Unions

[aj]

Is there somewhere.......public information where you can get financial records of unions? Like the goof ball state unions in Wisconsin? Do they split out the % of dues used towards negotiating contracts and then the amount of money sent to the Democrats in contributions. Is there a website or something?

 

[farmin female]

With the Citizens United decison, you would be hard pressed to find out who gave money to any party - Republican, Democrat, Green, Independent, blah, blah, blah. 

I will say that you can look at the financial "situations" of individuals like Roger Ailes, Richard DeVos and the Koch brothers to know that the Unions could never, ever, on their best day, match what these people can contribute.

 

[knabe]

Unions could never, ever, on their best day, match what these people can contribute.

You might want to do a little research on teachers unions contributions, what percent of their money goes to democrats , whether dues ate optional and state employees unions contribute.

Again, balance in fact gathering seems to be a lost art.

 

[aj]

If the union forces you to take dues out your pay check......can the worker get tis information? Do they break it down to say 80% for politics and 20% for negotiating contracts?

 

[farmin female]

Unions could never, ever, on their best day, match what these people can contribute.

You might want to do a little research on teachers unions contributions, what percent of their money goes to democrats , whether dues ate optional and state employees unions contribute.

Again, balance in fact gathering seems to be a lost art.

I refuse to to the bait Knabe.

But, if you have some facts on the percentages, perhaps you could provide your sources?  Or, is your fact gathering talent off to a slow start in 2013?  Oh yes, it is a lost art. 

Everyone generally agrees that Unions support democratic candidates.  There is no arguement there.  And why not?  Republican administrations across the country have been trying to dismantle Unions and that's no secret.  It's in the union and union workers best interest to support democrat candidates and that's who we all vote for in the end. 

Sometimes people don't realize that union dues pay for many differnt things.  My husband's dues paid for our health insurance - among other things.  Yep, I am the wife of union meat cutter and damn proud of it.  Here's a big shout out to all the hard working members of the UFCW.   

 

[knabe]

for reference, i for the first time voted for a republican against feinstein since 1980.  the rest of the time i have voted for people not affiliated with either party.

here's a small sum for brain to work on for just one campaign.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_state_worker/2012/10/california-teachers-union-contributes-1-million-to-fight-prop-32.html

since i know you are too lazy to look it up yourself, here's one more.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304782404577488584031850026.html#project%3DLABOR20120710%26articleTabs%3Dinteractive

that's just expenditures.

 

[knabe]

Sometimes people don't realize that union dues pay for many differnt things.  My husband's dues paid for our health insurance - among other things.  Yep, I am the wife of union meat cutter and damn proud of it.   Here's a big shout out to all the hard working members of the UFCW.    

it's pretty clear that union dues pays for many things, in addition to contracts that restrict competition, especially contracts with government, which mostly only allow unionized contractors.

there's one thing unions hate more than anything, well two things, competition and transparency.

union dues for government employees are paid for by the taxpayer against their interest.  that should be illegal.  if workers want to pay VOLUNTARILY, that would be fine, but there should be an arena for open and fair competition for jobs, again, what unions are afraid of.  unions are for monopolies that they claim they are against if it's a company.

Union Members: Where Do Your Dues Go?

 

[knabe]

http://www.tdu.org/files/150-club-report-2010.pdf

good thing they are looking out for you!

To be clear, I am not pro big business as laws are set up for their benefit versus small companies particularly when it comes to trade. Those laws and benefits to me are just as bad as the laws favoring unions. I don't dislike unions, I just dislLime the preferential treatment they get again to the detriment of the smaller business. To me unions and big business are the same.