I keep hearing phones in my head.
Labor union officials enjoy many extraordinary powers and immunities
that were created by legislatures and the courts. Union officials
claim to rely on the support of rank-and-file workers. Yet, they
clamor in the political arena to secure and expand their
government-granted powers, including the powers to shake down workers
for financial support and even to wage campaigns of violent
retaliation against non-union employees. The following list of special privileges reveals the extent
to which union bosses have rigged our nation's labor laws in their
favor. Privilege #1: Exemption from prosecution for union violence.
The most egregious example of organized labor's special privileges and
immunities is the 1973 United States v. Enmons decision. In it, the
United States Supreme Court held that union violence is exempted from
the Hobbs Act, which makes it a federal crime to obstruct interstate
commerce by robbery or extortion. As a result, thousands of incidents
of violent assaults (directed mostly against workers) by union
militants have gone unpunished. Meanwhile, many states also restrict
the authority of law enforcement to enforce laws during strikes. For more exceptions keep reading....
that were created by legislatures and the courts. Union officials
claim to rely on the support of rank-and-file workers. Yet, they
clamor in the political arena to secure and expand their
government-granted powers, including the powers to shake down workers
for financial support and even to wage campaigns of violent
retaliation against non-union employees. The following list of special privileges reveals the extent
to which union bosses have rigged our nation's labor laws in their
favor. Privilege #1: Exemption from prosecution for union violence.
The most egregious example of organized labor's special privileges and
immunities is the 1973 United States v. Enmons decision. In it, the
United States Supreme Court held that union violence is exempted from
the Hobbs Act, which makes it a federal crime to obstruct interstate
commerce by robbery or extortion. As a result, thousands of incidents
of violent assaults (directed mostly against workers) by union
militants have gone unpunished. Meanwhile, many states also restrict
the authority of law enforcement to enforce laws during strikes. For more exceptions keep reading....
Privilege #2: Exemption from anti-monopoly laws.
The Clayton Act of 1914 exempts unions from anti-monopoly laws,
enabling union officials to forcibly drive out independent or
alternative employee bargaining groups. Privilege #3: Power to force employees to accept unwanted union representation.
Monopoly bargaining, or "exclusive representation," which is embedded
in most of the country's labor relations statutes, enables union
officials to act as the exclusive bargaining agents of all employees
at a unionized workplace, thereby depriving employees of the right to
make their own employment contracts. For example, the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935, the Federal Labor Relations Act (FLRA)
of 1978, and the Railway Labor Act (RLA) of 1926 prohibit employees
from negotiating their own contracts with their employers or choosing
their own workplace representatives. Privilege #4: Power to collect forced union dues.
Unlike other private organizations, unions can compel individuals to
support them financially. In 28 states under the NLRA (those that have
not passed Right to Work laws), all states under the RLA, on
"exclusive federal enclaves," and in many states under public sector
labor relations acts, employees may be forced to pay union dues as a
condition of employment, even if they reject union affiliation. Privilege #5: Unlimited, undisclosed electioneering.
The Federal Election Campaign Act exempts unions from its limits on
campaign contributions and expenditures, as well as some of its
reporting requirements. Union bigwigs can spend unlimited amounts on
communications to members and their families in support of, or
opposition to, candidates for federal office, and they need not report
these expenditures if they successfully claim that union publications
are primarily devoted to other subjects. For years, the politically
active National Education Association (NEA) teacher union has gotten
away with claiming zero political expenditures on its IRS tax forms! Privilege #6: Ability to strong-arm employers into negotiations.
Unlike all other parties in the economic marketplace, union officials
can compel employers to bargain with them. The NLRA, FLRA, and RLA
make it illegal for employers to resist a union's collective
bargaining efforts and difficult for them to counter aggressive and
deceptive campaigns waged by union organizers. Privilege #7: Right to trespass on an employer's private property.
The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 (and state anti-injunction acts) give
union activists immunity from injunctions against trespass on an
employer's property. Privilege #8: Ability of strikers to keep jobs despite refusing to work.
Unlike other employees, unionized employees in the private sector have
the right to strike; that is, to refuse to work while keeping their
job. In some cases, it is illegal for employers to hire replacement
workers, even to avert bankruptcy. Meanwhile, union officials demonize
replacement workers as "scabs" to set them up for retaliation. Privilege #9: Union-only cartels on construction projects.
Under so-called project labor agreements, governments (local, state,
or federal) award contracts for construction on major projects such as
highways, airports, and stadiums exclusively to unionized firms. Such
practices effectively lock-out qualified contractors and employees who
refuse to submit to exclusive union bargaining, forced union dues, and
wasteful union work rules. So far, just three states have outlawed
these discriminatory and costly union-only pacts. Privilege #10: Government funding of forced unionism.
On top of all of the special powers and immunities granted to
organized labor, politicians even pour taxpayer money straight into
union coffers. Union groups receive upwards of $160 million annually
in direct federal grants. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. In
2001, the federal Department of Labor doled out $148 million for
"international labor programs" overwhelmingly controlled by an AFL-CIO
front group. Federal bureaucrats spend approximately $2.6 billion per
year on "job training programs" that, under the Workforce Investment
Act, must be administered by boards filled with union officials. Union
bosses also benefit from a plethora of state and local government
giveaways. http://www.nrtw.org/d/big_labor_special_privileges.htm
The Clayton Act of 1914 exempts unions from anti-monopoly laws,
enabling union officials to forcibly drive out independent or
alternative employee bargaining groups. Privilege #3: Power to force employees to accept unwanted union representation.
Monopoly bargaining, or "exclusive representation," which is embedded
in most of the country's labor relations statutes, enables union
officials to act as the exclusive bargaining agents of all employees
at a unionized workplace, thereby depriving employees of the right to
make their own employment contracts. For example, the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935, the Federal Labor Relations Act (FLRA)
of 1978, and the Railway Labor Act (RLA) of 1926 prohibit employees
from negotiating their own contracts with their employers or choosing
their own workplace representatives. Privilege #4: Power to collect forced union dues.
Unlike other private organizations, unions can compel individuals to
support them financially. In 28 states under the NLRA (those that have
not passed Right to Work laws), all states under the RLA, on
"exclusive federal enclaves," and in many states under public sector
labor relations acts, employees may be forced to pay union dues as a
condition of employment, even if they reject union affiliation. Privilege #5: Unlimited, undisclosed electioneering.
The Federal Election Campaign Act exempts unions from its limits on
campaign contributions and expenditures, as well as some of its
reporting requirements. Union bigwigs can spend unlimited amounts on
communications to members and their families in support of, or
opposition to, candidates for federal office, and they need not report
these expenditures if they successfully claim that union publications
are primarily devoted to other subjects. For years, the politically
active National Education Association (NEA) teacher union has gotten
away with claiming zero political expenditures on its IRS tax forms! Privilege #6: Ability to strong-arm employers into negotiations.
Unlike all other parties in the economic marketplace, union officials
can compel employers to bargain with them. The NLRA, FLRA, and RLA
make it illegal for employers to resist a union's collective
bargaining efforts and difficult for them to counter aggressive and
deceptive campaigns waged by union organizers. Privilege #7: Right to trespass on an employer's private property.
The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 (and state anti-injunction acts) give
union activists immunity from injunctions against trespass on an
employer's property. Privilege #8: Ability of strikers to keep jobs despite refusing to work.
Unlike other employees, unionized employees in the private sector have
the right to strike; that is, to refuse to work while keeping their
job. In some cases, it is illegal for employers to hire replacement
workers, even to avert bankruptcy. Meanwhile, union officials demonize
replacement workers as "scabs" to set them up for retaliation. Privilege #9: Union-only cartels on construction projects.
Under so-called project labor agreements, governments (local, state,
or federal) award contracts for construction on major projects such as
highways, airports, and stadiums exclusively to unionized firms. Such
practices effectively lock-out qualified contractors and employees who
refuse to submit to exclusive union bargaining, forced union dues, and
wasteful union work rules. So far, just three states have outlawed
these discriminatory and costly union-only pacts. Privilege #10: Government funding of forced unionism.
On top of all of the special powers and immunities granted to
organized labor, politicians even pour taxpayer money straight into
union coffers. Union groups receive upwards of $160 million annually
in direct federal grants. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. In
2001, the federal Department of Labor doled out $148 million for
"international labor programs" overwhelmingly controlled by an AFL-CIO
front group. Federal bureaucrats spend approximately $2.6 billion per
year on "job training programs" that, under the Workforce Investment
Act, must be administered by boards filled with union officials. Union
bosses also benefit from a plethora of state and local government
giveaways. http://www.nrtw.org/d/big_labor_special_privileges.htm