National Education Association (NEA)

Michigan Local Paraeducational Treasurer Charged with Theft

Submitted by Carl Horowitz on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 16:48

Teacher's deskMichelle Placer thought in terms of wants, not consequences. On July 26, Placer, 38, was arrested by Ingham County (Lansing), Michigan sheriff's deputies for embezzling more than $30,000 in dues from the Holt Paraeducator Association, the employee union where she had served as treasurer. The money was to have been forwarded to its state affiliate, the Michigan Education Association, in turn an affiliate of the National Education Association. Placer was later released on bond. An initial complaint had been lodged last December with the county sheriff's office.

Union Bullies Shut Down Wisconsin Legislature

Submitted by Carl Horowitz on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 08:44

Wisconsin protestGovernment in Wisconsin, one probably has heard by now, is paralyzed. And the ultimate losers may be future generations of taxpayers. Last Thursday, February 17, up to 25,000 protestors, led by public-sector union officials, rallied in the state capital of Madison to intimidate legislators out of voting in favor of new Republican Governor Scott Walker's budget austerity plan, which includes major concessions from unions.

Union-Backed Bill Would Force Monopoly Bargaining on Public Safety Employees

Submitted by Carl Horowitz on Tue, 05/18/2010 - 18:07

Mayor Bloomberg in Times Square bomber aftermathEver so quietly, America passed a milestone in 2009. For the first time in our history the number of employees in the public sector belonging to a labor union exceeded the number in the private sector. Proposed legislation in Congress would push this trend along further. The benignly-named Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R.413, S.1611) would mandate union monopoly bargaining for state and local public-safety employees. Its brand of "cooperation," strongly backed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and other unions, would force police, fire, ambulance, and corrections departments across the country to create collective bargaining units to cover employees. If evidence is any guide, however, this expansion of public-sector unionism is likely to produce higher taxes, strained budgets and more strikes.

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