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
PSEA Complicit in Pension Debacle
The PSEA has a ridiculous new video calling on members to demand state lawmakers “keep their promise” on pension plans – essentially saying “don’t reform the system at all,”…
Media
Read More: PSEA Complicit in Pension DebaclePublic Union Democracy
Growth of Government Unions in Pennsylvania
Eric Boehm notes the growth of public-sector union members (which now represent a majority of union members nation-wide) and the decline of private union members in Pennsylvania. More…
Media
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Dude, Where’s My Raise?
A struggling economy and high unemployment left many without their yearly raise or bonus in 2009. That is, of course, unless you were a government employee. As originally reported on…
Media
Read More: Dude, Where’s My Raise?Government Accountability
Free Political Speech and Paycheck Protection
The US Supreme Court today upheld that the First Amendment protects speech around elections from corporations and unions. The case concerns Citizens United, which produced a film Hillary: The Movie,…
Media
Read More: Free Political Speech and Paycheck ProtectionPublic Union Democracy
Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80
A recent Pocono Record article calls the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s proposal to toll I-80 “a riddle with no easy answers” (HT GrassrootsPA). However, there are alternatives to that…
Media
Read More: Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80Public Union Democracy
Pittsburgh Prevailing Wage Proposal Still on Table
The Pittsburgh City Council is once again considering imposing a prevailing wage rule on workers in city-subsidized buildings. (HT to Grassroots PA). In contrast to what the article…
Media
Read More: Pittsburgh Prevailing Wage Proposal Still on TableEducation
PA’s “Race to the Top” Plan Upsets Cyber Schools and PSEA
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” plan – attempting to get about $400 million from federal taxpayers via the “stimulus” – has drawn a number of critics.
Media
Read More: PA’s “Race to the Top” Plan Upsets Cyber Schools and PSEAEnergy
Five Threats to Pennsylvania’s Prosperity
Pennsylvania has long been one of the most economically stagnant states in the nation. For the period 1991-2008, the Commonwealth ranked 45th in job growth, 46th in personal income growth,…
Commentary
Read More: Five Threats to Pennsylvania’s ProsperityPublic Union Democracy
Project Labor Agreements
Testimony from the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy CommitteeDecember 09, 2009 We would like to thank the members of the House Republican…
Testimony
Read More: Project Labor AgreementsPublic Union Democracy
Update: Harley’s Union “Compromises”
Harley’s heavily unionized employees came to a “compromise” through a new contract that will likely keep the company in Pennsylvania. Union leaders said, although they are not satisfied with this…
Media
Read More: Update: Harley’s Union “Compromises”Public Union Democracy
Why Public Sector Unionism Is a Bad Deal for Taxpayers
A recent report by the Cato Institute concluded “High rates of unionization in the public sector have led to very high labor costs in the form of generous collective…
Media
Read More: Why Public Sector Unionism Is a Bad Deal for TaxpayersPublic Union Democracy
Legal Plunder At Its Worst
Let’s see how many dirty political games you can fit into one case – from union thuggery to corporate welfare, to rent-seeking to holding taxpayers and employees hostage – the…
Media
Read More: Legal Plunder At Its WorstEducation
Teacher Merit Pay May Come to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh City Schools may soon finalize their second huge grant. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is granting the system $40 million over 6 and half years to improve…
Media
Read More: Teacher Merit Pay May Come to PittsburghPublic Union Democracy
State Tax Trends
ATR has a new report on state tax trends. In addition to a roundup of state tax changes, the new report highlights trends with policy implications. While we pointed…
Media
Read More: State Tax TrendsGovernment Accountability
What Next for “Tea Party” Activists?
Following the recent “Taxpayers March on Harrisburg,” as well as recent health care protests in Washington DC and elsewhere, a grassroots organizer posed the question, “what should we do now?”…
Media
Read More: What Next for “Tea Party” Activists?Public Union Democracy
Pittsburgh not Prevailing
Pittsburgh City Council President Doug Shields is lobbying support for a prevailing wage law in the municipality. His bill would set prevailing wage rates for most employees working…
Media
Read More: Pittsburgh not PrevailingPublic Union Democracy
Pennsylvania: An Unequal Opportunity Employer
Equal opportunity has long been a cherished ideal in America. Yet state government is engaging in unequal contracting practices. Governor Rendell's administration is mandating discriminatory Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania: An Unequal Opportunity EmployerPublic Union Democracy
New Video: UPS vs. FedEx & Unions
Reason TV has a new video explaining the intense lobbying between UPS and FedEx, in which UPS is calling for FedEx to be covered under the National Labor Relations…
Media
Read More: New Video: UPS vs. FedEx & UnionsGovernment Accountability
Majority of Union Members are now Government Employees
The Heritage Foundation points out an interesting fact – 51% of union members are government workers, according to the most recent data, an all-time high. And I assumed General…
Media
Read More: Majority of Union Members are now Government EmployeesGovernment Accountability
Break Up SEPTA
How can Pennsylvania lawmakers avoid this mess? The first step is to open mass transit in Philadelphia to competitive contracting, whereby private companies would compete to operate SEPTA's network.
Commentary
Read More: Break Up SEPTAEducation
Privatizing School Bus Drivers
In last Tuesday’s race for Central Dauphin school board candidates clashed over the privatization of the district’s busing. The pro-privatization candidate- Chris Judd narrowly won, but that hasn’t silenced the…
Media
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