Worker Freedom
Philip Howard – Not Accountable: Rethinking the Constitutionality of Public Unions
Our guest this week is noted author and attorney Philip Howard. Beginning with his book The Death of Common Sense in 1995, Philip has written about the central role of human responsibility in a functioning government—the freedom to make timely choices, and to be accountable for them. In 2002, he …
Costly union-only agreements result in fewer city projects
From street repairs to building construction, municipal infrastructure projects are costly, but often necessary, endeavors. To get them done in the most cost-effective manner possible, city taxpayers are best served by having open, competitive markets for contracts to complete such projects efficiently and at the best price. This might sound like …
Florida Governor Introduces Teacher “Bill of Rights.” California should take notes.
It’s no secret that teachers’ unions are among the nation’s most powerful unions. Many elected officials stand down rather than pick a fight with them . But not Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis. Governor DeSantis released his “Teacher’s Bill of Rights” on January 23 which, if enacted, will: Require school unions …
Would You Like An Apple Pie With That? No Thanks, I Can’t Afford It
Less than two days before California’s Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act was to become law – on Jan. 1 – Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne W.L. Chang placed a hold on the legislation, temporarily restraining the state “from implementing, enforcing, or taking any other action to effectuate Assembly …
The Biden Administration’s Push to Take One of California’s Worst Ideas Nationwide
The Biden administration has effectively declared war on gig work, with its Department of Labor proposing a new federal regulation inspired by California’s controversial AB 5 law that would limit people’s ability to be classified as independent contractors and work as they choose. As Bloomberg Law reports, “The US Labor Department’s new …
Los Angeles: the city that organized labor wrecked
Los Angeles kicked off its 2022 Indigenous Peoples Day celebration in inimitable style, with the release of a secret recording in which top Latino city officials are caught disparaging indigenous people – as well as African Americans, Armenians, Jews and (generally lost in the reporting) “white guys.” City Council President …
Carry a Stack of Studies? Moi?
This past week, Politico reported that our fellow think tankers (albeit left-leaning) at the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute were forming unions. I assumed that these think tanks were breaking ground, but it appears that they’re just playing catch-up. The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union had already successfully organized several prominent …
Supreme Court Hearing in Key Labor Case Could Impact Private Property Rights in California
On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid, a case regarding a California regulation that allows union organizers onto private farm property 120 days a year for three hours a day. The regulation specifies that organizers must not be disruptive and only speak with …
Trespassers Will Be Sued On Sight
When United Farm Workers organizers swarmed over a private farm in Dorris, Calif., during the 2015 harvest, it’s likely they had no fear of consequences. After all, unions enjoy a well-stocked basket of government-granted privileges and protections. Almost a half century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in the United …
Big Agenda Facing Presidential Winner
As of this writing, we don’t know who has won the 2020 presidential election. Whoever wins, America’s next chief executive has many important policy decisions to make in the coming weeks. Here’s a preview of some of the big issues that the president will have to confront over the next …
