Big Labor is Behind the Leftist Machine

[Hankelvis]

The more you know, the more you see.

https://www.unionfacts.com/

this is a long cut and paste from the unionfacts website...

USE OF DUES FOR POLITICS

Every day, millions of union members have money taken from their paychecks to support some union presidents’ political agenda. In 1996, Rutgers economics professor Leo Troy estimated that union political expenditures totaled about $500 million in each election cycle. More recently, the National Institute for Labor Relations Research estimated that total union political expenditures reached $925 million in the 2004 cycle. Over time, this has added up: According to The Center for Responsive Politics, eight of the top ten all-time political contributors are labor unions.

Labor leaders have made the use of employee money for political causes a popular practice — but it’s far less popular among the public and the members themselves.

UNDERSTAND HOW UNIONS SPEND MEMBER MONEY IN POLITICS

• The landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Communications Workers of America v. Beck (1988) lets union members get a refund for the part of their dues that are used for political activity. Learn more about your Beck rights.
• Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) altered the ways that unions can spend money in federal elections. Find out how Citizens United changed union political spending.

USE OF MEMBER MONEY FOR POLITICS IS UNPOPULAR AND MISUNDERSTOOD

• 68 percent of registered voters say they are concerned that public employee unions have too much influence over politicians who, when elected, must negotiate with these groups. (FOX News Poll conducted by Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) | March 14-16, 2011)
• 66 percent of government and private union employees say it is unreasonable that union leaders across America can spend their dues on politics without getting their approval. (The Word Doctors | October 26-28, 2010)
• 89 percent of private and government union employees agree that union workers should have the right to know how their dues money is being spent and believe the Department of Labor should disclose union spending on the Internet to ensure accountability. (The Word Doctors | October 26-28, 2010)
• 89 percent of private and government union employees agree that union workers should have the right to know how their dues money is being spent and believe the Department of Labor should disclose union spending on the Internet to ensure accountability. (The Word Doctors | October 26-28, 2010)
• 69 percent of private and government union employees believe union officials need to stop spending union dues on partisan politics and invest it in creating more jobs, as well as focus on the membership, not the elections. (The Word Doctors | October 26-28, 2010)
• Use of members’ money for political goals was second only to corruption as the reasons Americansdisapproved of unions, according to a 2004 Zogby poll.
  • That poll also found that 63 percent of all employees, and 61 percent of unionized employees, agreed that union members shouldn’t be forced to contribute.
• A McLaughlin & Associates poll indicated that 67 percent of workers were unaware of their right to withhold mandatory dues for politics.

AGAINST MEMBERS’ POLITICS

• A November 2008 exit poll conducted by Peter D. Hart Research found that 67 percent of union members voted to elect Democrat Barack Obama president, compared to 30 percent who voted for Republican John McCain.
• CNN exit polls showed that 38 percent of union members voted for President Bush in the 2004 election, but more than 95 percent of union funds went to support Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.
• A 1999 Zogby poll found a majority of union members—nearly 55 percent—thought people should be given a choice of investing their Social Security taxes in some form of personal retirement accounts. But union officials spent millions of dollars to oppose private accounts in the Social Security system.
• The San Francisco Chronicle reported: “California unions spent $88,000 (public employee unions’ share was $68,000) in opposing Proposition 22, a 2000 ballot initiative that defined marriage as between a man and a woman”; a Los Angeles Times exit poll found that 58 percent of union households had voted yes on the measure. TheChronicle added: “California unions spent $32.7 million (public employee unions’ share was $25.7 million) to oppose the recall of former Gov. Gray Davis, yet exit polls found half of union members voted for the recall and 56 percent voted for a Republican candidate to replace him—43 percent for Schwarzenegger and 13 percent for Tom McClintock.”
• In 1992, the Teamsters reportedly gave a massive amount of political money to the presidential candidate it knew its membership did not support. According to author Duke Zeller, “As for the actual amount of Teamster money poured into the Clinton-Gore campaign, Gene Giacumbo, a former elected member of [former Teamsters president Ron] Carey’s board, believes the total figure to be even higher. ‘Carey himself bragged to me that the union gave $56 million to Clinton,’ he confirmed, ‘and this was after an independent, outside poll the union paid for showed the membership responses preferred Perot, then Bush, with Clinton in third place.'”

DO TEACHERS HAVE A LOT TO LEARN?

• Between 1990 and 2010, 93 percent of donations made by National Education Association political action committees and individual officers went to Democrats, according to OpenSecrets.org. According to the NEA’s own “Status of the American Public School Teacher 2005-2006,” (latest available data produced March 2010) only 41 percent of public school teachers are Democrats. A Wall Street Journal editorial revealed that the National Education Association — the nation’s largest teachers union — “is spending the mandatory dues paid by members who are told their money will be used to gain better wages, benefits and working conditions. According to the latest filing, member dues accounted for $295 million of the NEA’s $341 million in total receipts last year. But the union spent $25 million of that on ‘political activities and lobbying’ and another $65.5 million on ‘contributions, gifts and grants’ that seemed designed to further those hyper-liberal political goals.”
• The Journal added that the NEA’s financial disclosure forms “expose the union as a honey pot for left-wing political causes that have nothing to do with teachers, much less students.”

For more information about the political donations of a specific union, click here.

http://laborpains.org/2015/08/04/what-about-the-38-percent/

[Love of Country]

The unions are one of the communists favorite tools.

[Hankelvis]

IMO, unions are responsible for all voter fraud and installing Obama.

[Mangus Colorado]

You all have my 100% agreement.

[Love of Country]

Top Unions Give Millions To Anti-Republican Group

Since its start in 2010, some of the most powerful unions is the country have contributed millions of dollars to the group American Bridge, an organization dedicated to attacking Republicans.

The group claims its mission is to hold elected officials accountable for saying one thing but doing another. Despite this, it targets Republicans exclusively. To accomplish this American Bridge has engaged in opposition research and information campaigns.

“[We’re]a progressive research and communications organization committed to holding Republicans accountable for their words and actions and helping you ascertain when Republican candidates are pretending to be something they’re not,” its website states.

Its opposition research and media campaigns are often used by unions to support their own arguments. The AFL-CIO has used American Bridge to go after conservative millionaires the Koch Brothers, the United Steelworkers used its research to attack minimum wage critics, and its attacks on Republican presidential candidate Gov. Scott Walker were used by the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. Additionally, its main criticism of Walker is his policies which reined in union power.

Already in 2015, the National Education Association (NEA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have donated $100,000 each to the group according to recent financial disclosure reports. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (A... also gave $100,000 in 2015.

Last year AFSCME and the SEIU gave a combined $150,000, while the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the United Food And Commercial Workers gave an additional $150,000. In 2013 the NEA, AFSCME, AFT and SEIU gave $100,000 each. In 2012 the NEA gave 200,000 while AFSCME and the SEIU gave 100,000 each. In 2011, AFSCME gave a total of $475,000 in the first and second half of 2011.

American Bridge is a super PAC and therefore can accept unlimited donations. It is primarily funded by major Democratic donors and labor unions.

Besides some progressive news outlets like Politico, the media has been highly critical of the group. The nonpartisan fact-checker Politifact called American Bridge’s attack on Sen. Marco Rubio mostly false, Roll Call called it a hub of the left and Watchdog warned its founder David Brook has a long history of being a political “hit man” and still very much is one.

Brock was a self-described hit-man for the right who found redemption with the Democrats. He detailed his conversion story in a series of Esquire articles from 1997 to 2002 and in a book. American Bridge Vice President Eddie Vale worked previously for the AFL-CIO.

American Bridge, the NEA, the SEIU, AFT and  AFSCME did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/13/top-unions-give-millions-to-anti-...

[Hankelvis]

thank you for the info LOC!

[Love of Country]

You are welcome! :-)

[Mangus Colorado]

LOC,

Again you have found the truth that the media does not admit exists.

[Love of Country]

AFL-CIO Leader Accepts Communist Party Award: ‘I Stand With Them’

Dec. 9, 2010 10:02am Jonathon M. Seidl

2.1K

Shares

Those who doubt the connection between the communist party and the unions need only to read accounts of a recent awards ceremony to see how both groups view each other.

On Sunday, December 5, the Communist Party USA gave awards to a pair of labor leaders and a former state legislator and assistant attorney general.* Among the recipients was Connecticut AFL-CIO head John Olsen, who not only gladly accepted the award, but garnered “loud applause” when he said he stands with CPUSA.

CPUSA’s webzine People’s World reports Olsen was given the award at the Voices for Jobs, Equality & Peace – People’s World Amistad Awards Concert celebrating the 90th anniversary of the CPUSA.

“James Hillhouse High School auditorium was filled with the fabulous jazz sounds of Jeff Fuller & Friends, labor songs by Bill Collins of the Rabble Rousers, and poetry by Baub Bidon and Ken Brown,” the article describes the event. But besides offering a mental picture, it also gives a glimpse of Olsen’s acceptance speech, in which he says he will stand with the Communist Party:

“Anyone who stands with me for workers’ rights, I stand with them,” said John Olsen to loud applause as he acknowledged the Communist Party and took a strong stand against fear mongering and baiting, including the anti-socialist baiting of President Barack Obama.

The article goes on to praise the union for its work, and explains how important the union is in fighting for CPUSA causes:

The AFL CIO and local unions are now developing their legislative agendas.  For the first time in 22 years, a Democratic governor was elected in Connecticut.  It is widely recognized that union members made the difference in voter turnout.

However, especially with the state budget crisis, grass roots organizing will be needed to forestall cuts and layoffs and to demand expanded revenues by taxing the very rich.

Research shows that Olsen has been popular in the Democratic Party. In 2009 he gave a speech at the JJB Dinner, an annual Connecticut Democratic Party event, and was introduced by newly-elected senator, and state attorney general, Dick Blumenthal:

Olsen’s bio confirms he is currently a member of the Democratic National Committee and has served in numerous leadership roles for the Connecticut state Democratic Party including chairman.

Also of note, he served as a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic convention, where he supported Hillary Clinton. And while in the video above it appears he has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama, now it appears he’s also willing to support the Communist Party.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2010/12/09/afl-cio-leader-gladly-ac...

[Hankelvis]

President Obama has been the most lawless President in decades.

He has violated his oath of office, ignoring the Constitution.

His unconstitutional Executive overreach on immigration is a blatant attack on our system of government. He doesn't get to "change the law."

We've been aggressively fighting in court, winning each step of the way to block his lawlessness.

When he refused to award Purple Hearts to heroes in the war on terror, we fought back and won. His IRS targeted conservatives, and we're battling back in federal appeals court.

Now President Obama is demanding the Supreme Court grant him the power to make law. We're preparing to file a critical amicus brief at the Supreme Court.

But right now we face a serious challenge. We're battling the Administration's unlimited - taxpayer-funded - resources in court.

Jay Sekulow ACLJ Chief Counsel

[kevin kiernan]

I support Judicial Watch ,So as someone who pays Jay for his work I am very pleased and my monthly check will again be on it`s way.

[Virginia Foulk]

I have been sending some money - don't have much, but when I have some - yes. I like JW. I do send in dues, though

[kevin kiernan]

Virginia, sending any amount is good.I think it is more important for a lot of people to send a little, rather than a few people sending a lot...Judicial watch is for the middle class ,not the rich.-...Plus they seem to be doing a good job.It sucks that we the people have to pay for lawyers to lobby for and protect our rights. If only those thieving politicians would just do what they pledge an oath to do.Judicial watch is our way of keeping them accountable. We have to have accountability for our government to even have a chance at working...So I look at it as money well spent, providing Judicial watch does a good job.