House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the latest enforcement figures from the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) last week, and the results were extremely positive for rank-and-file workers.  According to a Department press release, "The office's totals for fiscal year 2008 (which ended on Sept. 30, 2008) are 102 convictions and 130 indictments, with restitution of more than $3.2 million."

OLMS is the only government agency dedicated to protecting the rights of dues-paying union members.  Unfortunately, the Democrat-controlled Congress has gone on the attack against OLMS, slashing its funding by some $2 million and questioning its work to protect the rights of workers and aggressively enforce federal labor law.  Thankfully, as these new enforcement figures show, OLMS has not allowed the Democrats' roadblocks to stand in the way of its important work.

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Today's Wall Street Journal opinion page includes an op-ed that every Member of Congress should read.  Titled "Labor Unions Prolonged the Depression," the piece chronicles the devastating economic impact of the Depression-era Wagner Act and draws parallels to the deceptively-named Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that is widely expected to be at the top of congressional Democrats' legislative agenda in 2009.  The key paragraph:

If the mislabeled "Employee Free Choice Act," becomes law, it will likely have a similar effect on the economy as the original Wagner Act, transforming what could have been a recovery into a lengthy, deep recession, or worse.

Congressional Democrats are tossing about various options for an economic recovery package, and Republicans have now countered with a pro-growth package worthy of consideration.  But as the Wall Street Journal makes clear, no proposal to stimulate the economy will be sufficient to counteract the job-killing, worker right-decimating legislation now being advanced by Big Labor and their allies in the Democrat-led Congress.

Click here to read the full article.

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USA Today made a compelling case in an editorial today against the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act,” a bill that would strip workers of their basic democratic rights in the workplace. As this leading national editorial board highlights, the 'card check' system undermines a core democratic principle -- the individual's right to a private ballot.  This special interest power grab has consistently run afoul of public opinion, yet it remains a top priority of organized labor and their Democratic allies in Congress.  Might the steady decline in union membership have something to do with the aggressive advancement of this controversial legislation?  USA Today writes:

Labor has seen its role decline since the 1950s, when about a third of all private sector employees belonged to unions, compared with about 7.5oday. So it's understandably eager to find ways to expand membership, particularly at a time when workers are feeling economically vulnerable. But undermining democratic principles is not the answer.

Be sure to read the entire article by clicking here.

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