It's Crunch Time for Organized Labor

Source: WSJ

Labor unions are facing the most direct challenge to their political and financial clout since Ronald Reagan broke the air-traffic controllers union 30 years ago.

Across the industrial Midwest, a union stronghold long vital to Democrats and key to President Barack Obama's re-election prospects, Republicans are trying to roll back the powers of not just public-employee unions but also the bargaining and dues-collecting power of groups that represent auto workers and carpenters.

Democratic members of Indiana's House of Representatives refused to show up for work Tuesday, in an effort to block debate on a Republican-backed "right to work" bill that would give employees the ability to opt out of paying union dues even in a union-represented shop. Such laws are in force in 22 states.

Democratic members of Wisconsin's Senate continued their boycott of the legislative session, effectively blocking action on proposals to curtail bargaining power for state public unions. Gov. Scott Walker said 1,500 state workers could lose their jobs by July if his proposal doesn't pass.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704071304576160721023104538.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us

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Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com

death knell for organized Labor in the US. We failed to act when Raygun fired the air traffic controllers and it has been a steady downward spiral ever since. If Labor hopes to survive we must fight and fight until we prevail whatever the cost.

They cannot be seen as unreasonable or they will lose more than just the benefits.