Public Union Democracy

Consensus Growing on Paycheck Protection

  • January 31, 2014

Earlier this week, we spotlighted editorials from the Wall Street Journal and Investor’s Business Daily urging Pennsylvania to pass paycheck protection legislation. While national attention raises awareness of this…

Media

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Education

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2013

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 30, 2013

As 2013 winds to a close, we thought we’d run down the top stories of the past year.  Here are Commonwealth Foundation’s top 5 blog posts, as chosen by you…

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Education

Outdated Seniority Rules Harm Pittsburgh Students

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 12, 2013

Yesterday, we reported that the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers is trying to lower evaluation standards for teachers it had previously helped craft. Under Pittsburgh’s new system, which goes into…

Media

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Education

Teachers’ Union Wants Lower Teacher Standards

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 11, 2013

Four years ago, Pittsburgh School District, the second-largest in Pennsylvania, embarked on an innovative effort to evaluate teachers. Administrators and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT) collaborated to create…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Union Gave $650,000 from Teachers’ Dues to Anti-Republican Group

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 5, 2013

Remember the shadowy group, Pennsylvanians for Accountability, which ran “shell game” prime time attack ads on Gov. Tom Corbett for “bankrolling big tax cuts for his corporate backers”?  The…

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Public Union Democracy

Detroit Warning: Reform Needed to Save Pensions

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 4, 2013

“They are going to take away your pension!” is a common scare tactic used by Pennsylvania government union leaders to oppose pension reform (even though private school unions have…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Teachers Decry Unions’ “Unfair” Privilege

  • Priya Brannick
  • November 27, 2013

Ellwood City public school teacher John Cress is speaking up against the forced political speech he had to pay for via his union dues to the Pennsylvania State Education Association:…

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Taxes & Economy

Mailbag: Is Pennsylvania Taxed Too Little?

  • November 21, 2013

In response to a blog post on Pennsylvania’s bleak budget future, a reader took issue with the claim that Pennsylvania has the 10th highest state and local tax…

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