"The last few years haven't been great for limited government, though Wisconsin is an exception. After the made-for-MSNBC protests, a failed bid to turn over the state Supreme Court and a failed recall election, Governor Scott Walker's public union reforms still stand. And now the spurious constitutional challenges have guttered out in federal appeals court.
On Friday a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court upheld the law in its entirety. Two judges rejected the claims of the Wisconsin Education Association Council and six other government unions that Mr. Walker violated the Equal Protection clause and the First Amendment, while a third judge—David Hamilton, nominated by President Obama—concurred in part and dissented in part."............................
Washington — The nation's unions lost 400,000 members in 2012 as the percentage of U.S. workers represented by a labor union fell to 11.3 percent, its lowest level since the 1930s - declining by 0.5 percent over the last year.
Michigan accounted for about 10 percent of the nation's loss of unionized workers as the Wolverine State fell to the seventh most-unionized state, from fifth in 2011.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the biggest hit was in public sector unions, where many states and cities have cut back on their unionized workforce.
In one way I'm sorry to see unions disappearing. They have historically done a lot for working folks - the 40 hr. week, sick leave, child labor laws, etc. But I think their time has passed - at least for now. Many unions became as corrupt as the companies they purported to keep in line. I suppose the pendulum will swing the other way at some point in time and workers will once again have to band together to fight for rights.
True, and the labor laws guarantee a lot of these "rights" now anyway. I'd prefer wages be a negotiation 1-1, not a general contract across the board. JMO
If you want to be, press one. If you want not to be, press 2
Republicans are red, democrats are blue, neither of them, gives a flip about you.
