Labor
One of that union guy’s talking points on the recent episode of Newsmakers that I addressed the other day didn’t spark an immediate rebuttal from Bill Felkner or from me. If you listen to the language that Bill uses — “lucrative contracts” — I think the reality is that that money that goes into a…
Over the weekend I was at a neighborhood July 4th get-together. The group was a mixed one. If I had to guess, most were either a-political or run-of-the-mill Rhode Island Democrats. The topic turned to the recent closing of a local Warwick elementary school and how property taxes just got a big bump (believe me,…
It shows how far behind I am on catching up that I’ve just managed to watch the episode of Newsmakers featuring OSPRI’s Bill Felkner and Pat Crowley of the NEA, RIFuture, and various other special interest groups. Bill did admirably, but the viewer can observe something that I’ve found to typical of such head-to-heads. Crowley…
Ed Achorn takes the opportunity of the eternal contract bill — which he calls “remarkably reckless and profoundly anti-democratic piece of special-interest legislation” — to offer a helpful rule of thumb on the General Assembly’s standard operating procedures: This is an idea that, at the very least, merits serious discussion, rather than the rush treatment…
As a threatening cudgel to wave during negotiations and town meetings — allowing school committees to declare that they’ll just take what they “need” and unions contriving to force them to do so — the Caruolo Act is still an insidious force in Rhode Island politics. But with the move being denied in West Warwick,…
The General Assembly has created a “labor management board” that will come up with six or more healthcare plan options from which local districts may choose during contract negotiations with teachers. Here’s how the board will be constructed: The board that will be appointed to design and approve the benefit packages will consist of: two…
One idea that has been floated as part of comprehensive health care reform is to tax health care benefits as income. I recall Senator McCain’s plan contained such a provision for example. Well, it looks like the Senate is considering going with it, too. Except for union workers. The exception, which could make the proposal…
Think about this, from amidst the continuing saga of the West Warwick school budget: After one resident learned that it costs about $15,000 to educate each child in West Warwick, she suggested that the town simply send its students to private Catholic schools. [Town Council Member Angelo] Padula quickly agreed, saying, “If we sent 200…
It wasn’t what the Governor asked for, but the House passed an amended pension reform article as part of the budget. Despite threats of lawsuits by teachers unions, the House of Representatives has approved a slate of pension cuts aimed at shaving a total of $55 million off the soaring taxpayer cost of providing pensions…
East Providence School Committee Chairman Anthony Carcieri has issued a press release on which other elected representatives throughout the state should take notes: On being informed that NEA has voted “no confidence” in the East Providence School Committee, its Chair, Anthony Carcieri, said this. “So what’s new? No union is going to give a big…
