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

Labor Unions

Pro-Life Movement

Southwest Airlines

Unions

<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’

California

Education

Los Angeles

Only about 70% of school staff in Montgomery County, Maryland, chose to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, despite the teachers union objecting to opening schools for most of the year by citing educators&#8217; commitment to extreme cautionary measures.
Montgomery County Public Schools Chief of Teaching, Learning and Schools Janet Wilson said last week that 25% to 30% of its employees — or more than 6,000 — had not been vaccinated, <a href="https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-estimates-70-of-staff-has-gotten-covid-19-vaccine/">Bethesda Beat</a> reported.
That&#8217;s despite the county offering the vaccines to teachers before regular citizens. Only 75% of employees ever requested a vaccine.
The suburban Maryland school system, one of the largest in the country, was closed for about a year, with teachers repeatedly objecting to administrators&#8217; plans to reopen by saying they feared the virus.
The system had planned to reopen last fall but relented when the union objected. That plan &#8220;is wholly inadequate to protect the health and safety of students and staff,&#8221; the Montgomery County Educators Association (MCEA) union <a href="https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/teachers-union-calls-mcps-reopening-plan-irresponsible/">wrote</a> at the time.
Later, when the district proposed returning a small number of children to school in March, MCEA called that plan &#8220;irresponsible,&#8221; writing that “MCPS is refusing to acknowledge that the lack of available vaccines is preventing educators from receiving the protection they need, and exposing them to unnecessary risk of harm in the in-school setting.”
It went so far as to take a vote of &#8220;no confidence&#8221; in the school system, <a href="https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/montgomery-county-teachers-union-votes-no-confidence-on-mcps-reopening-plan/">resolving</a> that &#8220;MCEA demands that MCPS shall develop and implement a coherent contact tracing and weekly diagnostic testing program in line with CDC guidelines prior to any return to worksites.&#8221;
A slew of demands also included potentially installing new air ventilation systems and providing teachers with medical-grade N95 masks.
What&#8217;s happened since has called into question whether some teachers were sincere about their reasons for not returning to school.
Unions have repeatedly shifted the goalposts, with the American Federation of Teachers saying last month that normal school <a href="https://twitter.com/AFTunion/status/1395858455362158595">should not resume</a> next year unless there is a vaccine for children under 12, even though research has found that students are less likely to contract or spread coronavirus.
Emails showed that the AFT seemed to successfully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/parents-union-blasts-teachers-union-influence-on-biden-school-closures-calling-cdc-infected">lobby</a> the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to alter its supposedly scientific guidance, keeping schools closed.
In one Massachusetts school district, teachers told children to write <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/children-assigned-to-write-love-poems-to-coronavirus-vaccine">love poems</a> to the vaccine.
In Missouri, children were forced to wear masks outside in the blistering heat, leading to medical complications, while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kids-vomit-wearing-masks-in-heat-while-union-honchos-go-maskless">union officials</a> went into a classroom to read to masked children while they themselves did not wear masks. The Missouri union also posted pictures of retired teachers, who are in the age group most at risk of coronavirus, cavorting in close quarters without masks.
Some schools had teachers don white lab coats or even levels of personal protective equipment that bordered on hazmat suits, leading to a display that made a return to school unappealing to families. Other students who have returned to school have been forced to learn behind plexiglass walls, despite CDC Director Rochelle Walensky saying teachers are more likely to catch coronavirus outside of school than in it.
MCEA&#8217;s resolution was clear that it was holding out for money, saying &#8220;a return to in-person instruction requires human and capital resources that significantly exceed those of a pre-COVID era.&#8221;
Schools ultimately received more than $120 billion in coronavirus money, even though much of it does not have to be spent for years.
The MCEA also mixed racial demands with its purported coronavirus concerns, demanding that MCPS &#8220;shall adequately staff all instructional models, particularly those which directly serve Black and, [sic] Brown students.&#8221;
Even as schools were closed to in-person learning, the county planned a busing proposal that would distribute students based on race, drawing another wedge between teachers and parents.
The school system spent hundreds of thousands of dollars finding out what parents wanted. Its <a href="https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/BoundaryAnalysis_Final%20Report.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3z4rt8cy30vjQYLGrW2bizK1xAYm6eYTh9sAj_TdhchUKZQ1WsriTiTW0">survey</a> found that only 18% of respondents thought &#8220;balance diversity among nearby schools&#8221; was important, while more than twice as many (50%) thought it was not important. 79% of survey respondents thought it was &#8220;extremely important&#8221; to minimize boundary changes, while only 4% thought it was &#8220;not important.&#8221;
The school system recently passed a policy requiring it to prioritize race when drawing school boundaries.
Spokesperson Gboyinde Onijala was noncommittal about whether the district would side with parents, telling The Daily Wire: &#8220;During the 2021–2022 school year, the Board will explore potential next steps based on the findings of the report.&#8221;
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html">CDC</a>:
<blockquote>COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. … Everyone 12 years of age and older is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination…
Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.</blockquote>

After Teachers Claimed They Were Too Scared To Work, Many Never Got Vaccinated

COVID-19 Vaccine

A Parents Union — a counterpoint to the powerful teachers unions and the PTAs, which also reflect teachers&#8217; interests — has come out swinging against the Biden administration&#8217;s twisting of science to keep schools closed.
A group calling itself the National Parents Union said Wednesday:
<blockquote>The Biden administration has asked parents and families to trust the guidance of the [Centers for Disease Control (CDC)] &#8230; But it is now clear that when it comes to school reopening guidance, the recommendations from the CDC were tainted by outside influence, including teachers unions, who had no expertise in the area of public health &#8230; Allowing outside groups to influence CDC decision-making breaks the trust that President Biden is trying to build with families and raises the question as to whether guidance is based on politics or science. If the administration wants the trust of parents and families, they should not allow the CDC to become infected by partisan politics and union posturing.</blockquote>
Democrats have frequently ordered people to &#8220;trust the science&#8221; in accepting school closures and mask requirements, but emails disclosed by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/teachers-union-collaborated-with-cdc-on-school-reopening-emails/">New York Post</a> Saturday showed that the CDC recommendations on reopening schools were influenced by lobbying from teachers unions, with the health agency adopting some union suggestions nearly verbatim.
On February 3, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said, &#8220;There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated.&#8221;
But after honchos with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) had what the AFT called a &#8220;rich discussion&#8221; with CDC officials, the guidance issued February 12 was much more restrictive.
&#8220;I can assure you that this is free from political meddling,&#8221; Walensky said at the time.
The Parents Union teaches parents <a href="https://nationalparentsunion.org/legislative-corner/">how</a> to write cease and desist letters to schools, how to file Freedom of Information Act requests to shake secrets loose from school systems, and about their rights to homeschool.
Its president, Keri Rodrigues, is a former labor activist with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and an elected member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, according to her <a href="https://nationalparentsunion.org/#keri-rodrigues">biography</a>.
The group says it &#8220;unites parents of color, low-income parents, special needs parents, single mothers and fathers, grandparents, formerly incarcerated parents and parents in recovery with traditionally represented parent voices to join a vibrant coalition that disrupts the traditional role of parent voice in policy space.&#8221;
Despite more than fifty million children in public schools, and the drastic impact school closures have had on families, parents have had little voice, especially juxtaposed against the National Education Association — the largest union in the country, and which counts first lady Jill Biden as a member — and the well-heeled American Federation of Teachers.
Parents looking for someone who would advocate for their interests have found themselves out of luck with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), which criticized President Trump&#8217;s effort to re-open schools and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-pta-sold-out-parents-for-politics">opposes positions supported by most parents</a>, such as school vouchers.
The PTA, The Daily Wire previously found, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-unions-infiltrate-pta">teachers union officials in top roles</a>.
Elena Fishbein, a parent activist with a group called No Left Turn, told The Daily Wire: “Being involved in education is not selling wrapping paper to help teachers. That’s what the role of parents has been reduced to by the PTA. Parents would be asking tough questions, because there are a lot of problems in schools. Yet the supposed parents’ association is sitting there planning parties?”

‘Parents Union’ Blasts Teachers Union Influence On Biden School Closures, Calling CDC ‘Infected’

This week, the Democrats solidified their devotion to Big Labor by passing the most pro-labor, anti-worker piece of legislation ever to grace the halls of Congress.
Big Labor = Big Business! The biggest misconception people have about labor unions is that they are for the “little guy,” the “common man.” The American public don’t see unions for what they actually are; private businesses that takes money from public employees, sometimes forcibly, and call it union dues. Thankfully, that business is dying.
The “Protecting the Right to Organize Act,” the “PRO Act,” also known as House Resolution 842, passed the United States House of Representatives on Tuesday night. This legislation is a sweeping labor reform that should have been no less than nine stand-alone bills, but instead was rolled into one big pot of gold and placed at the end of the congressional rainbow for Big Labor. What does expanding union employees’ rights to strike have to do with whether an Uber driver should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor? Nothing, except for the fact that each of these provisions can be found buried in the “PRO Act.” 
What is the “PRO Act,” and why is it so bad for the average American? Since the bill is so broad in the issues it tackles, it only makes sense to address them individually. There are a number of provisions that only pertain to businesses, labor attorneys and those specifically working in labor relations; however, the focus here is on the impact to Americans with a job. 
The “PRO Act” is a continuation of the all-out assault against the “gig economy,” which includes drivers for app-based ride services such as Uber and Lyft, as well as food delivery services, and the list goes on for the countless structured side hustles which exist today. It is estimated that nearly 60 million Americans participate in the gig economy and with so many people having lost their jobs due to COVID shutdowns, it is likely that the number of gig economy participants has skyrocketed over the last year. These people are looking to earn extra money, most have other jobs or many clients and need the flexibility of an independent contractor relationship with no desire to be full time employees. The “PRO Act” makes this more complicated for one purpose; union bosses wanted a new avenue for prospective members. 
The “PRO Act” forces an employer to turn private, personal information about its employees over to the unions. Specifically, they must provide unions with home addresses, work locations, shifts, job classifications, and, if available to the employer, personal landline and mobile telephone numbers, as well as work and personal email addresses. The potential implications of this much personal data getting out are obvious, and on top of that, there are many cases where an employee of a union was arrested for identity theft. 
Under current labor law, when employees are actively considering whether they wish to be represented by a union, a process takes place where employers are allowed to plead their case, educate employees on their rights, explain what a union can and can’t do for them and show them where unions spend their money via public financial reports unions are required to file every year. Unions can promise employees the moon and say anything they want because it is viewed as a sales process under the law. The employer, on the other hand, is viewed as having real power over its employees but must rely on hard facts. Employers are currently allowed and take advantage of the opportunity to show its employees, should they vote in the union, how their dues money will be funding political agendas they might not agree with, as well as the union officers’ exorbitant salaries and outlandish benefits that often include private jet travel, company vehicles, and lavish retreats. They also show them the types of contracts the union tends to bargain for which can and often times do, result in less pay, worse benefits and less time off if the employer would agree to some contentious provision, like taking dues directly from members’ paychecks. The “PRO Act” would make this process illegal and employees would only be allowed to hear from the union, which is under no legal constraints for what they can or can’t say to prospective members.
Perhaps the biggest assault on American workers is the repeal of right-to-work. One of the most common arguments one hears from supporters of the “PRO Act” is that it protects the fundamental American right to be a part of a labor union. However, it is equally as fundamental of a right not be part of a labor union, just like it is a right not to support any other activist group. Labor unions are extremely active in all levels of American politics and all too often go off the rails from the core values most of their members hold dear. Repealing right-to-work would force nearly a million Americans around the country to either join the union as a full-fledged member or pay “fair share dues”, which are typically around 85 percent of a full membership. Forced union dues means mandatory funding of a political agenda regardless of where its members stand. That is an absolute violation of “freedom of association.” Labor unions of course do not tell their members this and it is the primary issue with a case Freedom Foundation has pending before the Supreme Court, Belgau vs Inslee. The Freedom Foundation is arguing that before a union can start collecting dues from a member, the member must be made aware that the union will be speaking on their behalf, not only on employment related issues, but political issues as well. 
The “PRO act” is not good for American workers, and only benefits union bosses and the politicians they fund.
Aaron Withe is the CEO of the Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit that specializes in exposing and battling abuses by government employee unions.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Speaker Pelosi Holds Weekly Press Conference Before House Votes On Impeachment

The Democrats ‘PRO Act’ Is The Most Anti-Worker Piece Of Legislation In A Generation

Democratic Party

In a video message on Sunday, President Joe Biden signaled support for Amazon workers in Alabama who have been attempting to unionize but without mentioning the specificities of the situation.
Over the course of this week, approximately 6,000 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, will vote on whether or not they want to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). If the vote is successful, the workers would represent the first grouping of the company&#8217;s American workers to join a union. Biden notably did not mention the specifics of the situation, although he did reference Alabama workers in his tweet.
Biden&#8217;s tweet stated, &#8220;Workers in Alabama – and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It’s a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers. Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Workers in Alabama – and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It’s a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers.
Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union. <a href="https://t.co/2lzbyyii1g">pic.twitter.com/2lzbyyii1g</a>
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1366191901196644354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During his campaign for president, Biden claimed that he would be the &#8220;most pro-union president&#8221; and has long made efforts to improve conditions for working-class voters a main component of his political persona. In the video, Biden stressed the importance of workers voting on their own without pressure from employers.
Last month, a group of 50 congressional members expressed their support of the Amazon workers&#8217; efforts to create a union with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
In a <a href="https://www.andylevinforcongress.com/single-post/levin-leads-colleagues-in-letter-to-amazon-to-cease-union-busting-tactics">letter</a> to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the lawmakers referenced Biden&#8217;s Executive Order that states, &#8220;It is the policy of the United States to encourage union organizing and collective bargaining.”  The congresspeople added that expanding collective bargaining not only has the ability to help workers, but it can also be beneficial to management. &#8220;Workers who belong to unions earn higher wages, have more paid time off, and negotiate improved health care coverage, which can strengthen their families and communities and help the company with improved morale and reduced turnover, recruitment, training and other costs.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.andylevinforcongress.com/single-post/levin-leads-colleagues-in-letter-to-amazon-to-cease-union-busting-tactics">letter</a> also claims that the Alabama workers are &#8220;focused on advancing racial equity.&#8221;
It continues, telling Bezos,
<blockquote>This is an opportunity for your company to chart a new course and break with your history of disempowering workers. From using so-called &#8216;flex&#8217; workers to avoid paying full benefits to your employees, to failing to provide complete data on COVID-19 spread in the workplace, to spying on employees seeking to organize a union, Amazon has a clear pattern of denying workers dignity on the job. During this campaign in Alabama, you have attempted to coerce your employees out of exercising their voices with misleading text messages and anti-union propaganda and force in-person voting during a pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of nearly 500,000 Americans.</blockquote>
President Biden was also the recipient of a letter on the topic. Last week, a few dozen advocacy groups wrote to him, asking him to show his support for the workers in Alabama.
The <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Biden_Amazon-Union-Letter_2.25_updated.pdf">letter</a> states, &#8220;We write to urge you to publicly voice support for the unionization effort of Amazon warehouse workers currently underway in Bessemer, Alabama. These brave individuals are providing an inspiring and important example of collective labor action, and deserve the backing of not just all Americans, but specifically their federal government.&#8221;
The groups went on to say that &#8220;One of the most important things a president can do to help working people is to have their backs when they challenge corporate power, providing public support to the idea that Americans have a right to bargain collectively for better working conditions&#8230;This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make that pledge a reality. We urge you to lend all your support to the Amazon workers in Bessemer. They deserve nothing less.&#8221;

E7291CC2-9E83-46BB-99CF-C8C73B69F664_1_201_a

Biden Signals Support For Amazon Workers’ Vote To Unionize

Amazon

Biden Administration

Jeff Bezos

Imagine that you pay a fee for a service like Netflix, but you end up not liking it, so you cancel your membership. Then, Netflix decides it is still providing you a benefit, so you must continue to pay the membership fee. Your response would probably be to tell your bank to stop paying them. However, for public employees who want to opt out of their union, it’s not that simple.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) made a landmark decision in Janus v. AFSCME that allowed every single public employee in the country to opt out of their government union and stop paying union dues. However, for tens of thousands of public employees across the country, these rights are being suppressed by the unions and their employers, the government. 
For years, we&#8217;ve run a campaign to inform and assist these public employees with their rights to opt out of their unions. And for years, unions, rather than provide benefits and services to their members that might convince them to stay, have been pulling every trick in the book to coerce and steal these employees’ hard-earned dollars. 
One of these tricks involves including deceptive fine print in their union membership cards that attempts to force public employees to continue to pay union dues for up to one year after they decide to opt-out of their union. 
If any other private sector business tried to implement these types of tactics, the left and the right would band together to condemn such actions. However, government unions are the largest contributors to liberal politicians in the country, and those same bought-and-paid-for politicians allow this practice to happen in the states they control. 
This week, the Freedom Foundation handed SCOTUS a prime opportunity to stop government unions from blatantly ignoring the Janus decision. They now have the chance to free millions of taxpayer-funded employees from being forced to pay union dues, all in one little-known lawsuit out of the Ninth Circuit.
<a href="https://www.freedomfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Belgau-Cert-Petition-FINAL.pdf">The case is Belgau v. Inslee,</a> and a decision by the U.S Supreme Court could have a devastating impact on government unions that maintain a stranglehold on state and federal policymaking.
My colleagues and I have been fighting government unions’ deceptive tactics for years, even before Janus. In fact, we submitted an <a href="https://www.freedomfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Janus-Amicus-Brief-Friedrichs-Thorpe.pdf">amicus brief</a> to SCOTUS in the Janus decision in anticipation of such tactics being used.
Rather than allowing unions to regard every government employee as a dues-paying member until he or she successfully opts out, the brief argued that no one can legally be a member until they agree to opt in.
The court concurred, and when the final ruling in Janus v. AFSCME was released, it made clear that any employee who agrees to join a union and pay dues is waiving their First Amendment right not to support the union’s political activity. And since a waiver of rights cannot simply be assumed, the prospective member must be advised of their rights and grant permission before a union can deduct dues from their pay.
In his majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito quoted our brief almost word for word, and its meaning is unambiguous.
Nonetheless, unions ignored it. And when we took them to court to enforce the ruling, lower court judges on the west coast consistently declined to interpret Janus as broadly as its authors intended. Some judges went so far as to say Justice Alito’s opinion was wrong.
Belgau should change all that. Its plaintiffs are a group of Washington state employees from whose wages the union is deducting dues long after they demanded their freedom.
If heard by the court, Belgau will be the first to argue that every government union membership <a href="https://www.freedomfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/D76-Amicus-Brief-of-Mark-Janus.pdf">agreement signed before Janus or since is invalid</a> unless accompanied by written proof that the worker has knowingly waived his or her right to opt out.
If SCOTUS agrees, such a ruling would quite literally mean every government union in the country must have all public employees sign new membership cards affirmatively consenting to have union dues taken from their paychecks. Former governor Scott Walker took similar action in Wisconsin, which led to more than 50 percent of public employees making the choice to leave their unions.
If the justices side with the Freedom Foundation, it will be a cataclysmic event for government unions. With the stroke of a pen, labor leaders won’t have millions of members blindly handing over their dues every month.
Overnight, the whole script will flip. Instead of organizations working to help union members get out, unions will have to work full-time just to coax them back in.
Most won’t return. And when the unions have no members, they’ll also have no money. That means liberal candidates and causes those unions almost exclusively back will have to start funding themselves the way conservatives do — with their own money instead of someone else’s.
Union bosses will scream bloody murder about how unfair the decision is, of course. After all, when you’ve enjoyed a government-enforced monopoly for generations, the prospect of one day having to compete on the open market for someone’s dues money must be terrifying.
Ain’t it a shame?
Aaron Withe is national director of the Freedom Foundation, a multi-state public policy organization specializing in the abuses of government employee unions.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

FBI Director Comey Testifies At Hearing On Alleged Russian Election Meddling

Government Unions Have Been Stealing Money For Years — Now, SCOTUS Has The Chance To Intervene

Readers Pass

SCOTUS

Following the drama surrounding the resignation of a New York Times veteran science reporter, employees inside the company have said the union designed to protect them is now more concerned with being “woke” than protecting employees.
Several Times employees <a href="https://freebeacon.com/media/union-or-woke-activist-group-new-york-times-employees-raise-questions-about-guilds-role-in-recent-dismissals/">spoke</a> to the Washington Free Beacon, detailing the problems within the New York Times Guild, the employee union.
&#8220;The people I’m supposed to go to if I have a problem with management are the same ones who might try to get me fired,&#8221; one union member told the outlet. &#8220;The union is the last place I would go for support.&#8221;
That sentiment is a far cry different than a statement put out by the union last June, in which it declared: “Journalists are not expendable. Employers are attempting to undermine our collective strength and security.&#8221; The Guild went on to say that it was “fighting to preserve our right to due process and to ensure fairness and equity — particularly for our BIPOC colleagues — by maintaining this essential safeguard against unjust [discipline.]” (Side note: while the Times union demands a right to due process, the paper has actively attacked attempts to provide those same rights to college students.)
While the union said last year that it would protect its members, it seems to have changed its tune after allegations of racism were lodged against Donald McNeil, a four-decade veteran of the news paper who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-times-reporter-resigns-amid-allegations-he-used-a-racial-slur-in-2019-ignore-context-and-intent">resigned</a> earlier this month.
Employees who spoke to the Free Beacon described how Times union members signed a letter to management “demanding a more thorough investigation of his conduct after an initial probe led to a wrist slap.,” the Free Beacon reported. McNeil had been disciplined for his alleged behavior on a “Times Journeys” expedition to Peru to study health care in the region. The trips have been around since 2012, but as Times media columnist Ben Smith <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/14/business/media/new-york-times-donald-mcneil.html">explained</a> on Sunday, they became complicated to manage  — particularly in the summer of 2019, after The Times began hosting teenagers.”
It was those teenagers – none of whom were black – that made the allegations against McNeil, which ranged from vague claims that the reporter “made racist and sexist remarks throughout the trip” to the main allegation that McNeil repeated the “n-word” when asking for clarification from a student about whether a classmate should have been disciplined for using the word in a video when they were 12. McNeil said he asked the student what context the other student used the slur, repeating it while doing so.
The Times union didn’t directly call for McNeil’s firing, but prominent members did, according to those who spoke to the Free Beacon. The members who spoke to the outlet said reporter Davey Alba and cultural critic Amanda Hess led the charge to fire McNeil even after he had already been disciplined.
The union has a legal obligation to *represent* people in discipline and to follow due process,” Alba <a href="https://twitter.com/daveyalba/status/1358798656355336200">argued</a> on Twitter. “We are not defense attorneys. If someone harassed someone or acted in a matter deemed unacceptable, it can still count as cause.”
Hess, through Times spokesman Jordan Cohen, said it was “completely false” to suggest she was part of the uproar over McNeil.
As the Free Beacon reported, the Guild did issue <a href="https://twitter.com/daveyalba/status/1358804306074476547">a statement</a> against McNeil.
&#8220;There’s never a moment when harmful racist rhetoric is acceptable,&#8221; it said. &#8220;While we continue to advocate for our members, we do so recognizing that we are one community that must work together to eradicate and fight injustice.&#8221;
The statement suggested the union wouldn’t back McNeil if he were fired.

New York Times

New York Times Union Hijacked By Woke Activists, Employees Say

In the first days of his administration, President Biden signed a flurry of executive orders that reversed many of President Trump’s economic, immigration, and energy policies. 
One executive order revoked the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-protecting-public-health-and-environment-and-restoring-science-to-tackle-climate-crisis/">permit</a> for the Keystone XL Pipeline in the name of commencing “work to confront the climate crisis.” The action instantly <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/laid-off-keystone-xl-worker-biden-order-hurt-people">killed</a> 11,000 jobs.
Though his actions were by no means unexpected in light of his progressive campaign <a href="https://joebiden.com/joes-vision/">platform</a>, President Biden’s first mandates left union groups — some of his most instrumental supporters — with a foul taste in their mouths.
LIUNA — Laborers’ International Union of North America
In September, the Laborers’ International Union of North America “proudly” <a href="https://twitter.com/LIUNA/status/1302971085466611712">endorsed</a> the Democratic presidential ticket, declaring that Biden and Harris clearly “stand out as the blue-collar candidates.”
“Vice President Biden never forgets where he came from; never forgets the value of hard work and those who do it; and never forgets that the greatest asset of our country are its working men and women,” <a href="https://www.liuna.org/news/story/liuna-endorses-joe-biden-for-president">wrote</a> LIUNA General President Terry O’Sullivan. “During these challenging times, our nation desperately needs the steady hand and strong, inclusive leadership that Joe Biden will provide.”
However, LIUNA — which represents 500,000 construction workers — changed their tune once the Biden administration entered the Oval Office.
In response to the removal of the Keystone XL permit, LIUNA <a href="https://twitter.com/LIUNA/status/1351680949239615488">decried</a> the executive order for killing “thousands of good-paying #UNION jobs!”
NABTU — North America’s Building Trades Unions
In the weeks before the 2020 election, North America’s Building Trades Unions formally endorsed Biden.
“With so much at stake right now, America needs responsible, forward-thinking White House leadership that reflects American shared values and delivers on its promises,” said the organization in a <a href="https://nabtu.org/press_releases/biden-endorsement/">statement</a>. “We need a President who keeps his word and will put America on a better path forward.”
“Joe Biden will deliver for America’s working class because he’s done it before… Furthermore, his plan to build vibrant, sustainable infrastructure and a secure energy future will support union building trades workers and their families,” it continued.
Like their LIUNA counterparts, NABTU — a coalition of 14 North American unions that represent 3 million professionals — backtracked following President Biden’s executive order, stating that they were “deeply disappointed” in the action.
“On a historic day that is filled with hope and optimism for so many Americans and people around the world, tens of thousands of workers are left to wonder what the future holds for them,” said their new <a href="https://nabtu.org/press_releases/nabtu-statement-on-biden-kxl-pipeline-cancellation-announcement/">statement</a>. “In the midst of a pandemic that has claimed 400 thousand American lives and has wreaked havoc on the economic security and standard of living of tens of millions more, we must all stand in their shoes and acknowledge the uncertainty and anxiety this government action has caused.”
UA — United Association (Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Service Techs) 
The United Association was one of the first unions to endorse the Democrats for their presidential bid. They were also one of the first to express disagreement over the Keystone XL decision.
In August, the UA <a href="https://twitter.com/UAPipeTrades/status/1295490140153028608">endorsed</a> President Biden, declaring that “Joe will make sure UA members have a seat at the table.” 
“With his long history of standing shoulder to shoulder with working families and his commitment to an all-of-the-above energy approach that will mean more UA jobs, protecting the hard-earned retirements of our members, and appointing union-friendly judges, Joe Biden will be a fierce ally to our UA Brothers and Sisters in the White House,” <a href="https://www.uagetinvolved.org/ua-endorses-joe-biden">remarked</a> General President Mark McManus.
Two days before Biden’s inauguration, the UA — which boasts over 350,000 members — condemned the Biden administration’s plan to rescind the Keystone XL permit.
“In revoking this permit, the Biden Administration has chosen to listen to the voices of fringe activists instead of union members and the American consumer on Day 1,” <a href="https://uagetinvolved.org/content/keystone-xl-decision-will-raise-energy-costs-american-families">said</a> McManus. “Sadly, the Biden Administration has now put thousands of union workers out of work. For the average American family, it means energy costs will go up and communities will no longer see the local investments that come with pipeline construction.”
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden

Buyer’s Remorse? Unions Who Supported Biden Now Condemn His Keystone XL Executive Order

Keystone XL

President Joe Biden is facing backlash across the country after he signed an Executive Order last week that canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, a move that also drew criticism from Canada.
The move by Biden comes after he signed Executive Orders on a wide range of issues last week during his first days in office, including orders on climate and energy matters.
Josh Senk, general manager of Michels Corporation, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fox6news/videos/wi-congressmen-rebuke-president-bidens-halt-of-keystone-pipeline/893329908165242/">slammed</a> Biden during a press conference in Wisconsin, saying, “The recent actions of President Joe Biden, the Executive Order halting the construction of the Keystone pipeline has effected Michels, thousands of union trade members across the country, and hundreds of guys that specifically work in Wisconsin.”
Senk later said that &#8220;hundreds of guys&#8221; have already been laid off.
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-new-mexico-us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-a07cb29630f79112eced658f18db0e51?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow">noted</a> that local leaders in New Mexico were worried about the impact that Biden&#8217;s decisions on placing a moratorium on drilling on public lands would have on their state and leaders in Utah have asked Biden to reconsider his decision.
“During his inauguration, President Biden spoke about bringing our nation together. Eliminating drilling on public lands will cost thousands of New Mexicans their jobs and destroy what’s left of our state’s economy,” Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway told the AP. “How does that bring us together? Environmental efforts should be fair and well-researched, not knee-jerk mandates that just hurt an already impoverished state.”
Native American tribes have also reportedly been angered by Biden&#8217;s decision to cancel the pipeline. In a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/your-order-is-a-direct-attack-native-american-tribe-condemns-biden-administrations-secretarial-order">letter</a> to the Biden administration, Luke Duncan, the chairman of the Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee, wrote:
<blockquote>The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation respectfully requests that you immediately amend Order No. 3395 to provide an exception for energy permits and approvals on Indian lands. The Ute Indian Tribe and other energy producing tribes rely on energy development to fund our governments and provide services to our members.
Your order is a direct attack on our economy, sovereignty, and our right to self-determination. Indian lands are not federal public lands. Any action on our lands and interests can only be taken after effective tribal consultation.
Order No. 3395 violates the United States treaty and trust responsibilities to the Ute Indian Tribe and violates important principles of tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Your order was also issued in violation (of) our government-to-government relationship. Executive Order No. 13175 on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, and Interior’s own Policy on Consultation with Tribal Governments.
The order must be withdrawn or amended to comply with Federal law and policies. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward from hearing from you.</blockquote>
Multiple unions that endorsed Biden during his presidential campaign — including the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters — have since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unions-wanted-biden-now-theyre-blasting-him-over-killing-keystone-xl">slammed</a> Biden for canceling the pipeline.
LIUNA said that the decision would &#8220;kill thousands of good-paying UNION jobs!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pipeline?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pipeline</a> construction has been a lifeline for many <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIUNA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIUNA</a> members across the country. The anticipated decision to cancel the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeystonePipeline?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeystonePipeline</a> will kill thousands of good-paying <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNION?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNION</a> jobs! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pipelinesarelifelines?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pipelinesarelifelines</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/energy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#energy</a> <a href="https://t.co/p0BxD1vPHV">pic.twitter.com/p0BxD1vPHV</a>
&mdash; LIUNA (@LIUNA) <a href="https://twitter.com/LIUNA/status/1351680949239615488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;In revoking this permit, the Biden Administration has chosen to listen to the voices of fringe activists instead of union members and the American consumer on Day 1,&#8221; Mark McManus, General President of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters. &#8220;Let me be very clear: When built with union labor by the men and women of the United Association, pipelines like Keystone XL remain the safest and most efficient modes of energy transportation in the world. Sadly, the Biden Administration has now put thousands of union workers out of work. For the average American family, it means energy costs will go up and communities will no longer see the local investments that come with pipeline construction.&#8221;
Local media organizations across the country have also reported on the negative impacts that Biden&#8217;s executive orders on energy have had on their states.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Laid-off Keystone XL worker: Biden&#39;s canceling of the Keystone pipeline “is going to hurt a lot of people, a lot of families, a lot of communities”<a href="https://t.co/eeVPPjuRZA">https://t.co/eeVPPjuRZA</a> <a href="https://t.co/gZ1Hde1vnD">pic.twitter.com/gZ1Hde1vnD</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1353894928850571265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fox 39 in Rockford, IL reports that Biden&#39;s executive action to halt construction of the Keystone pipeline is already eliminating &quot;more than 1000 construction jobs”<a href="https://t.co/JyTVSeNEAK">https://t.co/JyTVSeNEAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wiy5HADd36">pic.twitter.com/Wiy5HADd36</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1353744862718406659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“…Washington doesn’t value the Texas energy economy and southeast Texas jobs.”
From CBS-Beaumont in Texas <a href="https://t.co/c9kFw7ASgF">pic.twitter.com/c9kFw7ASgF</a>
&mdash; America Rising (@AmericaRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRising/status/1352756340293308421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“…the people that are still in the business will be challenged.”
From NBC-Corpus Christi in Texas <a href="https://t.co/qWMLoy6pUa">pic.twitter.com/qWMLoy6pUa</a>
&mdash; America Rising (@AmericaRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRising/status/1352756377442246659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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“Mr. Biden just cost the country 10,000 jobs and $2.2 billion in workers wages.”
From FOX-El Paso in Texas <a href="https://t.co/4DMUfpw45M">pic.twitter.com/4DMUfpw45M</a>
&mdash; America Rising (@AmericaRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRising/status/1352756414394097664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“…guaranteed higher energy costs for all Americans…”
From KX4-Fargo in North Dakota <a href="https://t.co/Wi4nXNcfz3">pic.twitter.com/Wi4nXNcfz3</a>
&mdash; America Rising (@AmericaRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRising/status/1352756451392057344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“…will impact thousands of Texas jobs.”
From NBC-Brownsville in Texas <a href="https://t.co/N4LEO7SIC4">pic.twitter.com/N4LEO7SIC4</a>
&mdash; America Rising (@AmericaRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRising/status/1352756476465598465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“…sends a chilling message to pipeline and infrastructure projects across the country…”
From NBC-Superior in Wisconsin <a href="https://t.co/7hSccZs8Mt">pic.twitter.com/7hSccZs8Mt</a>
&mdash; America Rising (@AmericaRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRising/status/1352756527468339200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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This article has been revised for clarity and emphasis.

President Biden Signs Executive Order After Delivering Remarks On American Manufacturing

Biden Faces Backlash Across Country For Canceling Keystone XL Pipeline

Unions that delighted in pushing Joe Biden for president during the presidential campaign in 2020 are condemning his decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline.
On Wednesday, Biden <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/glenn-radio/biden-day-one-executive-orders">canceled the Keystone XL pipeline</a>, killing an estimated 11,000 American jobs. “TC Energy Corporation, the Canadian company behind the Keystone XL pipeline project, said they would <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/keystone-pipeline-canceled-let-the-layoffs-begin">cut more than 11,000 jobs</a>,” <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/keystone-pipeline-biden-unions-jobs">The Blaze</a> reported.
Only days after former president Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, he restarted the efforts to complete the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-01-24/trump-advances-keystone-and-dakota-pipelines-fulfilling-pledge">imposing a deadline</a> on the government’s environmental review of the pipelines. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/TRP:CN">TransCanada Corp.</a>’s proposed Keystone XL was intended to transport Alberta oil sands to U.S. refineries.
The Obama administration had rejected the Keystone proposal in November 2015 and had blocked Dakota Access since September of 2016. Reuters reported, “TransCanada Corp said it would resubmit an application for a permit for Keystone XL after Trump signed an order saying the company could re-apply. The application will be reviewed by the U.S. State Department, which has 60 days to reach a decision.”
On Wednesday, Biden issued an executive order stating:
<blockquote>On March 29, 2019, the President granted to TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. a Presidential permit (the “Permit”) to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the international border of the United States and Canada (the “Keystone XL pipeline”), subject to express conditions and potential revocation in the President’s sole discretion. The Permit is hereby revoked in accordance with Article 1(1) of the Permit. The Keystone XL pipeline disserves the U.S. national interest. The United States and the world face a climate crisis. That crisis must be met with action on a scale and at a speed commensurate with the need to avoid setting the world on a dangerous, potentially catastrophic, climate trajectory. … Leaving the Keystone XL pipeline permit in place would not be consistent with my Administration’s economic and climate imperatives.</blockquote>
Unions which hitherto had championed Biden were furious.
On September 7, 2020, Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America, issued an <a href="https://www.liuna.org/news/story/liuna-endorses-joe-biden-for-president">endorsement</a> of the Bide-Harris presidential ticket, writing:
<blockquote>After discussions with our leaders and members, the General Executive Board of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) unanimously, enthusiastically, and proudly endorses Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States of America. As we celebrate Labor Day 2020, and remember the strife and struggle of those who came before us, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris stand out as the blue-collar candidates&#8230;
Joe Biden is one of us; he knows, first hand, the trials and tribulations faced by working men and women across this country. …Over the crucial next few months, the 500,000 strong, proud, and united men and women of LIUNA will be on the front lines relentlessly working to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and leading the way to fulfill their mantra of “Build Back Better.”</blockquote>
But last week, after hearing that Biden would kill the Keystone XL pipeline, the union tweeted: “Pipeline construction has been a lifeline for many #LIUNA members across the country. The anticipated decision to cancel the #KeysonePipeline will kill thousands of good-paying #UNION jobs!”
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pipeline?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pipeline</a> construction has been a lifeline for many <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIUNA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIUNA</a> members across the country. The anticipated decision to cancel the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeystonePipeline?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeystonePipeline</a> will kill thousands of good-paying <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNION?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNION</a> jobs! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pipelinesarelifelines?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pipelinesarelifelines</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/energy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#energy</a> <a href="https://t.co/p0BxD1vPHV">pic.twitter.com/p0BxD1vPHV</a>
&mdash; LIUNA (@LIUNA) <a href="https://twitter.com/LIUNA/status/1351680949239615488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In August, the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters <a href="https://www.uagetinvolved.org/ua-endorses-joe-biden">endorsed</a> Biden. But on January 18, anticipating Biden’s announcement about the pipeline, Mark McManus, General President of the United Association, <a href="https://uagetinvolved.org/content/keystone-xl-decision-will-raise-energy-costs-american-families">released a statement</a> which said:
<blockquote>In revoking this permit, the Biden Administration has chosen to listen to the voices of fringe activists instead of union members and the American consumer on Day 1. Let me be very clear: When built with union labor by the men and women of the United Association, pipelines like Keystone XL remain the safest and most efficient modes of energy transportation in the world. Sadly, the Biden Administration has now put thousands of union workers out of work. For the average American family, it means energy costs will go up and communities will no longer see the local investments that come with pipeline construction.</blockquote>
In October, the North American Building Trades Unions endorsed Biden. But NABTU’s president Sean McGarvey <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/daily-on-energy-big-business-and-gop-split-on-paris-climate-agreement">said the day after Biden’s executive order</a> that the organization was “deeply disappointed in the decision” of TC Energy to cut jobs. He stated, “Environmental ideologues have now prevailed, and over a thousand union men and women have been terminated from employment on the project.”

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