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.

Education

The teachers’ union still hates school choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 22, 2008

The head of the PSEA, the largest teacher union in the state, takes me to task for in a letter to the editor for proposing “private school vouchers” as…

Media

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Education

Which special interest is closest to state capitols?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 20, 2008

Education school Jay Greene launched a new blog on education policy with post on the proximity of teacher unions to state capitols. If you stand on…

Media

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Education

New Education Blog

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 16, 2008

The Fordham Foundation has launched a new blog on education called Flypaper. A couple good posts in their first two days are this one on highlighting “surprising” story…

Media

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Education

Wisconsin’s Virtual Schools Could Close this Summer

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 24, 2008

Intriguing piece in School Reform News on how the Wisconsin teachers’ union is also working to undermine cyber schools – rather than targeting funding, they are going after cyber…

Media

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Education

Teachers Unions Exposed

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 11, 2008

TeachersUnionExposed.com is a new website (from the Center for Union Facts) focusing on teachers’s unions role in blocking education reform, bargaining away quality, and protecting bad teachers. They…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Texas v. Ohio

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 3, 2008

Wall Street Journal article contrasts the economic fortunes between Texas (good) and Ohio (bad), and explores some of the reasons behind this – namely taxes (Texas=low, Ohio=high and increasing)…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Broad Based Coalition Supports Davis-Bacon Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 26, 2008

News release from the Alliance for Worker Freedom on coalition of organizations (including the Commonwealth Foundation) supporting Davis-Bacon reform: According to James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation, “In…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Workers’ Rights Model Legislation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 21, 2008

Evergreen Freedom Foundation has released a new report with model legislation to protect workers’ rights – including paycheck protection, right to work, and others.

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Right To Work States Benefit from Faster Growth

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 26, 2006

Data sheet from the National Institute for Labor Relations Research show how Right to Work states have faster economic growth and greater purchasing power than Forced-Unionism States (including…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Teachers walk the picket line

  • October 3, 2006

The labor union in Littlestown are striking over health care. Currently, teachers pay only 2.6% of the premium for their health care benefits. The school board wants them…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Union Slams Proposed Teacher Strike Ban

  • October 3, 2006

With a teacher strike currently occuring in Adams County, the effort to ban teacher strikes in Pennsylvania is building steam. Despite the fact that 38 other states prohibit government…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

New Legislation to End Teacher Strikes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 21, 2006

Legislation introduced by Rep. Will Gabig would ban teacher strikes similar to laws in Michigan and New York. This legislation is supported by our friends at StopTeacherStrikes, Inc.

Media

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Public Union Democracy

What to do About the Transportation Crisis?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 18, 2006

The Pennsylvania Transportation and Funding Reform Commission is currently holding hearings on the funding “crisis” in transportation. From 1995-96 to 2005-06, while inflation increased 28%, transportation spending in the state…

Commentary

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Public Union Democracy

Forced speech atrocity

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 15, 2006

Dimitri Vassilaros column in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about the Washington state lawsuit on whether unions can use mandatory dues for political activity, without consent of the dues paying member.

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Ending Teacher strikes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 30, 2006

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review weighs in on how best to end teacher strikes in PA.

Media

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Public Union Democracy

No Means No!

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 15, 2006

Human Events Online article on the Washington State case in which teachers’ mandatory union dues are being used for political activity – and a law requiring such contributions to…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

PA leads the nation in teacher strikes again

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2006

Patriot News coverage of teacher strikes data. In 2005, 65% of all teacher strikes occured in Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania school children felt the effects of 13 strikes, compared with…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Ending Teacher Strikes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 13, 2006

Rep. Will Gabig has introduced legislation to curb teacher strikes (working with Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes Inc.) Check out the Courier Times Coverage. Read Simon’s recent…

Media

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