How do unions spell relief? H-A-R-M-A-N
Less than a week after ostensibly Republican Assemblyman Tom Harman beat Diane Harkey for the 35th Senate District, he added his name as a co-author to Assembly Bill 2929 – a measure designed to stop the establishment and growth of merit (non-union) apprenticeship programs!
Assembly Bill 2929 is backed by several pro-union liberal Democrats and it is the #1 bill being advanced by the unions in 2006 to attack the non-union shops. The bill would establish “severe and prohibitive new standards for the approval of Merit Shop apprenticeship programs” according to my sources in Sacramento. Opponents of the bill have been unable to find out why Harman is sponsoring a union bill meant to “stop competition and choice in training for a construction career.” I however know why – it is quid pro quo. The unions are spending a ton of money on the campaign of Harman’s wife, Diane, for the 67th Assembly District.
Opponents of the bill ask that Harman’s constituents fax Harman
The problem I have with anti-union stories like this is I think the whole anti-union movement represents an attempt to de-fund the Democratic Party.
I realize that many Republicans would like nothing better than to bankrupt the Democrats, but would that really be a good idea? Recently on this blog we’ve talked about how debauched the OC Republican central committee has apparently become. With no real opposition, absolute power has corrupted them absolutely.
D.C. is in a similar situation. Republicans control both the executive and the legislative branch (and some would argue the judiciary as well) and I think all but the most dogmatic Republicans see how poorly the country is served by this one-party dominance.
We need a two party system. When either party wields too much control they wreak havoc.
Defunding the Democratic Party by attacking unions at every turn is a very bad idea.
Gila,
I was ripping a Republican in my post – Harman – although I am never surprised when Dems sell out to unions. That is just part of their agenda.
By the way, five of the top six wealthiest Senators in DC are Democrat – and here in CA most Dem candidates are better-funded than their GOP counterparts.
Lastly, the point of my post is that the Dems and Harman are joining forces to attack non-union apprenticeship programs. The great majority of workers in this country are not unionized. It is unfair to attack these apprenticeship programs! It is an injustice to the majority of American workers.
The great majority of workers in this country are not unionized.
There are many kinds of workers who are rarely, if ever, unionized. Engineers, salespeople, and office workers are examples of sectors of the workforce that aren’t generally unionized.
But other types frequently are, such as truck drivers, construction workers, and teachers. I think if you were to eliminate from your calculation the types of workers who are seldom unionized you’d find that a very large percentage of that workforce is indeed unionized.