Free Republic

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. The bill would greatly facilitate organization in workplaces by effectively eliminating secret ballot elections, allowing unions to become exclusive bargaining agents when a majority of the workers sign a card indicating they want a union -- before they've heard a word from their employer about the potential downside of unionization.

Hello fellow FReepers, Are you tired of Barack Obambi and the lamestream media tearing apart our SarahCuda? Barack Obama has just presented us with a GOLDEN opportunity to destroy his Get Out The Vote efforts - all from the comfort of our computer chair. Do you have 5 minutes to spare? You will be anonymous - and HIGHLY EFFECTIVE! Here are the details: Barack Obama has just started an on-line way for his "supporters" to actively participate in his Get Out The Vote drive. It is called "Neighbor-to-Neighbor". Essentially, you "register" on his web site and they provide you with...

Unions are increasingly courting immigrant day laborers in hopes of reversing a longtime decline in membership and clout. But labor experts say organizing a work force that is mobile and largely undocumented presents enormous logistical challenges and risks of alienating rank-and-file members. "Everyday there are day laborers who walk in and say, 'I want a union,'" said Janice Fine, a labor professor at Rutgers University. "But the road to getting one is almost an impossible journey." The Laborers' International Union announced Thursday that early next year it will begin recruiting day laborers in the construction industry to become full-fledged union...

Labor unions have been struggling to attract new membership for the past few decades. The number of unionized workers has steadily fallen for more than 20 years. The Department of Labor reports that just 12.5 percent of U.S. workers belonged to a union in 2005 -- and the majority of those were government employees. Public-sector workers were four times more likely than their private-sector counterparts to belong to a labor organization. Lagging membership is, in large part, due to past union successes. The battles have been won. Worker-management relations have improved. The economy has evolved. But as a reaction to...

Dear Friend, In recent days, John Kerry's call for a concrete plan on Iraq has moved the debate about America's future in Iraq forward. We've seen Democratic leaders like Senator Patrick Leahy, Tom Daschle, and John Edwards join in calling for linking drawing down troop levels to the achievement of clear-cut benchmarks. We've seen President Bush personally attack the Kerry call for action. And, yesterday, we saw the Republican Senate forced to vote on a resolution that rejects the Bush "stay as long as it takes" aimless approach to the war in Iraq. Senator Kerry's call for the withdrawal of...

During the 2004 Democratic primary, new online site Meetup.com gained media notoriety as it propelled the Howard Dean campaign to the forefront of the Democratic ticket. Thousands of liberals were meeting monthly to send Dean to the White House. The liberal media bias had spawned a liberal online virus. In response, Townhall.com decided to counter the liberal invasion and co-opt Meetup for its own purposes: to further the conservative agenda. Using Townhall’s resources, we promoted the Meetup groups to you - our valued Townhall.com readers. With great success, our Meetup force grew to over 25,000 people strong. Townhall enthusiasts all...

Purple is the color of Andrew Stern's life. He wears, almost exclusively, purple shirts...[etc.]... emblazoned with the purple logo of the Service Employees International Union, of which Stern is president... [T]he S.E.I.U. is a different kind of union, rooted in the new service economy. [...] Union bosses, Stern scolded, had been too busy flying around with senators and riding around in chauffeur-driven cars to figure out how to counter the effects of globalization, which have cost millions of Americans their jobs and their pensions... Stern put the union movement's eroding stature in business terms: if any other $6.5 billion corporation...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

The BBC was quick to put a negative spin on Afghanistan’s first democratic election ever, held on Saturday. The Beeb’s website headlined, “Afghan vote ends in controversy.” The story pointed out a possible election boycott by opposition candidates due to “voting irregularities.” By Sunday, the BBC was already backpedaling, announcing, “Afghan vote boycott 'crumbling'” and “Observers approve Afghan election.” Today, the Washington Post announced, “Afghan Election Concerns Subside: Several Candidates Back Off Assertions Of Voter Fraud.” The so-called “controversy” dealt with indelible ink that election workers were applying to voters’ thumbs after they cast their ballots. Some voters were able...

France agrees with "U. S. Labor Against the Law"-- Supports Trade Freedom in Iraq THE FOURTH WORLD CONGRESS of EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL Asks that all restrictions to trade union freedom in Iraq be lifted immediately, in conformity with ILO Conventions 87 and 98; Recommends to its member organizations that they support this demand; SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF IRAQI TEACHERS TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN THEIR TRADE UNIONS, so that their right to collective bargaining is recognized and that necessary measures be taken to grant all Iraqi students free and universal access to quality public education....

Iraqi workers need a raise - desperately. For six months, they've been paid at an emergency level dictated by the US occupation authority, known as the Coalition Provisional Authority, or CPA. Most workers get $60/month, a small percentage $120, and a tiny minority (mostly administrators and managers) $180. This is the same wage scale that prevailed under the last few years of the Saddam Hussein regime.

U. S. Labor Against the War (also known as USLAW) met with British & Iraqi trade union representatives to reaffirm opposition to the Iraqi War and in support of Iraqi unionization. Here's a report by USLAW's Gene Bruskin on the August 4-7, 2004 meeting in London...and evidence of what American union dues are funding!

Labor Unions of "U. S. Labor Against the War" (known as USLAW) declare "Million Worker March" in Washington, D.C. on October 17 as "fully consistent" with the their anti-Halliburton/KBR, anti-war mission. And what is USLAW's mission?.....

Halliburton/KBR is a long-time adversary of organized labor...and now Halliburton/KBR stands in the way of union expansion into Iraq. Halliburton owns Kellogg Brown & Root (KB&R) which is coming under fire by the Democrats. Since its origin in Houston, Texas during World War II, Brown & Root has successfully battled attempts to disrupt Brown & Root operations in the United States and throughout the world. It's interesting to note that a coalition of U. S. unions have formed a coaliton which they call "U. S. Labor Against the War", along with a task force called the "Labor Solidarity Task Force...

<p>For 25 years, a difficult-neighbor problem plagued Curtis and Elaine Colvin of Seattle. The neighbor's home and lawn resembled a junkyard. Finally, last spring, the elderly man was taken out of state by relatives.</p> <p>Konstantinos Apostolou bought the house — and sent in five men to clear the floor-to-ceiling junk. "It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life," says his son, George Apostolou. There was nowhere to walk, except for a narrow "goat path" connecting the rooms. The men hauled out seven Dumpsters' worth of clothes, books, magazines, spoiled food, firewood, car parts, tires, bank statements and 50-year-old tax records. "I feel bad for the guy," says Apostolou. "I'm sure he was ill."</p>

Saddam 'not organising' Iraqi anti-US resistance By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad 04 November 2003 A senior Iraqi official said yesterday there was no truth in claims by the Pentagon that Saddam Hussein and Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, one of his aides, were orchestrating anti-US resistance in Iraq. In an interview with The Independent, the official - a veteran opposition leader to the former Iraqi regime now working for the Governing Council, who did not want his name published - believed the organisers of the resistance came from "the middle levels of the Baath party". He said: "Saddam Hussein is not able...

Are there any Freepers living in the Seattle area. On October 6th the Leftist - Anti-America crowd will be protesting the War on Iraq and everything else that they hate about the USA. It will probably be at Westlake Mall or the Federal Building - they haven't posted a location yet. Is anyone interested in participating in a Pro-USA peaceful counter protest with US flags and signs in support of the USA and our President? (No Aryans, violent types or goons need apply).