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

Lawsuits by Trapped Union Members Piling Up

  • Jessica Barnett
  • April 2, 2019

Curtis Thompson loves his school, his district, and helping students succeed. He considers his job as an education aide for at-risk students in the Cumberland Valley School District “an opportunity to…

Media

Read More: Lawsuits by Trapped Union Members Piling Up

Public Union Democracy

Restoring Government Workers’ Resignation Rights

  • Jessica Barnett
  • March 25, 2019

Pennsylvania government workers are no longer forced to pay union fees to keep their jobs—but government and union leaders are imposing roadblocks to exercising their rights. Here's how legislators can help.

Memo

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Public Union Democracy

HB 785: Transparency or Deception

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 19, 2019

Yesterday, the House Labor Committee voted to advance HB 785, the Employee Rights Notification Act. Unfortunately, this innocuous proposal became a partisan issue, with the vote falling along party lines.

Media

Read More: HB 785: Transparency or Deception

Public Union Democracy

Employee Rights Notification Bill Passes House Committee

  • Jessica Barnett
  • March 18, 2019

Today, the House Labor and Industry Committee passed the employee rights notification bill, HB 785. Sponsored by Rep. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover), this legislation ensures public employees can make informed…

Media

Read More: Employee Rights Notification Bill Passes House Committee

Public Union Democracy

Union Leader Lies Prove Need for Notification

  • March 15, 2019

“It is a condition of employment with this company that you become a member in good standing with Local 1776.” That’s UFCW president Wendell Young, IV, writing to John Kabler…

Media

Read More: Union Leader Lies Prove Need for Notification

Public Union Democracy

UFCW Lies, Forcing Workers to Join

  • March 14, 2019

“I absolutely love my job, I love the people I work with, I love the customers. Everything about it is magnificent, except one thing.” That one…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Unions Renew Attack on Election Privacy

  • March 11, 2019

The principle of secret ballot elections has existed since the second century B.C. in ancient Rome. Now, over two thousand years later, union special interests want to strip government workers…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Do Union Members Sign in Blood?

  • Jessica Barnett
  • March 6, 2019

Flagrantly violating a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Pennsylvania government union leaders are rejecting many workers’ efforts to resign from their unions. While they’re keeping workers trapped, union officials continue siphoning…

Media

Read More: Do Union Members Sign in Blood?

Public Union Democracy

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Agree: Workers Should Know their Choices

  • Jessica Barnett
  • March 1, 2019

We recently highlighted our concerns that, in the name of “neutrality,” Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) Chairman Tim Holden rejected a proposal to inform state liquor store workers of…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Agree: Workers Should Know their Choices

Public Union Democracy

Despite Obstacles to Resignation, Union Rolls Decline

  • February 21, 2019

Imagine having to pay a middleman just to keep your job. More than 5 million government workers in America had to do just that—until last June, when the Supreme Court…

Media

Read More: Despite Obstacles to Resignation, Union Rolls Decline

Public Union Democracy

Government Union 2018 Election Spending

  • Jessica Barnett
  • February 13, 2019

Pennsylvania’s top government union political action committees spent over $12 million during the 2017-18 election cycle, making it the most expensive election cycle in the past ten years.

Fact Sheet

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Public Union Democracy

A Nurse Took her Union to Court, and Won

  • February 11, 2019

Cheryl Spano Lonis is a hard-working nurse from Hartford, Connecticut, who was trapped in her union for three years. The New England Health Care Employees Union disregarded her multiple…

Media

Read More: A Nurse Took her Union to Court, and Won

Public Union Democracy

Four Reasons to Notify Public Workers of Their Rights

  • Jessica Barnett
  • February 8, 2019

Until recently, public sector employees (such as state and local government workers, teachers, and public safety officers) could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars in “fair share fees” to…

Media

Read More: Four Reasons to Notify Public Workers of Their Rights

Public Union Democracy

Why There’s “Money in Politics”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2019

The recent public corruption indictment of John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, leader of the IBEW 98 labor union, Philadelphia City Council member Bobby Henon, and a slew of other IBEW leaders shows…

Media

Read More: Why There’s “Money in Politics”

Public Union Democracy

PLCB Keeps Employees in the Dark

  • February 1, 2019

Less than one year ago, the Supreme Court declared that public sector workers’ constitutional rights to free speech and association came before government unions’ desire to collect fees from those…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Pa. Union Members Sue for the Right to Resign

  • Jessica Barnett
  • January 25, 2019

No organization should be able to force workers to remain members. Sadly, that’s the reality for thousands of Pennsylvania public sector workers. While the Supreme Court decision in Janus v.

Media

Read More: Pa. Union Members Sue for the Right to Resign

Public Union Democracy

Worker Sues for Right to Resign from SEIU

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 8, 2019

Francisco Molina has a simple expectation of public sector unions: “They are supposed to help us, represent us, not hurt us.” After he got his dream job helping children at…

Media

Read More: Worker Sues for Right to Resign from SEIU

Government Accountability

How Restoring Workers’ Rights Brings Fairness to All Pennsylvanians

  • January 4, 2019

For decades, public sector union leaders have used their unfair political advantages to block public policies that will help our state and citizens flourish. Restoring workers’ rights is critical for a fair…

Memo

Read More: How Restoring Workers’ Rights Brings Fairness to All Pennsylvanians

Public Union Democracy

Three Ways Lawmakers are Expanding Worker Rights

  • Jessica Barnett
  • December 13, 2018

Over the last two years, Pennsylvania lawmakers have taken great effort to improve our state’s labor laws to protect workers’ basic rights. However, as brave public servants like Greg Hartnett, an…

Media

Read More: Three Ways Lawmakers are Expanding Worker Rights

Public Union Democracy

Union Leaders: Resignation Denied

  • Jessica Barnett
  • December 11, 2018

William Neely is a psychiatric aide in Berks County and a 15-year union member. Mr. Neely felt his union leaders, AFSCME 13, no longer represented his interests, and attempted to resign…

Media

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Government Accountability

Union Leaders Lied, Now Members Sue

  • Jessica Barnett
  • December 10, 2018

Unions should represent employees, not work against their own members’ interests. Yet, that’s exactly what happened to public sector workers in Erie—and some are pushing back. During closed-door negotiation…

Media

Read More: Union Leaders Lied, Now Members Sue