Posted by
NAWER on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 4:38:08 PM
More Colorado snake oil:
Formula for Big Labor coercion to come: Have we not been sold a bill of union goods in Colorado
Governor
Ritter, a Democrat, went against his own big labor bosses by vetoing
very prudently a pro-union Bill. Yes, a union intimidation Bill that
would have driven many businesses from Colorado making it easier for
unions to establish so-called "closed shops". "Closed Shops" that would
have forced all workers to pay Union dues in designated unionized
businesses. To punish Governor Ritter for his action, Labor threatened
to remove the 08 Democratic Presidential convention from Colorado:
"Unless we can be assured that the governor will support our values and
priorities, we will strongly urge the Democratic Party to relocate the
(2008 national) convention."
Clearly Unions still don't know how
to win fair and square. Unions will do anything to coerce you into
being a "yes" man, even to go against themselves. In this case, unions
had set up the sweetest deal from the state of Colorado that would
bring the Democratic convention to Denver in 08. Howard Dean had worked
on the deal with Andy Stern and John Sweeney forcing Colorado to give
into more Union demands. The sweet deal the Unions had worked out for
themselves was to turn then non-Union Pepsi Center in Denver into a
site staffed by the stage hand Union members alone. Even in Howard
Dean's words, there is a strong commitment to Denver while he gave up
on non-Unionized Coloradoans to close the deal: "Still, Dean said, the
choice of Denver reflected his commitment to building the party
nationally. It's important, in politics, to put your money where your
mouth is, Dean said. I've said consistently we want to have a
fifty-state strategy." Mr. Dean, an important question here for you to
answer: Are threats to the Governor of Colorado if he is not a "yes"
man for paying back the Unions a part of your fifty state strategy?
Are Unions not entitled to be named the match-coercers of the Democrats?
Sure,
when Unions give $65,000,000 to Democrats in the last elections. Of the
$65,000,000, $850,000 went to the Colorado delegation alone. Yes, in
terms of desperation according to union density, Unions in Colorado
have kept failing to keep their members unionized. For twenty nine
years private sector unions have shrunk from 21.7% of employment in
1977 to today's Union density of only 7.4% Clearly, Unions are good
matchmakers for a minority of Colorado Democrats out for their own self
-survival.
Curiously,when you think Unions
threaten cities like Denver with millions of potential victims to get
their way you would think the Democrats would come forward to protect
Governor Ritter? Maybe they looked back fondly to the 04 Democratic
convention in Boston that brought in $154,000,000 and did nothing. The
truth is no Democrat came forward to repudiate the lynching that Labor
gave to the Governor for not toeing the party line, and isn't this
another sad reflection on the kind of "yes" Democrats the Unions have
bred nationwide. While the Democrats want their convention in Denver,
they also endorsed a radical Union position that would have caused so
much harm to the city. Through their undeniable silence they proved
they would never stand up for Democratic rights even if their own
Democratic Governor went to his end.
Don't
these same national Democrats continue to use their silence to not
protect your Democratic rights while hiding their own radical Union
positions from you? Does this not hurt all Americans who want to have a
say in their future? Have you heard the report from Congress that the
Union- driven Democrats voted to end secret ballot elections in every
workplace through their Employee Free Choice Act? Yes, when the
Union-Democrats, in their vote for EFCA, had a chance to protect your
free rights-- like they never did with Governor Ritter-- did they? As
"yes men" what could you hear from them but the silence of your rights
taken away.
People of Denver, the truth is
Labor thinks you owe them. You owe them for just threatening
unmitigated economic harm to your city by taking the Democratic
convention away. Just talk to New Yorkers during Local 100's strike
last year. During that strike, which was in violation of New York's
Taylor law, businesses lost billions during Christmas time while chaos
reigned. Isn't it clear that whether its New York or in Denver, Labor
Unions continue to separate themselves from the harm they do to
everyman and every woman when they hold hostage entire cities to get
what they want? People of Colorado, ask yourself why should you be the
victims of such Union coercion that forces workers to pay these "lords
of chaos" for the single purpose and single privilege of having a job.
Will Fine is the Executive Director National Alliance for Worker and Employer Rights
http://www.freeworkplace.org