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.
Education
Win for Transparency in Public School Spending
How would you like to know what’s in a teachers’ contract before your school district passes it—and locks in spending—for four years? And how would you like to track how…
Media
Read More: Win for Transparency in Public School SpendingPublic Union Democracy
Myth: Paycheck Protection Affects Firefighters’ Freedom of Speech
According to a WTAJ report in Altoona, there is some concern among firefighters that paycheck protection legislation would silence their voices in Harrisburg. This is wrong on two counts—firefighters…
Media
Read More: Myth: Paycheck Protection Affects Firefighters’ Freedom of SpeechPublic Union Democracy
Prohibition in Pa: 94 Years Old Today and Still Kicking
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Prohibition in PA: 94 Years Old Today and Still Kicking Gov. union leaders keep Pennsylvania stuck in the…
Press Release
Read More: Prohibition in Pa: 94 Years Old Today and Still KickingGovernment Accountability
Fact: Taxpayer Resources Are Being Used for Politics
One of the biggest myths used to oppose paycheck protection is the claim “union dues money can’t be used for politics” despite all evidence…
Media
Read More: Fact: Taxpayer Resources Are Being Used for PoliticsEducation
Paycheck Protection Benefits Teachers and Taxpayers
Pennsylvania’s AFL-CIO union boss Rick Bloomingdale is absolutely right that there is a “war on workers” here in Pennsylvania—he should know, because he is waging it. His recent opinion piece…
Commentary
Read More: Paycheck Protection Benefits Teachers and TaxpayersPublic Union Democracy
Who is Waging a War on Workers?
Rick Bloomingdale, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, in an “attack the messenger” approach, accused the Commonwealth Foundation of waging a dastardly “war on workers.” Nothing could be further…
Media
Read More: Who is Waging a War on Workers?Public Union Democracy
Gov. Union Bosses Fight to Control Workers’ Paychecks
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Government Union Bosses Fight For Control Over Workers’ Paychecks Union Bosses battle to Keep Using Public Resources for…
Press Release
Read More: Gov. Union Bosses Fight to Control Workers’ PaychecksHealth Care
How Government Unions Support Obamacare
Government unions such as the NEA and SEIU lobbied for passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which will raise the cost of health care through various mandates…
Media
Read More: How Government Unions Support ObamacarePublic Union Democracy
Video: Government Unions’ Political Power Cycle
How do government union leaders use their unfair political advantage to promote bad policies? Our latest video looks at how government unions have…
Media
Read More: Video: Government Unions’ Political Power CyclePublic Union Democracy
Government Unions’ Lottery Misinformation Campagin
“Save the PA Lottery,” “Seniors pay the price,” and “Corbett’s secretive scheme” are just a few examples of how government union bosses employed scare tactics to conduct a massive misinformation…
Media
Read More: Government Unions’ Lottery Misinformation CampaginPublic Union Democracy
Poll: Healthy Majority Back Paycheck Protection
Pennsylvanians oppose requiring union members to contribute to political causes antithetical to their beliefs, according to Harper Polling’s year end survey conducted last month. The polling firm asked 604…
Media
Read More: Poll: Healthy Majority Back Paycheck ProtectionEducation
Union Dues Exploit Teachers, Taxpayers
What if I told you that regardless of your political beliefs, several hundred dollars will be deducted from your paycheck each year to support politicians whose views you may not…
Commentary
Read More: Union Dues Exploit Teachers, TaxpayersEducation
Keeping Teachers in the Classroom
Given our still-sputtering economy, Americans have grown used to their public schools facing tight budgets. This fiscal squeeze has drawn out a hidden crisis in public education: How do we…
Commentary
Read More: Keeping Teachers in the ClassroomEducation
Top 5 Articles of 2013
Yesterday, we gave you the 5 most popular blog posts of 2013. Today, we are highlighting the 5 most read articles of 2013 on our website. 1) The (Growing)…
Media
Read More: Top 5 Articles of 2013Education
Top 5 Blog Posts of 2013
As 2013 winds to a close, we thought we’d run down the top stories of the past year. Here are Commonwealth Foundation’s top 5 blog posts, as chosen by you…
Media
Read More: Top 5 Blog Posts of 2013Public Union Democracy
The Unemployed Need Opportunities, Not Handouts
Those suggesting the federal government continue its temporary extension of unemployment benefits point to our stagnant economy and high unemployment as justification. But, in truth, these results have been caused…
Commentary
Read More: The Unemployed Need Opportunities, Not HandoutsEducation
Outdated Seniority Rules Harm Pittsburgh Students
Yesterday, we reported that the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers is trying to lower evaluation standards for teachers it had previously helped craft. Under Pittsburgh’s new system, which goes into…
Media
Read More: Outdated Seniority Rules Harm Pittsburgh StudentsEducation
Teachers’ Union Wants Lower Teacher Standards
Four years ago, Pittsburgh School District, the second-largest in Pennsylvania, embarked on an innovative effort to evaluate teachers. Administrators and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT) collaborated to create…
Media
Read More: Teachers’ Union Wants Lower Teacher StandardsPublic Union Democracy
PSEA Pours $3.8 Million Into Politics
In the last year, the Pennsylvania State Education Association poured $3.8 million of its members’ dues into “political activities and lobbying,” according to its 2013 financial disclosure report. That’s an…
Media
Read More: PSEA Pours $3.8 Million Into PoliticsPublic Union Democracy
Union Gave $650,000 from Teachers’ Dues to Anti-Republican Group
Remember the shadowy group, Pennsylvanians for Accountability, which ran “shell game” prime time attack ads on Gov. Tom Corbett for “bankrolling big tax cuts for his corporate backers”? The…
Media
Read More: Union Gave $650,000 from Teachers’ Dues to Anti-Republican GroupPublic Union Democracy
Detroit Warning: Reform Needed to Save Pensions
“They are going to take away your pension!” is a common scare tactic used by Pennsylvania government union leaders to oppose pension reform (even though private school unions have…
Media
Read More: Detroit Warning: Reform Needed to Save Pensions