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Union bosses fining members who don’t march for Elizabeth Warren

Union bosses fining members who don’t march for Elizabeth Warren

In 2010, union members were paid to picket for Martha Coakley in her race against Scott Brown.

In 2012, union members are being fined by their unions for not picketing for Elizabeth Warren, as reported at The Weekly Standard:

A GOP source sends along this video, shot by a Republican tracker, of a union member supporting Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren outside of a debate Wednesday night in Springfield, Massachusetts. The cameraman asks the union member if he was at an earlier debate between Warren and her Republican opponent, Senator Scott Brown.

“Uh-huh,” the union member says, nodding.

“Did you guys get fined if you weren’t there?” the cameraman asks.

“Yeah,” the union member replies.

“How much did you get fined?” the cameraman asks.

“A hundred and fifty,” the man says, although he later adds, “It’s two-fifty if you don’t go.” Watch the video below:

In 2010, the union bosses were for Coakley, and the members voted in the privacy of the voting booth in large numbers for Brown.

Do not be surprised if the same thing happens this time around. People don’t like to be threatened and bullied, which is what the Warren campaign’s union bosses and machine politics is all about.

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Comments

Forcing union members to engage in political activty sounds illegal. See this burb on a closely related recent Supreme Court decision. http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/06/21/supreme-court-says-unions-cant-bill-non-members-for-political-spending/

Any labor lawyers out there?

The alleged switch from paying to fining strikes me as a Martha Coakley level of arrogant overconfidence.

The Brown campaign should distribute the video far and wide. It hits home to the average beleaguered Joe & Joan in a way that Warren’s professional misconduct does not.

How much will the union slaves get fined if they don’t vote AL LEAST 5 times for fauxcahontas?

ShakesheadOften | October 11, 2012 at 2:22 pm

It disturbs me mightily that the unions are not prosecuted for this.

Wow, they are really pulling out all the stops with this Senate race. However, you can’t coerce people into supporting you.

We’ll see what happens in the privacy of the voting booth….

Certainly not a legal opinion here, but…

on first principles, voluntary association has always meant that an organization had the ability to discipline its members.

Think about how various religions dis-fellowship or excommunicate members for misconduct.

I am not a “joiner” so maybe some of you who are familiar with fraternal organizations know of instances of this, as well.

Are there differences here? Sure could be. As I say, this is not an area of law I’ve delved into.

    elliesmom in reply to Ragspierre. | October 11, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    I never considered my membership in the MA Teachers’ Union to be “voluntary”. If I didn’t join, I couldn’t work.

      Ragspierre in reply to elliesmom. | October 11, 2012 at 3:19 pm

      I agree with your point, BUT I’m sure that the argument is made commonly that you DID volunteer to work as a teacher. I HATE compulsory union membership, but you live where you do.

      Texas is still open…

The members have demonstrated a propensity to exchange their liberty, and dignity, for submission with benefits. The elite who control the unions know that their positions are not threatened. Their members will meekly comply with their demands.

It’s interesting to note that monopolies or monopolistic practices are generally considered to be abusive and offensive. It is clear that rejection is highly selective. As are other standards and practices in our world.

Daily Kos has twisted a campaign visit by Mitt Romney to an Ohio coal mine to mean that the company forced the union members to attend the rally – and then did not pay them! Do you know any company that has that kind of power over a union?

Headline: Ohio Coal Miners Lose Pay, Forced to Attend Romney Rally

Gateway Pundit has pictures of a great turnout at the rally. The only truth in the Kos article is that the mine was closed to facilitate the rally. No proof is offered about forced attendance.

Smells like slavery to me.