Education
What Happens in Philly Schools’ “Rubber Rooms”?
Originally published by the Philadelphia Citizen. What happens in Philadelphia schools stays in Philadelphia schools—or so it seems based on the District’s lack of transparency. As The…
Read More: What Happens in Philly Schools’ “Rubber Rooms”?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
Prevailing Wage Pummels Another School District
We’ve reported before about how Pennsylvania’s outdated prevailing wage law imposes needless extra construction costs on local governments and school districts across the commonwealth, hurting taxpayers. The law requires…
Media
Read More: Prevailing Wage Pummels Another School DistrictEducation
Union Guts More Teaching Jobs
Yes, the chickens are truly coming home to roost. But before status quo apologists cry ‘fowl,’ economic realities due to union strong-arm tactics and unsustainable benefits programs…
Media
Read More: Union Guts More Teaching JobsEducation
Who are Teacher Unions Protecting?
The Patriot-News published my letter that questions whether teacher unions protect teachers. Union lobbying to create an unsustainable pension program is directly connected to the Central Dauphin School Board’s…
Media
Read More: Who are Teacher Unions Protecting?Public Union Democracy
Union Party Speaks: Defend Union Agenda
We’ve mentioned many times that the real party controlling the Pennsylvania legislature is not the Republican Party, but rather the Union Party. Today, in a story by the Pittsburgh…
Media
Read More: Union Party Speaks: Defend Union AgendaGovernment Accountability
Think Government Union Dues aren’t Used for Politics? Think Again
Government unions often defend their dues—and the fact that taxpayers subsidize the collection of dues—by claiming dues cannot be used for politics. That is not the case. Union dues cannot…
Media
Read More: Think Government Union Dues aren’t Used for Politics? Think AgainEducation
I’m Bringing Some Gumbo to the State Capitol
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal refused to let government unions push him around. His reward? A sweet victory not just for himself, but for the taxpayers, parents, and students of…
Media
Read More: I’m Bringing Some Gumbo to the State CapitolPublic Union Democracy
Time for Prevailing Wage Reform | Support HB 1329
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives may soon vote on legislation that will update the half-century-old Prevailing Wage Law that adds zero value to the taxpayers but costs us a bundle…
Media
Read More: Time for Prevailing Wage Reform | Support HB 1329Education
Education Spending: The Rest of the Story
Since Gov. Corbett's budget proposal, those who profit from Pennsylvania's $26 billion a year public school system have been gnashing teeth over what they claim is an "underfunding" of the…
Commentary
Read More: Education Spending: The Rest of the StoryPublic Union Democracy
Six Ways Prevailing Wage Increases Taxpayers’ Costs
This week, the Pennsylvania House is set (yet again) to consider basic reforms to Pennsylvania’s outdated prevailing wage law, which mandates that union-scale wages be paid on taxpayer-funded construction projects…
Media
Read More: Six Ways Prevailing Wage Increases Taxpayers’ CostsEducation
Violent, Failing Schools Will Lead to Unsafe, Ailing America
That’s the upshot of a story in this morning’s Wall Street Journal. It begins: Flaws in U.S. schools are increasingly causing a national-security risk, producing adults without the…
Media
Read More: Violent, Failing Schools Will Lead to Unsafe, Ailing AmericaPublic Union Democracy
Public Schools Can Do More with Less – If We Let Them
As families across Pennsylvania try to figure out how to do more with less in this difficult economy, our local public schools must also do the same. But unlike fiscally…
Commentary
Read More: Public Schools Can Do More with Less – If We Let ThemPublic Union Democracy
Big Bucks for Government Union Bosses
Union bosses frequently criticize corporate CEOs and government leaders for supposedly taking home hefty pay at workers’ expense. Just this week, protesters picketed House Majority Whip Stan Saylor’s office…
Media
Read More: Big Bucks for Government Union BossesPublic Union Democracy
Construction Workers Picket Rep. Saylor
No sooner did we release research documenting the iron grip of Pennsylvania’s labor unions on the commonwealth’s taxpayers than they obliged us with a case-in-point on union bullying tactics.
Media
Read More: Construction Workers Picket Rep. SaylorPublic Union Democracy
How Unions Put the Squeeze on Pennsylvanians
We’ve talked before about how passing meaningful reform on anything from school choice to prevailing wage has been stymied not by a Democrat vs. Republican fight in Pennsylvania’s legislature, but…
Media
Read More: How Unions Put the Squeeze on PennsylvaniansGovernment Accountability
The Squeeze: Government Unions’ Grip on Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania's government unions wield tremendous political influence and advance policies that harm the commonwealth's taxpayers, children, and even their own members. Pennsylvania is a forced union state, meaning even workers…
Report
Read More: The Squeeze: Government Unions’ Grip on PennsylvaniansPublic Union Democracy
Pop Quiz: Would You Pay $126 or $84 for the Same Product?
Yesterday, we noted how Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage law is a “rent” for labor unions. Here’s an example of how it plays out in real life—when our schools are…
Media
Read More: Pop Quiz: Would You Pay $126 or $84 for the Same Product?Public Union Democracy
Rent Seeking: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Musical
“Rent” isn’t just a depressing musical about New Yorkers facing AIDS. It’s also a term economists use to describe the benefits special interests win for themselves in the political…
Media
Read More: Rent Seeking: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage MusicalPublic Union Democracy
Will the Union Party Win Again?
On Tuesday, everyone in the Capitol anticipated a final vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on a bill to increase the “prevailing wage” threshold for public construction…
Media
Read More: Will the Union Party Win Again?Public Union Democracy
Who Would Oppose Reforming a Costly, Unnecessary Law?
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives may vote today on a bill to reform the 1961 prevailing wage mandate. The prevailing wage requires government to pay higher wages and benefits for…
Media
Read More: Who Would Oppose Reforming a Costly, Unnecessary Law?Public Union Democracy
Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Law
Pennsylvania's Prevailing Wage Law was enacted in 1961 to protect construction workers from out-of-state competition, mandating that contractors pay the wages that "prevail" in each region on all government construction…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage LawPublic Union Democracy
House Moves Unemployment Compensation Reform
More Unemployment Compensation reform is moving through the Pennsylvania House. Yesterday, HB 1754 sponsored by Rep. Ron Miller, and HB 1852 sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove, cleared the…
Media
Read More: House Moves Unemployment Compensation Reform