Getting to know the SEIU

According to their web site (http://www.seiu.org), the Service Employees International Union is the largest and fastest growing union in North America. It currently has 2 million members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico who work in 3 service industry divisions -- health care, public services and property services.

SEIU's PAC (Political Action Committee), the SEIU Committee on Political Education gave $13.53 million to Barack Obama during his campaign, and another $3.16 million to oppose John McCain. While money collected from union dues cannot be donated to political campaigns. SEIU, like many other unions, encourages members to donate to its PAC, which is free to use that money for political purposes. (Read the whole article here)

From CNN,

The SEIU donated $85 million(!!) to Democratic campaign war chests for last year's elections, and its 2 million members put in countless hours of volunteer time on the campaign trail.

So in-te-res-tinng... Also interesting is that some of the anti-AIG protesters we saw over the last week were made up of SEIU workers. Read about it here, here and oh, if you really want the juice, read this... the headline is "SEIU President Andy Stern to Speak & Deliver 'Reality Check' at AIG Building in DC".

And while the Stern is waggling his finger at bailed out banks and executive bonuses, the SEIU isn't exactly squeaky clean either. Great article on it from the American Thinker.

The question on my mind is, did he know that Washington knew about those AIG bonuses? I mean, was it all pretend? More smoke and mirrors?

Card Check

... also known as 'The Employee Free Choice Act". Maybe it should be renamed 'The Employee NO CHOICE Act"? Big labor unions like the AFL-CIO, SEIU, and the Change to Win Coalition spent a lot of the money during the 2009 election, and are pushing Congress to approve this law because union membership has been declining. This law is a bad idea. Here's why (from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce):

1) It eliminates private ballots
Under the existing law today, workers have a chance to vote for or against unionization in a private-ballot election that is federally supervised. Under Card Check, if more than 50% of workers at a facility sign a card, the government would have to certify the union, and a private ballot election would be prohibited--even if workers want one.

By forcing workers to sign a card in public--instead of vote in private--Card Check opens the door to intimidation and coercion. Over 70% of voters agree that a private election is better than card check."

2) Card Check could put govt. regulators in charge of private business decisions

Once a union is certified, the business and union would only have 120 days to reach agreement, before facing the prospect of being forced into binding arbitration. This means a panel of government arbitrators who may have no understanding of the business could impose a two year contract deciding all workplace terms--without any vote by the company or its employees.

By placing government regulators in charge of a two-year decision, business flexibility is limited--at a time in our history when it is needed most. A recent poll found that 75% of voters believe government arbitrators should not decide the conditions of a union contract.

3) Harsh new penalties for businesses
Card Check would impose harsh new penalties on businesses--but not on unions--for violations during the union recognition process. This is unfair, and potentially disastrous for small or medium businesses, who are not familiar with unionizing campaigns or the National Labor Relations Act. If Card Check passes, many of these businesses would be facing unionization for the first time.

It looks like our current govt. is looking to grow bigger and badder every minute, and tightening that noose around our necks slowly but surely if we let them.

(source: http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/labor/cardchecksecrbal.htm)

The Red Finch web site is up! There is still a lot of tweaking and fine tuning but it's up. People can now download designed slogans for free, to print on their t-shirts. More slogans will be added but since I am a mother of two kids under two (years of age), well, I'm just doing the best I can.

The President's press conference was on tv last night when I was uploading the web site. I was hoping he wouldn't blame the previous administration (again) but he did. Again. Another thing that I took away from the press conference was how he seem to really want to stick it to the rich folks. Oh, and did anyone notice how annoyed he was when asked about AIG?

I miss American Idol. The press conference just left my mouth feeling dry.

The Red Finch

I haven't blogged in a while. I've been busy working on the new web site. I can't wait till I'm done. I am too much of a tweaker. Will I ever be done tweaking??

Obama to reverse embryonic stem cell ban

Again, the stem cell "ban". There is no friggin' "ban". While I am glad that CNN did report that Bush's policy limited federal dollars to embryonic stem cell research, I wish they had chosen not to use the confusing headline. There are enough of the confused out there already.

The article also says that the administration is "planning a Monday event at the White House in which Obama will overturn the executive order signed by President George W. Bush in August 2001".

And another thing I noticed. Here's the top story under the 'Don't Miss' section: "Man appears free of HIV after stem cell transplant". The story repeatedly uses the word 'donor' but doesn't actually say that the patient was treated with adult stem cells.

Ignorance is spreading like a disease. Thanks, CNN.

Obama blows his own horn...

... and out comes a flat note.

From CNN: "Obama Touts Job Creation From Stimulus Plan".

(**in case you've forgotten, that's the $787 BILLION (!) Stimulus Plan**)

"The graduating cadets were informed at the end of January that they would be laid off because of a shortfall in the city's budget, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman said.

A few weeks later, however, the city was given a $1.25 million stimulus grant through the Justice Department, which would provide funding for the cadets' jobs through the end of 2009. The cadets' future is uncertain beyond that point."

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

I don't mean to see the glass as half full, but with unemployment currently at 8.1% (a 25-year high) and the Dow at 6,626.94, you've saved twenty five jobs. Federal jobs. Until the end of the year.

Big whoop, Mr. President.

Unions, contributions and Democrats

There's a nice piece by Alyssa Rosenberg on 'unions mobilizing on behalf of Democratic candidates'. Here are some highlights.

NATCA (National Air Traffic Controllers Association), one of the smallest federal union, contributed $1.9 million to congressional candidates. 79% of that money (over $1.5 million) went to Democrats. $500,000 was also spent to support AFL-CIO's Working America program to build support and alliances with non-union workers, and $150,000 to help the Democratic National Committee's convention planning activities

PASS (Professional Aviation Safety Specialists) which represents Federal Aviation Administration and Defense Department technicians, made $207,500 in campaign contributions, with 91% going to Democrats

IFPTE (International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers), which represents Defense workers, made $30,500 in contributions as of Oct. 19, sending 93% of that money to Democrats

AFGE (American Federation of Government Employees) donated $592,050 as of Oct. 19, with 96% going to Democrats

NTEU (National Treasury Employee Unions), which also represents TSA workers, made $306,100 in contributions as of Oct 19, sending 95% to Democrats

In addition to the donations and through the AFL-CIO's coordinated efforts, union members have also volunteered on campaigns -- such as making telephone calls, walking door-to-door and other various on-the-ground efforts to reach voters.