President Joe Biden Keeps boasting that all the new jobs his programs will supposedly create will be “good-paying union jobs.” But, Joe, what about the 93% of private-sector workers who are not members of unions? Does he care about them?
The Department of Labor reported that in America today, 6.3% of all private-sector workers are union members. That means more than 10 of 11 private-sector workers aren’t.
The only area where unions are growing in America is in government. Nearly half of government workers, led by teachers, are unionized. And they are radicalized.
Meanwhile, nearly every policy coming out of the White House gives special-interest privileges for the labor bosses.
Some of these acts are just pure giveaways to big labor as a payback for the hundreds of millions of dollars organized labor spent to get Biden elected.
Here are some of the sweetheart kisses for the unions with taxpayers picking up the tab:
First, a new law requires union workforces on nearly every federal project. Nonunion contractors need not apply. By the way, these rules add about 20% to 30% to the cost of every construction and service contract.
There are tax breaks for renewable energy in the Green New Deal bill that has already passed the Senate — but only if these projects are unionized.
Another absurdity is the creation of a new provision to make union dues tax-deductible. It will put millions of dollars into the coffers of the unions.
The granddaddy of them all is a provision in the so-called jobs bill that would end state right-to-work laws in 26 states.
It is an audacious power grab by the federal government that would, for the first time in history, force potentially tens of millions of workers to join a union against their will. It will force them to have money snatched from their paychecks and rerouted to union bank accounts. Workers would also have to contribute to political advocacy efforts by big labor — whether they support the causes and candidates or not. This is anything but “pro-choice.”
All of these measures fall into the category of what used to be called “pay to play.” Or graft.
I should clarify that I am not against workers’ rights to form and join a union for collective bargaining. The right to associate is a fundamental First Amendment right in America. What I am against is the government forcing people to join unions.
There are good reasons for people not wanting to join a union. They may not agree with union policies or positions. Also, the highest performers may wish to negotiate their wages and benefits and be paid by their performance.
Or they may be turned off by the rampant corruption in union labor halls, as in embezzlement, racketeering, inflated salaries, and theft. The indispensable website unionfacts.com has counted 2,100 criminal cases and $156 million in penalties. These bosses aren’t saints.
The combination of big government and big labor is a witch’s brew of misbehavior and corruption. Who pays the tab? The 93% of private-sector workers who aren’t part of the club.
