Public Union Democracy
The Battle for Worker Freedom: How Government Unions Fund Politics Across the Country
Key Findings During the 2023–24 election cycle, the four biggest public sector unions—the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and American Federation…
Read More: The Battle for Worker Freedom: How Government Unions Fund Politics Across the CountryCompulsory 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
Lottery Agreement Better Than Union Guesstimate
AFSCME’s counter proposal to the Pennsylvania Lottery private management agreement (PMA) provides no guaranteed revenue for senior services, no new jobs and no protections for taxpayers if profits fall…
Media
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Union Attacks Won’t Improve Lottery
AFSCME Council 13, the union representing state lottery employees, released its “Alternatives” to a lottery private management agreement. However, their document doesn’t represent a serious counter-proposal that would…
Media
Read More: Union Attacks Won’t Improve LotteryPublic Union Democracy
Protecting Seniors and Taxpayers from the Lottery Cliff
From the greatest generation to the latest generation, our senior citizens have sacrificed to make Pennsylvania safe and prosperous. Our seniors deserve world-class care and assurance that their growing needs…
Memo
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Government Union Cronies Collude Against Seniors
Here’s a letter to the editor I wrote identifying the connections between special interest groups who oppose a lottery contract, and their motives for undermining a deal that would generate…
Media
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Private Lottery Management FAQ
To protect seniors from future service cuts, the Corbett administration is seeking a private management agreement (PMA) to ensure Lottery profits will meet seniors' needs. Lottery services company Camelot submitted…
Fact Sheet
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The Grinch Who Would Steal Seniors’ Christmas
A faux-grassroots group funded by government unions is protesting a proposed contract for a private company to manage the Pennsylvania Lottery. The deal would guarantee a minimum of…
Media
Read More: The Grinch Who Would Steal Seniors’ ChristmasPublic Union Democracy
Government Unions Tighten Squeeze
Following the passage of Right to Work in Michigan, pundits are wondering about the prospects of similar reform here in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Inquirer correctly notes Right…
Media
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Are You a Freeloader?
Yesterday, Jon Delano of KDKA Pittsburgh asked the question: Could Pennsylvania be next for right-to-work legislation? As you know from the lessons learned from Michigan’s recent passage…
Media
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More Wolverine Lessons
Friday, Charles commented on Michigan nearing passage of Right to Work, in line to become the 24th state where workers aren’t forced to pay fees to a union…
Media
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Distilleries Despot Delivers Tinctures Tantrum
Desperately seeking to hold on to a shred of credibility and hope lawmakers aren’t watching the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board majestically implode under “Vinogate,” United Food and Commercial Workers…
Media
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New York? Fuhgeddaboudit. Lansing!
As I write this, most of Pennsylvania’s political glitterati has its mind on New York City, where the annual Pennsylvania Society gathering is underway. But my mind is on…
Media
Read More: New York? Fuhgeddaboudit. Lansing!Education
Why We Launched Free to Teach
We’ve had several conversations over the last year with public school educators. One thing has stood out: Teachers don’t feel like they have a genuine voice on educational and professional…
Media
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Stones to Take on Goliath
My friend Jon Caldara of our sister think-tank in Colorado eloquently and humorously offers an important lesson from the election—the results stem not from a short-term campaign, but from…
Media
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Election Lesson: Bring Wisconsin to Pennsylvania
The Wall Street Journal today writes about “Big Labor’s Losses” in Tuesday’s election. This may seem hard for many Pennsylvanians to fathom, given the role government union bosses…
Media
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Election Day: 5 Things to Remember
1. The election results won’t slay Goliath. The special interests who feed off of tax dollars—government union bosses, trial lawyers, extreme greens, crony capitalists that rely on corporate welfare,…
Media
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What Mitt Is Missing
Union bosses always profess to care most about the rights of members. But a careful reading of a feverish sermon in the left-of-center magazine In These Times reveals that their…
Media
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Pa. Teachers Unions Among America’s Most Powerful
Pennsylvania’s teachers unions rank fourth among all U.S. states in their strength and influence, according to a report released this week from the Fordham Institute. We trail only Hawaii,…
Media
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Union Members Protest Union Bosses Pay Grab
California DMV worker Mariam Noujaim is furious with how union bosses are spending her hard-earned dues. In 2010, she and many other DMV workers were laid off while leaders…
Media
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Unions Allowed to Stalk, Harrass, Threaten with WMDs
In August we told you about a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report that was pretty embarrassing for Pennsylvania. The report highlighted special protection for labor unions on activities that…
Media
Read More: Unions Allowed to Stalk, Harrass, Threaten with WMDsEducation
Union Party Kills Charter Reform
Yesterday, I noted that despite watering down a proposed charter school reform bill, legislators were still hearing from government union bosses and other…
Media
Read More: Union Party Kills Charter ReformEducation
Teachers Union Worse Than Hollywood Portrayal
Pennsylvania State Education Association President Mike Crossey takes issue with the film “Won’t Back Down” for not matching “real-life experience” on teachers unions. He’s right—in real…
Media
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