After the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House of Representatives</a> advanced a bill on Wednesday meant to avert a looming nationwide <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/railroads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rail</a> strike, Sen. <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/bernie-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-VT) vowed to block the measure in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a>.
Unions and rail companies previously agreed to a tentative deal providing workers a 24% pay raise and more robust healthcare benefits, although a handful of labor organizations rejected the agreement due to a lack of paid sick days. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in a <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/112922-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to lawmakers on Tuesday evening that the lower chamber would “take action to protect the economic security of America’s working families and avert a devastating nationwide rail strike,” echoing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-calls-for-congressional-intervention-to-avoid-potentially-crippling-rail-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call</a> from President Joe Biden.
Legislation enforcing the tentative agreement passed on Wednesday by a margin of 290 to 137, with eight Democrats and 129 Republicans voting against the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) affirmed that the upper chamber would move as quickly as possible to advance the bill to the White House.
Sanders, however, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1597709690699489280?s=20&amp;t=iD67NiKf3PIGloPjEW0Ypg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a> on social media that workers should receive at least seven paid sick days as rail companies earn “record profits.” He intends to “block consideration of the rail legislation” until a roll call vote guarantees workers the benefit.
Biden meanwhile thanked members of both parties in the House for advancing the legislation and stressed the urgency of deliberations in the Senate.
“Without the certainty of a final vote to avoid a shutdown this week, railroads will begin to halt the movement of critical materials like chemicals to clean our drinking water as soon as this weekend,” he said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/30/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-house-action-to-avert-rail-shutdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Without action this week, disruptions to our auto supply chains, our ability to move food to tables, and our ability to remove hazardous waste from gasoline refineries will begin.”
The daily economic cost of a nationwide rail shutdown could amount to $2 billion, according to a <a href="https://www.aar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AAR-Rail-Shutdown-Report-September-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Association of American Railroads, while a <a href="https://rilastagemedia.blob.core.windows.net/rila-web/rila.web/media/media/pdfs/supply%20chain/rila-rail-labor-dispute.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> from the Retail Industry Leaders Association addressed to Biden noted that freight rail accounts for 40% of long-distance shipping volume in the United States. Members of Congress can exercise authority over interstate commerce to intervene in rail labor negotiations under the Railway Labor Act of 1926.
Hundreds of business groups have encouraged Congress to compel acceptance of the tentative agreement. A <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/retailers-encouraged-house-approval-tentative-agreement-averting-rail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the National Retail Federation lauded the House for approving the legislation.
“America’s railroads serve nearly every sector of our economy and provide access to global markets. The freight rail system is a lifeline for many industries, ensuring the transport of not only retail goods, but also essential food and energy supplies,” the group said. “It is imperative that the Senate now acts immediately to approve the measure and send it to President Biden’s desk.”
Biden and Pelosi have expressed reluctance to disrupt union negotiations since the commander-in-chief <a href="https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaigned</a> for the Oval Office in favor of collective bargaining. One of the unions which rejected the tentative agreement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/union-allies-turn-on-pro-labor-biden-for-trying-to-prevent-looming-rail-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the organization “is deeply disappointed by and disagrees with” actions from the Biden administration to prevent the strike.

Sen. Bernie Sanders

House Passes Legislation To Avoid A Nationwide Rail Strike. Bernie Sanders Intends To Block It.

Bernie Sanders Intends To Block Legislation Passed By House To Avert Rail Strike

Bernie Sanders

Economy

Labor Unions

Politics

Railroads

railway strike

strike

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Unions

The president of the nation’s largest freight railway <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union</a> is warning that Congress will likely get involved in order to resolve disagreements between employers and union members and steer clear of a strike. 
“I’m hopeful, but I doubt it’s really in the cards,” SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/22/jeremy-ferguson-rail-union-strike-congressional-intervention-00070395" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Politico Monday night. “I’ve got a lot of issues that are outstanding; that are reasons why our guys voted it down.”
SMART-TD said Monday that the union’s members had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rail-strike-threat-returns-as-union-group-rejects-latest-offer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> against a contract with freight railroads. A cooling-off period ends on December 4, which doesn’t allow the members to stop working. At that point, they could strike. 
“Something’s gotta happen by then, otherwise we’ll all walk,” Ferguson said. “It’s such a short time frame. I think we’re going to see Congress panic and step in here at some point next week, unfortunately.”
Even though eight unions have <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/21/1137640529/railroads-freight-rail-unions-vote-contract-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accepted</a> the agreement, if one union decides to go on strike, all of them will join in and honor the picket lines. The president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the biggest rail unions, said as much, noting that the group will adhere to the December 5 strike date of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS). As of Monday, the BRS had not said if it would prolong the cooling-off period to hit a strike date of December 9.
“Our members will certainly honor the picket line of BRS,” BLET president Dennis Pierce <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/21/if-rail-strike-begins-every-union-will-honor-picket-line-says-blet.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNBC. “I think every union will.” 
But Ferguson believes Congress will get involved before the deadline. Congress <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/20/rail-union-congress-strike-00069488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could</a> decide to put in place recommendations made by a board appointed by President Joe Biden, prolong the cooling-off period, or enforce the unions’ provisional deals. 
He is also negotiating with rail carriers again on Tuesday with other unions that have rejected the provisional contracts. 
“We’ll see if it goes anywhere,” Ferguson said, however, “carriers haven’t been willing to move with the other three unions” — “and already, our agreement has a lot of work rules changes in which theirs really didn’t.” He added that “it’s a bigger hill for us to climb.”
A potential strike right before the holiday season in the United States would be destructive to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economy</a> of a nation that is already struggling under inflation and high costs of essential items. Price <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-congress-government-and-politics-79d2e2c2779598b0a14396464ee4f7e9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increases</a> of gasoline, as well as a low supply of grocery items, could be expected if the groups do not come to an agreement. The strike could also effect shipping as FedEx and UPS both use the railways on some level, although the companies haven’t spoken about the situation at length.
“Fortunately, this year’s holiday gifts have already landed on store shelves. But an interruption to rail transportation does pose a significant challenge to getting items like perishable food products and e-commerce shipments delivered on time, and it will undoubtedly add to the inflationary pressures already hitting the U.S. economy,” Jess Dankert of the Retail Industry Leaders Association <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-congress-government-and-politics-79d2e2c2779598b0a14396464ee4f7e9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press. 
A railway strike “would effectively bring hundreds of America’s largest food, beverage, household and personal care manufacturing operations to a halt in a matter of days as inputs and ingredients run out. On-shelf availability and accessibility will quickly drop, compounded by almost inevitable panic buying,&#8221; Tom Madrecki of the Consumer Brands Association said.
A work stoppage at the railways could also impact traveling passengers since a lot of the passenger railroads run on freight railroad tracks. The railroads could also decide to stop sending certain dangerous materials and perishable food items in advance if no agreement is reached close to the cutoff time.

01580954-8054-4F8A-AAED-557C6DADCAE8_1_201_a

President Of Rail Union Says Congress Involvement Likely Ahead Of Looming Strike

President Of Rail Union SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson Says Congress Involvement Likely Ahead Of Looming Strike

Inflation

U.S.

The threat of a railroad strike returns just before the holidays as the nation&#8217;s largest rail conductor union voted to reject its latest offer.
SMART Transportation Division, the union representing the rail conductors, announced the results on Monday, adding that negotiations have until a December 8 deadline to avoid a potential strike.
“Honestly, this vote is about the frustration that the railroads have created with [their attendance policies] and the deterioration of quality of life as a result for our conductors,” Jared Cassity, the national legislative director at SMART Transportation, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/11/21/rail-union-strike-white-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Washington Post.
“It’s about attendance policies, sick time, fatigue, and the lack of family time. A lot of these things that cannot be seen but are felt by our membership. It’s destroying their livelihoods,&#8221; he added.
The attendance policy has been a major focus of the union vote. The deal offered to union workers also included a 24% pay increase by 2024 and updates for workers for healthcare appointments. Unless Congress intervenes or a new deal is struck before the deadline, workers could strike.
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), a top Republican on the House subcommittee that includes railroads, spoke out against the potential union strike.
“Look, what a terrible Christmas gift that would be to give to the American people at this point. Right before Christmas, shutting down our supply chain,” Crawford <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/20/rail-union-congress-strike-00069488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Politico. “So we’ve got something prepared if necessary, but I’m hoping it’s not necessary.”
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has <a href="https://www.aar.org/economic-impact-of-railroad-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> that a nationwide shutdown of railroads could result in economic output would likely be at least $2 billion per day. A strike could also have massive consequences beyond rail.
&#8220;A single container or trailer on a railcar can contain 2,000 UPS packages, tens of thousands of bananas or hundreds of flat-screen televisions. A rail shutdown would slow or halt these shipments,&#8221; the AAR stated.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/derailed-major-railroad-union-rejects-biden-admins-negotiated-labor-deal-putting-nationwide-strike-back-on-the-table" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> regarding the rejection of a Biden administration proposal by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters (BMWED), which represents nearly 12,000 railroad workers. The group rejected a tentative agreement between railroaders and Class I freight railroads.
Another previous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/second-railroad-union-rejects-biden-admins-labor-deal-increasing-the-threat-of-a-nationwide-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> focused on a second railroad union that rejected the labor deal negotiated by the Biden administration. The <a href="https://www.brs.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&amp;HomeID=881487" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen</a> (BRS) voted overwhelmingly to reject the labor deal in a vote, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union</a> said in a statement. The union represents more than 6,000 railroad workers.
“For the first time that I can remember, the BRS members voted not to ratify a National Agreement, and with the highest participation rate in BRS history,” union president Michael Baldwin said in a statement on the union’s website.
In September, railroad companies and labor unions struck the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wee-hours-deal-reached-at-last-minute-to-avert-crippling-railroad-workers-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tentative agreement</a>. The deal was negotiated by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), led by Labor Secretary Martin Walsh.
John Riggolizo contributed to this report.

train

Rail Strike Threat Returns As Union Group Rejects Latest Offer

Train

A major rail union rejected the labor deal brokered by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a>, renewing the possibility of a nationwide strike.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters (BMWED), which represents nearly 12,000 railroad workers, rejected a tentative agreement between railroaders and Class I freight railroads Tuesday, less than a month after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> negotiated the deal at the last minute. If an agreement is not voted on soon, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union</a> could go on strike, paralyzing the supply chain just in time for the peak holiday season.
“The majority of the BMWED membership rejected the tentative national agreement and we recognize and understand that result,” BMWED president Tony D. Cardwell said in a <a href="https://www.bmwe.org/secondary.aspx?id=700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on the union&#8217;s website. “I trust that railroad management understands that sentiment as well. Railroaders are discouraged and upset with working conditions and compensation and hold their employer in low regard. Railroaders do not feel valued. They resent the fact that management holds no regard for their quality of life, illustrated by their stubborn reluctance to provide a higher quantity of paid time off, especially for sickness. The result of this vote indicates that there is a lot of work to do to establish goodwill and improve the morale that has been broken by the railroads’ executives and Wall Street hedge fund managers.”
According to the press release, a total of 11,845 union members voted on the agreement. A majority of the members voted against the deal; 6,646 voted against it while 5,100 supported it.
“The membership voted in record numbers on this tentative agreement, exhibiting that they are paying close attention and are engaged in the process,” Cardwell said. “BMWED members are concerned with the direction of their employers and the mismanagement and greed in which they have consistently implemented, and are united in their resolve to improve their working conditions across the entire Class I rail network.”
Rejecting the deal sends the union and the railroads back to the bargaining table. A new negotiating period will extend until five days after Congress reconvenes, which is currently set for November 14. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/10/rail-union-rejects-biden-brokered-labor-deal-raising-strike-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a> noted that if a deal is not reached, Congress may have to step in. If the parties cannot come to terms on a new agreement, it may prompt a strike that other unions may very well honor, Axios added.
Of the 12 unions representing some 115,000 railroad workers, four have voted to ratify the agreement and the other seven are set to vote in the next few weeks. But a deal is not certain. Jeremy R. Ferguson, President of the Transportation division of the <a href="https://smart-union.org/ultimately-decision-about-tentative-agreement-is-in-members-hands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers</a> (SMART), voiced significant discontent, despite several wins for workers, in a statement to members.
&#8220;I will not sell members on this tentative agreement,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;[T]he vote is now yours. No matter what your collective decision is, I will work to ensure it is heard and is acted upon.&#8221; SMART is the largest railroad union, representing some 37,000 members.
In September, railroad companies and labor unions struck the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wee-hours-deal-reached-at-last-minute-to-avert-crippling-railroad-workers-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tentative agreement</a>. The deal was negotiated by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), led by Labor Secretary Martin Walsh. A third of U.S. freight is moved by rail, and a work stoppage could cost the economy up to $2 billion per day, the Association of American Railroads reported.

CSX railroad

Derailed: Major Railroad Union Rejects Biden Admin’s Negotiated Labor Deal, Putting Nationwide Strike Back On The Table

Major Railroad Union Rejects Biden Admin's Negotiated Labor Deal, Putting Nationwide Strike Back On The Table

Biden Administration

White House

Railroad companies and their labor unions reached a handshake agreement early Thursday, possibly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rail-union-rejects-labor-deal-as-white-house-scrambles-to-avoid-nationwide-railroad-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">averting a strike</a> that threatened to further cripple the reeling U.S. economy.
The marathon talks, which began early Wednesday and were brokered by Labor Secretary Martin Walsh, led to an agreement that now goes to union members for a vote. In the meantime, the unions have agreed not to strike.
“The tentative agreement reached tonight is an important win for our economy and the American people,” President Joe Biden said. “It is a win for tens of thousands of rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that America’s families and communities got deliveries of what have kept us going during these difficult years.”
Unions involved in the talks include the powerful International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and SMART Transportation Division.
Although the White House did not reveal details of the tentative deal, the Association of American Railroads said it includes a 24% pay increase over the period covering 2020-2024, with an average $11,000 retroactive payout.
The talks came as a Friday deadline loomed. That’s when a government-imposed “cooling off” period was set to end, and when a strike could have begun.
Railroad company Union Pacific hailed the deal.
“We look forward to the unions ratifying these agreements and working with employees as we focus on restoring supply chain fluidity,” the company said in a statement.
A third of U.S. freight is moved by rail, and an interruption could cost the economy up to $2 billion per day, according to an <a href="https://www.aar.org/news/rail-service-interruption-could-cost-economy-2-billion-per-day/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> by the Association of American Railroads. Supply chain bottlenecks driven by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unemployment-rate-edges-upward-for-the-first-time-in-months-as-more-americans-return-to-work">labor shortages</a> and worldwide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apple-shifts-ipad-manufacturing-away-from-china-due-to-harsh-covid-lockdowns">government lockdowns</a> have impacted the American economy over the past two years, leading to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/survey-economists-foresee-high-inflation-supply-chain-crisis-labor-shortages-lasting-well-into-2022">inflationary pressures</a> as consumer goods <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/grocery-stores-continue-to-experience-low-supply-of-goods">fail to reach shelves</a>.
A strike would have affected not just freight carriers, but Amtrak, which shares tracks with the haulers and had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amtrak-cancels-all-long-distance-travel-ahead-of-possible-nationwide-railroad-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canceled long-distance routes</a> to ensure passengers didn’t get stranded by a strike. The people carrier was restoring those routes Thursday morning.

A CSX freight train is seen in Orlando. A pay dispute

Wee-Hours Deal Reached At Last Minute To Avert Crippling Railroad Workers’ Strike

Wee-Hours Deal Reached At Last Minute To Avert Crippling Railroad Workers' Strike

Business

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, marking the unofficial end of the summer, but we&#8217;d be remiss if we didn&#8217;t focus on this past season&#8217;s hottest trend: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/racism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anti-white racism</a> under the guise of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/critical-race-theory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diversity, equity, and inclusion</a>.
As flagged by conservative strategist Greg Price, “Open racial discrimination against whites and Asians is just a thing now I guess.” He attached screenshots to several recent stories, highlighting programs or policies that explicitly push minority individuals over white people.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Open racial discrimination against whites and Asians is just a thing now I guess. <a href="https://t.co/2FReYhhcue">pic.twitter.com/2FReYhhcue</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1565386567954440193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Asians are obviously not white, but because of their general cultural success in America, they have been <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/critical-race-theory-has-no-idea-what-do-asian-americans-opinion-1608984" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deemed</a> “white-adjacent” by proponents of Critical Race Theory.
Many of the plans highlighted by Price are potentially illegal, but the programs deserve scrutiny so that Americans can see what equity in action really looks like.
For example, Bank of America recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boa-ripped-over-no-down-payment-no-closing-costs-mortgage-plan-for-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a new mortgage lending program geared specifically to black and Hispanic homebuyers.
The loans require no down payments, no closing costs, and no credit scores. To qualify, you must make below a certain amount of money each year and purchase a home in a black or Hispanic neighborhood in select American cities. White homebuyers in those neighborhoods who meet the criteria are eligible for the program, but the company admits those aren&#8217;t the program&#8217;s intended beneficiaries.
“Our Community Affordable Loan Solution will help make the dream of sustained homeownership attainable for more Black and Hispanic families, and it is part of our broader commitment to the communities that we serve,” A.J. Barkley, head of neighborhood and community lending for Bank of America, said.
So, in other words, the gigantic bank openly brags that its goal with the program is to racially discriminate.
It is doubtful that Bank of America will begin a program like this in the predominantly white and poverty-ridden town of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/12/beattyville-kentucky-and-americas-poorest-towns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beattyville, Kentucky</a> — despite its widespread economic ruin due to policies that shipped jobs overseas and allowed drugs to proliferate through the country.
Yet Bank of America might be okay — legally speaking — since it doesn&#8217;t exclude white people from accessing its newest version of subprime mortgages.
The same likely cannot be said for Amazon or pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
The Washington Free Beacon recently reported that Amazon and Pfizer announced programs specifically for minority candidates — white people need not apply, it seems.
Amazon is being <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/amazon-faces-suit-over-10k-offer-made-exclusively-to-black-latinx-and-native-american-entrepreneurs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> for a program that allegedly discriminates based on race. Under the company&#8217;s Amazon Delivery Service Partner&#8217;s diversity grant, certain races are eligible to receive thousands of dollars to become delivery partners. The plaintiff in that suit says it is “patently unlawful racial discrimination.”
“This means that businesses owned by blacks, Latinos, or Native Americans receive a $10,000 stipend from Amazon to become delivery service partners, while whites and Asian Americans who wish to become delivery service partners receive no such stipend and must foot the entire bill for their startup costs,” the lawsuit claimed, according to The Free Beacon.
Why? Well, a look at Critical Race Theory principles — which animate such ideas — shows that present discrimination is needed to rectify past discrimination. Thus, in a leftist worldview anyway, it&#8217;s okay to exclude certain races that have been deemed non-victims.
Pfizer is even more explicit in its racial requirements.
The company — which recently <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/28/pfizer-pfe-earnings-q2-2022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> record profits thanks to its COVID vaccine — recently <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/about/careers/breakthrough-fellowship-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a “first-of-its-kind” nine-year fellowship that offers a 10-week summer internship for rising undergraduate college seniors, two years of full-time employment after undergraduate graduation, a fully paid scholarship for a master&#8217;s degree, more summer internships, and post-program employment at Pfizer.
It is probably the “first-of-its-kind” because it is only for Americans of “Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic and Native American descent” — which experts say is against the law.
“This Pfizer program is so flagrantly illegal I seriously wonder how it passed internal review by its general counsel,” Adam Mortara, a top civil rights attorney, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/no-whites-allowed-pfizer-fellowship-flagrantly-violates-the-law-lawyers-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Free Beacon.
In Minnesota, teachers unions are also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-public-schools-defend-anti-white-firing-practices-that-put-critical-race-theory-into-practice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advancing</a> racial discrimination.
Under a collective bargaining agreement between the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers union and the Minneapolis Public School District, non-white teachers are considered a “population underrepresented among licensed teachers.” That racial category means that for some reason they should be prevented from being laid off first — regardless of their educational qualifications.
In a statement given to The Washington Times, the Minneapolis Public School District actually defended its racist policies.
“To remedy the continuing effects of past discrimination, Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) mutually agreed to contract language that aims to support the recruitment and retention of teachers from underrepresented groups as compared to the labor market and to the community served by the school district,” the district <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/aug/16/minneapolis-school-district-defends-deal-lay-white/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the D.C.-based paper.
Americans should get used to more of these sorts of programs.
The Biden administration has required all federal agencies to craft their own equity action plans. As The Daily Wire has previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-unleashes-total-transformation-of-government-with-equity-action-plans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed</a>, those plans also enact anti-white racism across the country and represent a “total transformation of government.”
In all of these plans mentioned, there is little emphasis on the merit of candidates, teachers, or loan holders. The dominating factor for qualification is the race and ethnicity of individuals involved — not their character or achievements.
The evidence indicates that big banks, big unions, big business, and big government are all ideologically aligned in this effort — which is bad news for all Americans, regardless of race.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Stock photo equity

Anti-White Racism Is All The Rage Amongst Big Business, Banks, Unions, And Government

Anti-Racism

Banks

Critical Race Theory

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Federal Government

Racism

White Privilege

The American Federation of Teachers union says its lobbying is to thank for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Biden administration</a>&#8216;s dramatic expansion of a program that forgives an unlimited amount of student loans for public employees, and that one teacher used it to get out of $450,000 in obligations.
In a move that is separate from the widely-publicized $10,000 loan forgiveness but in many ways more radical, the Biden administration used a “waiver” to stop enforcing the rules of an existing program that allows people to have all remaining student loans forgiven after 10 years of working for the government or a nonprofit.
The lack of enforcement expanded the pool of those eligible so dramatically that it forgave <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-uses-little-known-covid-waiver-to-write-off-9b-in-student-loans-for-150000-government-nonprofit-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$9 billion in the last year</a>, compared to $1 billion total in the program’s previous history. The program arose from a 2007 law and is called the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
In a Labor Day message, union president Randi Weingarten said the union’s lobbying — which was also a leading cause of keeping schools closed due to coronavirus — was also responsible for the giveaway, which largely benefited the union’s members. The union played a role in helping elect Joe Biden.
“We worked directly with the Biden administration on the latest PSLF fixes and the recent game-changing announcement on student debt cancellation. Through the AFT’s advocacy around PSLF, $10 billion of student debt has been forgiven for 175,000 public service workers so far. Here’s just one example: This summer, we helped an AFT member in California wipe out her $450,000 student debt,” Weingarten <a href="https://aftvoices.org/labor-day-message-from-aft-officers-97bbf3436d9d">said</a>.
The average discharged under waivers was $61,000, according to the most recent data provided by the Department. That’s far greater than the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-student-loan-giveaway-a-boon-for-doctors-lawyers-and-grads-with-dubious-degrees-data-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10,000 offered to non-government employees</a> under the latest Biden plan, and unlike that plan, people with incomes higher than $125,000 are eligible. Weingarten — who does not have children — made $534,000 in 2020, a year when students got little in the way of in-person education, its <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/360725240/202121379349306337/full">tax filing</a> shows.
<div id="attachment_429894" style="width: 864px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429894" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-429894" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/pslf_chart-854x576.png" alt="" width="854" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/pslf_chart-854x576.png 854w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/pslf_chart-300x202.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/pslf_chart-768x518.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/pslf_chart-1536x1036.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/pslf_chart-2048x1381.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" />Daily Wire</div>
The “waiver” was justified by coronavirus, but is still in effect for the next two months, even though almost no one is currently unable to earn income because of coronavirus. “We urge eligible student loan borrowers to apply for a Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver, even if you have been denied before. Don’t delay — the waiver program expires on October 31,” she wrote.
Forgiving unlimited student loans could incentivize people to attend expensive college for far longer than they need to, and to rack up useless degrees, with taxpayers saddled with all of it after 10 years in the classroom.
The <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/budget-options/56822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congressional Budget Office</a> has flagged the issue of individual people discharging huge amounts, saying that modifying the program to institute a limit of $57,000 could help reign in the federal deficit.
Ironically, data from a study by a teachers union indicates that there are few academic benefits to majoring in education. A 2011 study by the other major teachers union, the National Education Association, showed that &#8220;majoring in education in college correlated statistically with doing worse on teaching exams,&#8221; the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Race-Bottom-Uncovering-Destroying-Education/dp/0063056720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race to the Bottom</a> reported. Undergraduate education majors scored worse on teachers certification exams than those who majored in anything else, it found.
According to the College Board, students intending on majoring in education have among the lowest SAT scores of any major. Yet, another study found, they graduate with the highest GPAs — indicating that the four expensive years of college have little rigor.
As data has mounted that school closures were devastating to children, particularly poor children, the teachers unions have publicly sought to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-claims-schools-reopened-in-spite-of-republicans-here-are-several-videos-of-democrats-defending-closed-schools">minimize</a> their role in forcing extended closures. But in the message sent to members, it said we “we fight for safe working conditions not just for ourselves but for the safety of our students.”
The union’s Labor Day message also attacked “conservatives,” while simultaneously saying it was “extremist politicians” who were “politicizing education.” It said conservatives “oppose public education and teaching children to have tolerance, empathy, and the skills, knowledge and ability to think critically that they need to achieve their dreams.”

Union Takes Credit For Biden Forgiving Unlimited Student Loans For Teachers — One Teacher Wrote Off $450,000

Education

Joe Biden

Student Loan Cancellation

Teachers Unions

Teachers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ohio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio’s</a> largest school district held a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strike</a> on the first day of school after summer vacation before coming to an agreement with the school board early Thursday morning. 
Roughly 47,000 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">students</a> in the Columbus School District were unable to attend classes in person on Wednesday as the Columbus Teacher’s Union continued its strike, alleging poor conditions. By early Thursday morning, the union and the school board had announced a “conceptual agreement.”
“Tonight, we are happy to report that we have reached a conceptual agreement with CEA leaders, and our children will return to in-person instruction on Monday. While the details cannot yet be disclosed, the contract recognizes the Board’s commitment to improving our student outcomes, the essential work of the CEA members, and strengthening our learning environments,” Columbus School Board President Jennifer Adair <a href="https://www.ccsoh.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=1643&amp;ModuleInstanceID=125&amp;ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=38606&amp;PageID=2383" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>. 
Since Columbus students were unable to attend classes in person on Wednesday, they were <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/education/2022/08/24/columbus-city-schools-strike-live-updates-teachers-school-starts/65415933007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> to go online for classes as the district brought in about 600 substitute teachers, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The online program caused trouble for some, likely due to the large number of students attempting to log in at the same time. 
“I want to assure you that our team is working hard to improve the systems and processes in place as we move forward in this unique environment,” said Superintendent Talisa Dixon. “We are adjusting how we distribute technology resources and how we monitor attendance while improving access to our online resources. We will continue to work until we solve these problems.”
Columbus students will be online for classes again on Thursday and Friday. 
The teachers union, which last went on strike in 1975, is demanding smaller class sizes, art and physical education classes, upgraded air conditioning, and a cap on the number of class periods per day. Signs held up by those picketing on Wednesday included “Columbus schools deserve working air” and “a history lesson in progress.” 
The strike had been initiated after an overwhelming vote in favor by the union on Sunday. 
“We offered a generous compensation package for teachers and provisions that would have a positive impact on classrooms,” the school board <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-education-ohio-columbus-strikes-84c3093a3ed70d017b5b1d2d82dcc9a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Wednesday. 
In response to the strike, the Center for Christian Virtue, a Christian policy group, purchased billboards throughout the area encouraging parents to enroll their kids in private schools. 
“Columbus City Schools have reached a new low,” <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/education/2022/08/23/center-for-christian-virtue-pitches-option-for-columbus-students/65416302007/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Aaron Baer, the group’s president. “After everything children have endured for the last three years, from being locked out of school under the guise of ‘safety protocols’ to being subjected to failing educational standards, now the schools have kicked kids out yet again, mere days before they were to report to class.”
The billboards point to possible scholarships to attend private schools and advocate for the proposed Backpack Bill. This bill would allow parents to use school vouchers from the state to send their children to private schools.

OH Strike

Ohio Teachers Union Strikes On First School Day After Summer Vacation, Reaches ‘Conceptual Agreement’

Ohio

As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teacher</a> shortages loom ahead of the new school year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/teachers-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union</a> leaders are calling for more financial resources.
In a recent interview with <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-300000-teacher-school-staff-vacancies-nea-president/story?id=88242614">ABC News</a>, National Education Association President Rebecca Pringle estimated that the United States lacks 300,000 teachers and support staff — the fruition of a “crisis in the number of students who are going into the teaching profession and the number of teachers who are leaving it.” Likewise, 55% of teachers reportedly consider exiting the profession earlier than they had expected.
The shortage comes as COVID and the lockdown-induced recession prompted millions of Americans to retire or otherwise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-continue-to-opt-out-of-the-workforce">exempt themselves</a> from the job market. The labor force participation rate has dropped from 66% in 2008 to 62% in 2022, falling 3% between February 2020 and April 2020 alone, according to data from the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>.
In response to the shortage, Pringle recommended that citizens ask that “all of our schools are funded, so all of our students have what they need and they deserve.” American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, meanwhile, pointed to “inadequate support and resources” and “subpar compensation” in a July <a href="https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-unveils-report-teacher-and-school-staff-shortages">press release</a> discussing the teacher shortage.
Despite claims of poor funding, there is by no means a lack of taxpayer dollars flowing toward government schools. A <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_236.55.asp?current=yes">report</a> from the National Center for Education Statistics indicated that the inflation-adjusted yearly expenditure per American pupil rose from $4,060 to $15,424 between 1960 and 2017 — a 280% increase. Another <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED543118.pdf">study</a> from the Department of Education revealed that schools increased the number of non-teaching staff by 702% between 1950 to 2009 and hired 252% more teachers over the same period.
The state of Virginia, for example, “would have had an extra $29,007 to spend per teacher if it had limited the growth of administrators and other non-teaching staff” from 1992 to 2009, according to the study.
As Robert Bortins — the CEO of Christian homeschool curriculum provider Classical Conversations — explained to The Daily Wire, the bloated funding occurs even as the United States remains in a mediocre position on many international education metrics.
“If the New York Yankees, who routinely have the highest payroll in the MLB, missed the playoffs almost 100% of the time, the front office would be fired, not given more money,” Bortins noted. “Giving our current government education system — a group of individuals who can&#8217;t even properly identify man versus woman — more money is not the solution to providing our children a better education.”
Indeed, unions themselves likely play a role in the educator shortage, according to Bortins. “Teacher unions have helped create this broken system through decades of legislative reform that are designed to give themselves power, rather than empowering families to give their children a great education,” he continued. “Teacher unions support legislation that puts unneeded and unnecessary licensing burdens on new teachers, keeping qualified individuals out of the profession due to being improperly credentialed.”
Jeremy Tate — the founder of the Classic Learning Test, a standardized exam geared toward students with Christian and classical educations — told The Daily Wire that “the motivating force” behind teachers unions is “not serving students, but protecting teachers.”
“Nothing discourages young people from entering the teaching profession more than teachers unions and the policies they push. Teaching is inherently a heroic calling, but the unions put an ugly stain on the beauty and dignity of this great profession,” he said. “Pouring your life into the next generation is a high and beautiful calling for young people and they get excited about it. But having to join the ranks of an organization that clearly doesn’t want the best for students kills this excitement.&#8221;

Randi Weingarten

Unions Complain Of Dire Teacher Shortages Ahead Of New School Year, Push For More Funding

labor shortage

National Education Association

Union officials representing Southwest Airlines employees and activists ridiculed and even targeted for social media &#8220;assassinations&#8221; members who disagreed with the labor group&#8217;s left-wing political activism, according to damning messages reviewed by The Daily Wire.
The messages, contained in court documents, were exchanged between Southwest Airlines and Transportation Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 556 union officials and activists. They were revealed during a lawsuit brought by pro-life flight attendant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flight-attendant-wins-millions-after-southwest-fires-her-for-being-pro-life-a-victory-for-freedom-of-speech">Charlene Carter</a>, a 20-year veteran fired by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southwest-airlines">Southwest Airlines</a> for her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/religion">religious beliefs</a>. A jury last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flight-attendant-wins-millions-after-southwest-fires-her-for-being-pro-life-a-victory-for-freedom-of-speech">awarded</a> Carter a whopping $5.1 million &#8212; $4.15 million from Southwest and $950,000 from the TWU Local 556 union.
When Carter complained in 2013 about deductions from her paycheck going to the union&#8217;s leftist political action committee, union treasurer John Parrot forwarded Carter&#8217;s email to other officials with a message making fun of her.
“Ha! She has been supporting the thing she despises this entire time…,” he wrote.
Todd Gage, a union vice president, joined in the mockery.
“I wish I could give her a list of all the campaigns she has donated to in the last 17 years! Her head would explode,” he wrote.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-418495 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.46.13-PM-1024x272.png" alt="" width="1024" height="272" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.46.13-PM-1024x272.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.46.13-PM-300x80.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.46.13-PM-768x204.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.46.13-PM.png 1504w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Local 556&#8217;s second vice president, Brett Nevarez, chimed in, “so typical bat****/dip**** cannot read her paycheck!”
Union officials, including its president, Audrey Stone, attended the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/womens-march">Women’s March</a> in Washington, D.C., in 2017. The event receives funding from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98xR1grjqBY">Planned Parenthood</a>, the largest abortion provider in the country. Stone, who was included in the email chain, does not appear to have admonished anyone for the inappropriate remarks.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-418496 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.47.14-PM-945x576.png" alt="" width="945" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.47.14-PM-945x576.png 945w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.47.14-PM-300x183.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.47.14-PM-768x468.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.47.14-PM-1536x937.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.47.14-PM.png 1548w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /></div>
It wasn&#8217;t just Carter who came in for scorn when disagreeing with the union&#8217;s politics, the messages show. Union members who apparently did not keep in line with the union on social media were &#8220;targeted&#8221; for &#8220;assassination.&#8221;
&#8220;I am all about targeted assassinations,&#8221; an email from union activist Brian Talburt reads, discussing social media dissidents. The message was sent to Southwest’s then-senior director in inflight services Sonya Lacore, and then forwarded to Stone by Talburt.
&#8220;It IS maddening trying to reason with these sheeple,&#8221; Talburt said, comparing at least one other critic to &#8220;cancer.&#8221;
Talburt also called Corliss King, a black woman who later became a Local 556 executive board member, “incredibly dangerous.&#8221;
&#8220;I am sure with her dreadful work history, there could be opportunity,&#8221; he said of King. &#8220;She will play VERY well to the heavy inner city, minority crowd coming on board soon. She will be their voice. She will be a huge threat in our upcoming election as well.&#8221;
Further, union critic Mike Casper was called a “cancer” that must be “eradicated.&#8221;
&#8220;I highly encourage targeting people,&#8221; Talburt wrote.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-418503 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.51.13-PM-693x576.png" alt="" width="693" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.51.13-PM-693x576.png 693w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.51.13-PM-300x249.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.51.13-PM-768x638.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-02-at-1.51.13-PM.png 1338w" sizes="(max-width: 693px) 100vw, 693px" /></div>
Since Carter&#8217;s legal victory, both Southwest Airlines and TWU union officials have vowed to appeal the ruling. National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix pledged to &#8220;keep fighting&#8221; for Carter and others who&#8217;ve &#8220;experienced similar hostility.&#8221;
“Ms. Carter demonstrated that, even in an overwhelmingly toxic environment, independent-minded workers can stand up, push back against union boss attacks on individual rights and free speech, and win,” Mix said in a statement to The Daily Wire. “The evidence presented at Carter’s trial reveals an ingrained union culture of intimidation and prejudice against dissident workers. While we will keep fighting to defend Ms. Carter’s victory for her rights, flight attendants or other employees who have experienced similar hostility should not hesitate to contact the National Right to Work Foundation for help in defending their rights.”
“Federal law governing labor relations in the air and rail industries allows union officials to demand workers fund their activities as a condition of employment,” Mix added. “TWU union officials’ attacks on employees who disagree with the union’s agenda are the unsurprising result of a system in which workers do not have even the simple power to withhold dues when union officials violate their rights – an accountability mechanism Right to Work protects.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flight-attendant-wins-millions-after-southwest-fires-her-for-being-pro-life-a-victory-for-freedom-of-speech">Flight Attendant Wins Millions After Southwest Fires Her For Being Pro-Life: ‘A Victory For Freedom Of Speech’</a>

‘Targeted Assassinations’: Court Docs Uncover Shocking Details In Pro-Life Woman’s $5M Win Over Airline, Union

Court Docs Uncover Troubling Truth Behind Pro-Life Woman’s $5M Win Over Southwest Airlines, Union

Pro-Life Movement

Southwest Airlines

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/starbucks">Starbucks</a> employees across the United States are claiming that the restaurant chain is threatening to strip them of “gender-affirming health care” if they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/unions">unionize</a>, according to a Tuesday report from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-14/starbucks-threatens-trans-benefits-in-anti-union-push-staff-say#xj4y7vzkg">Bloomberg</a>.
Last December, a coffee shop in Buffalo, New York, became the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/starbucks-workers-in-buffalo-unionize-placing-executives-on-edge-amid-labor-shortage">first Starbucks store to form a union</a>. Today, over 100 other Starbucks locations have done the same — placing executives on edge.
In a Monday complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board, labor union Workers United said that Starbucks is “threatening employees with loss of benefits” for attempting to collectively bargain. At the Oklahoma location where one employee named Neha Cremin works, the threat allegedly includes “loss of gender-affirming health care for transgender employees.”
Starbucks has <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-commitment-to-quality-healthcare-and-support-for-our-partners/">covered gender reassignment surgery</a> since 2013. Four years ago, Starbucks broadened the insurance to “a host of procedures that were previously considered cosmetic” — including breast reduction or augmentation surgery, facial feminization, and hair transplants.
A manager allegedly told Cremin that “you could gain, you could lose” when negotiating benefits, according to the complaint. The manager then told Cremin, “I know specifically, you have used the trans health-care benefits.” The filing alleges that similar incidents have occurred throughout the country.
“I think the company realizes that we as trans partners feel particularly vulnerable at this time,” Cremin argued. “I think that in some cases they are willing to take advantage of that.”
Starbucks, however, disagreed with the premise of the report. “We are not threatening our partners with the loss of benefits if they join a union,” spokesperson Reggie Borges said Tuesday, according to Bloomberg. “We take a great deal of pride in offering industry-leading benefits and have done so for more than 50 years.”
Beyond transgender surgery, Starbucks reacted to the Supreme Court’s leaked majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade by offering employees and their dependents <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/letter-to-starbucks-partners-ensuring-access-to-healthcare/">reimbursements</a> when traveling over 100 miles from the employee’s home for an abortion. The company also reaffirmed its offerings of paid leave for adoption, surrogacy, and fertility treatments, as well as free mental health and counseling sessions.
Indeed, Starbucks’ commitment to the LGBTQ movement precedes the most recent lawsuit. In 2019, Betsy Fresse — a Christian from Newark, New Jersey — filed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/starbucks-barista-files-suit-claims-she-was-fired-for-refusing-to-wear-lgbtq-t-shirt">wrongful termination lawsuit</a> and claimed she lost her job because she refused to wear a “Pride” shirt. Starbucks’ ethics and compliance helpline reached out to Fresse about her request not to wear the garment, and she replied that her “religious beliefs prevented her from doing so.” She was subsequently let go.
Despite some managers’ zeal for social activism, many investors would rather see companies focus on profits. An exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes">Daily Wire poll conducted by Echelon Insights</a> indicated last month that although 29% of respondents agreed it is a “good thing” for companies to leverage their financial power for political or social end supported by executives, 58% — twice as many — said it is a “bad thing.”
When asked to describe the motives of companies that take stances on hot-button political or social issues, 56% of investors said the firms are merely “trying to appease their critics” and 34% said the firms genuinely “believe it’s the right thing.” When companies do take stances on issues, 36% of investors said the stances are “too liberal,” while 17% said they are “too conservative.”

Transgender Fist

Starbucks Is Trying To Take Away ‘Gender-Affirming’ Care, Unionizing Workers Complain

Starbucks Allegedly Threatens Workers With Taking Away 'Gender-Affirming' Care If They Unionize

LGBTQ

Starbucks

Transgender

The head of the Los Angeles teachers union said &#8220;there is no such thing as learning loss,&#8221; despite evidence of massive educational declines due to a year of remote learning.
Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told <a href="https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/cecily-myart-cruz-teachers-union/">LA Magazine</a> that “It’s OK that our babies may not have learned all their times tables. They learned resilience. They learned survival. They learned critical-thinking skills. They know the difference between a riot and a protest. They know the words insurrection and coup.”
When schools shut down in early 2020 due to coronavirus, the union demanded that teachers not have to teach remotely for more than four hours a day, despite receiving pay for a full day. Teachers often simply posted assignments that students were expected to download and complete on their own.
Nearly two-thirds of students largely ignored this version of school, and almost none of the district&#8217;s 229,000 elementary school students logged on at all, LA Magazine reported.
Staying at home has also made children <a href="https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/closing-schools-made-children-fatter-more-vulnerable-to-covid/">fat</a>, which is one of the main risk factors for coronavirus.
In calling for schools to be closed completely last school year, the union focused more on far-left politics, <a href="https://www.utla.net/sites/default/files/samestormdiffboats_final.pdf">writing</a> that &#8220;The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States underscores the deep equity and justice challenges arising from our profoundly racist, intensely unequal society.&#8221;
They demanded to &#8220;defund police,&#8221; make housing a human right, and institute a moratorium on charter schools, which are popular with racial minorities but which the union said could &#8220;drain resources&#8221; from the union members&#8217; employer.
The superintendent, Austin Beutner, quit on June 30, writing in his resignation letter that “UTLA leadership were asked to consider all the different ways to [return to classrooms] with full pay&#8230; They would not agree to any of these.”
Parents filed lawsuits (one alleged that “UTLA and its president Cecily Myart-Cruz have held the current well-being and future prospects of LAUSD students hostage&#8221;) and demanded the recall of school board members.
But Myart-Cruz gloated: &#8220;You can recall the Governor. You can recall the school board. But how are you going to recall me?&#8221;
As students languished, Myart-Cruz pushed for a property tax hike, which was rejected by voters. When Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom offered $2 billion in extra funding for schools that opened by April 2021 — which presumably would address the same funding needs underlying a property tax hike — Myart-Cruz rejected the offer, saying too much of the money would go to &#8220;white and wealthier schools.&#8221;
As remote learning widened the racial gap when it came to academic performance, Myart-Cruz insisted that calls to provide school to children were racist.
She claimed she was being “stalked by wealthy, white, Middle Eastern parents.” A UTLA staff member contacted one parent, Maryam Qudrat, who wanted her child to at least receive more hours of Zoom classes, asking &#8220;pointed questions about her racial background,&#8221; LA Magazine reported.
For the school year beginning this month — the third school year affected by coronavirus — the union insisted on a virtual option for those who want it, which experts believe will be used largely by blacks and Latinos and which clearly leads to worse academic results than in-person learning.
Even within the union, Myart-Cruz&#8217;s claim to a mandate is thin: only 16 percent of the union&#8217;s 33,000 members voted in its 2020 officers election.
Yet the teachers union is astonishingly powerful. Its electoral efforts in ordinarily low-turnout races make politicians afraid to cross it. Voters have elected union officials as school board members, including Myart-Cruz&#8217;s romantic partner, who is an Oakland school board member.
In the first quarter of this year, the California Teachers Association, the UTLA&#8217;s statewide affiliate, spent $2.85 million on lobbying, more than twice as much as the second- and third-biggest special interests, which were both oil companies.
The magazine quoted a former school official who refused to give his name because he was &#8220;scared&#8221; of the union. &#8220;UTLA is not a normal union,&#8221; he said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-pledge-violate-law-crt-hide-evidence">After Pledging They Would Violate Law To Teach CRT, Teachers Scramble To Hide Evidence</a>

Superintendent Austin Beutner and UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz reache at an agreement to reopen schools.

Teachers Union: ‘It’s OK’ That Kids Don’t Know Math, ‘They Know The Words Insurrection and Coup’

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