taxpayers & Union Members for Politics Paycheck Protection Promises to Restore Fairness & Accountability June 5,…

Press Release

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Public Union Democracy

Capitol Rally an Outcry for Fairness: The Facts on Paycheck Protection

  • June 4, 2014

For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Capitol Rally Reflects Public Outcry for Fairness Lawmakers to Hear Testimony on Paycheck Protection Tomorrow June 4, 2014, Harrisburg, Pa—Today,…

Press Release

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Public Union Democracy

Union Quietly Admits to Using Dues for Politics

  • Priya Brannick
  • June 2, 2014

Whenever we talk about how teacher and other government unions spend their members’ dues on politics, the most common reaction we hear is that simply isn’t true. Workers often hear…

Media

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Education

Pension Reform Benefits Teachers & Taxpayers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 30, 2014

Standard & Poor’s recently issued a stern warning that they would lower Pennsylvania’s bond rating—making it more expensive for the state to borrow money—unless they “adopt meaningful pension reform.” This…

Commentary

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Public Union Democracy

Power Cycle Preventing Progress

  • May 28, 2014

In a recent Philadelphia Inquirer editorial, the paper expressed its frustration with the lack of progress on critical issues facing the commonwealth. While CF doesn’t agree that all of…

Media

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Education

PA Teacher Speaks Out on Union Issues

  • May 16, 2014

Last Wednesday, CF President Matt Brouillette guest hosted WHP580’s Ken Matthews Show in Harrisburg. Matt spent some time talking to Keith Williams, a high school English teacher from New Oxford…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Government Union CEOs Make Their Own Rules

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 15, 2014

When questioned about why he failed to register as a lobbyist, UFCW president Wendell Young IV excused himself with a special exemption from the law that doesn’t exist. He told…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Gov. Unions Play Fast & Loose with the Law

  • May 13, 2014

They’re exempt from stalking and harassment laws during labor disputes, and they’re allowed to use taxpayer resources to collect money for candidates and political ads on a daily…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Gov. Union Executives Ignore Law, Harm Workers & Taxpayers

  • May 13, 2014

For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Gov. Union Executives Ignore Law, Harm Workers and Taxpayers Play Fast and Loose With Members’ Money, Fail to Register as…

Press Release

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Public Union Democracy

Top 5 Reasons We Need a Paycheck Protection Law

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 12, 2014

Occasionally I get asked why we need a state law preventing taxpayer resources from being used to collect union political money (“paycheck protection“), when local government can choose to…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Paycheck Protection Debate Heats Up

  • May 2, 2014

In the statewide debate over paycheck protection, a pair of dueling letters to the editor in Lancaster County cut to the chase. First, a Mount Joy resident who received a…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

CBS Investigates: Government Unions & Politics

  • April 30, 2014

Last night, CBS 21’s Waste Watch program investigated how government unions use public resources to collect their members’ dues and spend that money on politics. Chris Papst reports: “Government…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

What’s Paycheck Protection Really All About?

  • April 28, 2014

A lot of ink has been spilled on paycheck protection already, but few people have summarized its essence as well as my colleague Katrina Anderson, CF’s Director of Government Affairs,…

Media

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Government Accountability

Government Unions’ Political Power Grows

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 11, 2014

Despite claims that union dues aren’t used for politics, the amount Pennsylvania’s five largest government unions reported spending from union dues on “political activities and lobbying” increased in…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Government Unions’ Political Spending

  • April 8, 2014

Currently, state and local governments, including school districts, use taxpayer-funded payroll systems and public employee time to collect union campaign contributions to candidates as well as union membership dues, a…

Fact Sheet

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Public Union Democracy

Super PACs Supersize Union Political Spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 8, 2014

Super PACs are elbowing into state elections, promising to supersize the already dominating role unions play in electoral politics. Effectively, Super PACs can collect and spend an unlimited amount of…

Commentary

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Public Union Democracy

Are Teachers’ Union Dues Used for Politics?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 31, 2014

Did you see the PSEA’s latest Voice magazine? It features a full two-page article, claiming, among other things, that “no dues money is given to candidates.” This is true…

Media

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