The Week: Most Recent Political Movements

Violence at the Michigan union protests: The fallout for Big Labor

The Week — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:45:00 -0500

"The labor protests in Michigan took an ugly turn" this week, says Aliyah Frumin at MSNBC. A burly union protester punched Fox News contributor Steven Crowder in the face. Demonstrators brought down a tent set up for members of Americans for Prosperity, an anti-union group backed by libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch. Tensions were high, as Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) had just delivered Big Labor a loss by signing bills making his state the 24th to adopt "right-to-work" laws prohibiting unions from compelling workers to become members and pay dues. Video of the incidents went viral...

Why Michigan Democrats would struggle to recall Rick Snyder

The Week — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:30:00 -0500

Michigan's quick adoption of a right-to-work law appeared to catch enraged union leaders by surprise. As Michigan is famed for its powerful unions, and since right-to-work laws are seen as a grave threat to unions, drastic political action seems like a strong possibility in the wake of the new law's passage. Already, there has been discussion of recall attempts against GOP Gov. Rick Snyder and members of the legislature. However, due to several factors, including the way Michigan's recall laws are written, these recalls may end up being just idle threats.

This may seem odd. Not only are...

You have the right to not pay union dues

The Week — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:52:00 -0500

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The battle between unions and state governments continued this week — just as it has for the last two years — in territory normally considered friendly for labor organizations. In the winter of 2011, Wisconsin forced an end to mandatory union contributions for state employees — and conservatives subsequently fought through two recalls, leaving in place both the public-employee union reforms and the GOP governor who forced the issue. Indiana followed suit in 2012, passing right-to-work legislation, becoming...

Michigan becomes a right-to-work state: How can unions fight back?

The Week — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:50:00 -0500

With some 12,000 union-aligned protesters amassed around and inside the capitol in Lansing, Mich., Republicans formally made the labor stronghold America's 24th "right-to-work" state on Tuesday. Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed the law in the afternoon, so on March 31, 2013, public-sector unions will no longer be allowed to require membership or dues from the workers they represent, and the same holds true of private-sector unions when their current contracts expire. The unions and their Democratic supporters were not pleased, and they aren't ready to throw in the towel. "This is just the first round...

'All-out war in Michigan': A guide to the bruising right-to-work fight

The Week — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:15:00 -0500

The ongoing showdown in Wisconsin between organized labor and state Republicans has been brutal for unions, and Badger State civility. But what's happening in Michigan is "far worse," says Rich Yeselson at The American Prospect. Last Thursday, the GOP-dominated state House and Senate, meeting in a special lame-duck session, pushed through controversial "right to work" bills; after a mandatory five-day waiting period, each chamber will pass the other's bill on Tuesday, and Gov. Rick Snyder (R) says he will sign it. This all happened quite suddenly, surprising unions, Democrats, and outside observers...

Michigan's fight for the right to work

The Week — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:15:00 -0500

Following in the footsteps of more than 20 states across America, Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature has moved to protect the "right to work" in The Wolverine State. "Right to work" (RTW) laws restrict the ability of unions to collect involuntary fees from employees as a condition of work. Unions argue that RTW laws trample worker rights at the altar of big business, but this narrative is simply untrue. The reality is that RTW states are fairer and freer. Employment decisions should be made on the basis of a candidate's character and skills, and not on someone being forced...

The NFL referee lockout: A huge win for organized labor?

The Week — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:05:00 -0400

Following a heinous game-ending call that handed the Seattle Seahawks a victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, everyone seems to agree that the NFL has to resolve a labor dispute with the referees' union that has kept the regular refs on the sidelines. Even President Obama tweeted that "NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs' lockout is settled soon," while GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin native, is fuming about it on the campaign trail. But perhaps the most surprising response came from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who is famous for trying...

Chicago's teachers' strike ends: Winners and losers

The Week — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:13:00 -0400

The Chicago Teachers Union has reached an agreement with the city for a new three-year contract (with an option for a fourth), ending a tense seven-day strike that forced 350,000 children to stay at home. The city has agreed to raise the average teacher's salary by 17 percent over four years (the current average salary is $76,000, according to city officials), less than what the teachers' union had originally proposed, but more than the city had wanted to pay. Among the other compromises: Teachers have accepted that student test scores will account for 30 percent of their job evaluations...

The Chicago teachers' strike: By the numbers

The Week — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:07:00 -0400

Chicago's public school teachers are weighing a tentative proposal to end their strike, now in its second week. Leaders of Chicago Teachers Union first called the walkout in protest of a longer school day, the linking of evaluations to student performance, and job losses caused by school closings. School officials on Monday asked a judge to declare the strike illegal, because state law forbids the union from striking over "non-economic issues." Union officials say the city, led by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is "bullying" them. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. In the meantime, the effects of...

Wisconsin's anti-union law struck down: Judicial activism?

The Week — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 09:18:00 -0400

In the latest dramatic twist for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's controversial union-busting law, a judge has declared key provisions of the legislation unconstitutional. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas says the restrictions on collective bargaining rights championed by Walker, who easily survived a recall election in June, violated local government and school workers' rights to free speech, association, and equal protection. The state plans to appeal, but faces strong headwinds. State and federal courts have delivered a series of defeats to central parts of the Republican agenda implemented...

Obama is on the wrong side of the union debate

The Week — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:10:00 -0400

As gaffes go in election seasons, the widely-ridiculed statement from Barack Obama on Friday that "the private sector is doing fine" certainly qualifies as a prize-winner. With 23 million Americans unemployed or underemployed in the hangover from the recession, President Obama instantly gave credibility to claims from Mitt Romney that he has fallen out of touch with middle America. The line will live a thousand lifetimes in political ads between now and November, and it might end up being a defining moment in Obama's career.

That's not to say that the White House and the Obama campaign haven't...

Scott Walker's Wisconsin recall victory: A death knell for Big Labor?

The Week — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:30:00 -0400

Unions made it their mission to take down Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in this week's recall election, rallying opposition for months and spending millions of dollars on the fight. Then they got demolished at the polls, in a vote that cemented Walker's power, made him a rising GOP star, and locked in the legislation Walker championed to limit public-sector unions' collective bargaining power. Liberals and conservatives alike predict that the drubbing may hasten Big Labor's decline, and embolden leaders in other states to follow Walker's lead and go after unions. Does Walker's big win really...

The ho-hum May Day protests: Is the Occupy movement dead?

The Week — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:37:00 -0400

On Tuesday, Occupy Wall Street observed May Day, otherwise known as International Workers Day, with protests against income inequality and corporate greed in cities across America. Thousands of 99 percenters took to the streets, in what amounted to the group's greatest public showing since last fall, when police cleared the encampment at New York City's Zuccotti Park, the epicenter of the clamorous anti-bank movement. However, the May Day protests failed to attract the interest and media frenzy that accompanied Occupy's original demonstrations, leading some to conclude that the movement has fizzled...

Occupy Wall Street's dwindling funds: By the numbers

The Week — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:56:00 -0400

Occupy Wall Street burst onto the scene six months ago with boundless energy, railing against corporate greed and unbridled capitalism in New York City's Zuccotti Park. But it appears the group is running up against the cold hard reality of economics: With donations ebbing, the group reports that it's in dire financial straits. Here, a guide to Occupy Wall Street's shaky finances:

$737,000
Total amount Occupy Wall Street has raised since its inception six months ago

$44,828
Amount it currently has in its general fund

3
Weeks before Occupy Wall Street goes broke, according to its leaders

$20...

What happened to Occupy Wall Street? 4 talking points

The Week — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:15:00 -0500

After police in cities across the country cracked down on Occupy encampments, the movement lost the "target-rich visual environment" that attracted media organizations, says David Carr in The New York Times. But don't count the movement out yet: Occupy groups of all stripes are taking on a host of issues, from income inequality to banking regulations. Here, four ways Occupy Wall Street is trying to change the world:

1. Partying like it's 1776
An Occupy-inspired organization — the 99 Percent Declaration Working Group — plans to elect 876 "delegates" for a national assembly in Philadelphia...

Indiana's 'right to work' bill: A serious blow to Big Labor?

The Week — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:14:00 -0500

On Wednesday, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) signed the first "right-to-work" law in the traditionally union-heavy Rust Belt. A blow to organized labor, the law weakens unions by giving employees at unionized workplaces the option to skip out on paying dues. Unions turned out pretty heavily to oppose the bill, but a series of Republican victories in the state since 2006, and a change of heart by Daniels, paved the way to its passage. What are these laws, and what do they mean for organized labor? Here, a brief guide:

What is a "right-to-work" law?
Right-to-work laws, many of which were enacted...