Alec - NH Labor News

Do You Still Believe That ALEC Is Not Influencing Our State Legislatures To Break Our Unions?

By Matt Murray | March 16, 2013 - 11:29 am | Legislation, Union

For at least two years the Center for Media and Democracy and hundreds of other progressive media outlets (like the NHLN and Granite State Progress) have been working to show the connection between legislation in our local state houses and ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council).

After nearly two years of intense scrutiny ALEC has finally decided to come clean. ALEC release all of their model legislation, which can be viewed here. The list of legislative topics is to long to show here but I want highlight some very significant labor related model legislation.

All of these model legislations, ironically labeled ‘worker freedom’, are designed to reduce workers rights, reduce safety, and bust unions. Some of these have made national headlines lately, including the ‘Right To Work’ for less bill and the ‘Paycheck Protection’ bill.

Resolution Opposing “Card Check” and Forced, Compulsory Binding Arbitration March 15, 2013Resolution Opposing “Card Check” and Forced, Compulsory Binding Arbitration Summary A resolution opposing efforts to amend the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 removing the private election phase of union recognition campaigns and forcing binding arbitration on employers during union [...]
Resolution on Secondary Boycotts March 15, 2013Resolution on Secondary Boycotts Summary ALEC’s model resolution highlights the impact and problems of secondary boycotts and calls for Congress to amend the Railway Labor Act to include rail and airline unions in prohibiting this unfair labor practice. Model Resolution [...]
Public Employee Paycheck Protection Act March 15, 2013Public Employee Paycheck Protection Act Summary Though states have broad authority to allow deductions from individuals’ paychecks if those individuals request or allow it, a one-time permission should not suffice to allow any kind of deduction to occur for the [...]
Right to Work Act March 15, 2013Right to Work Act Summary ALEC’s model Right to Work Act provides that no employee need join or pay dues to a union, or refrain from joining a union, as a condition of employment. The Act establishes penalties and remedies [...]
Employee Secret Ballot Protection Act March 15, 2013Employee Secret Ballot Protection Act Summary This Act provides that all qualifying union certification efforts in a state must be approved by a majority of collective bargaining unit employees who vote in a secret-ballot process. The state labor official/agency cannot [...]
Resolution to Support State Efforts to Protect Secret Ballot Elections March 15, 2013Resolution to Support State Efforts to Protect Secret Ballot Elections Summary ALEC supports the efforts of states to guarantee the right of individuals to vote by a private, secret ballot in elections for public office or ballot measures and in [...]
Public Employee Freedom Act March 15, 2013Public Employee Freedom Act Summary Excluded from National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), public employees are subject to state and local laws governing collective bargaining. Many of these laws are “monopoly bargaining laws,” which means that even if an employee chooses [...]
Employee Rights Reform Act March 15, 2013Employee Rights Reform Act Summary The purpose of this act is to: 1) limit the amount of compelled agency fees which may be exacted from public employees as a condition of continued employment; 2) provide public employees compelled to pay [...]
Voluntary Contributions (Paycheck Protection) Act March 15, 2013Voluntary Contributions (Paycheck Protection) Act Summary The Voluntary Contributions Act requires labor organizations that engage in political activities to keep a segregated fund for political contributions. It further specifies that contributions to that fund will be on a voluntary basis [...]

We must continue to pressure our legislators until ALEC is completely debunked. Organizations are leaving ALEC as fast as they can, which is good. Until the entire organization is gone, I will continue to expose this corporate funded lobbying group for their union busting actions.

(More information can be found on PR Watch.ORG)

Another thing that went wrong in the Bush Economy

By Liz Iacobucci | December 1, 2012 - 10:15 am | Labor, Politics

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Watch this employer-recruitment video produced back in 2004 by the National Corrections Industry Association in partnership with the US Department of Justice:

Yep, if you’re a business, that’s certainly one way to “control labor costs”. You don’t have to pay health benefits; you don’t have to pay overtime; you don’t even have to pay minimum wage.

If you’ve been watching the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) closely, this probably isn’t a big surprise. ALEC has been pushing “prison industry enhancement” (PIE) laws at the state level for about 20 years. Read “The Hidden History of ALEC and Prison Labor” in The Nation here.

Industry spokesmen describe the program as a “win-win” – but that’s from their perspective.

“I asked an NCIA spokesperson how private companies can get away with what could reasonably be described as forced labor. He explained that the PIE program classifies certain work functions as a ‘service’ rather than an actual ‘job’, and therefore is not subject to [restrictions in a 1979 federal law]. Conveniently, then, the backbreaking work of picking crops in the blistering sun counts as a ‘service’, so prisoners can be paid even less than the immigrants who have traditionally performed this work.”

(Yes, of course there’s a Wal-Mart connection. Read about it in the British newspaper The Guardian, here.)

Here’s how the prison labor system works in Arizona:

State law requires all able-bodied prisoners to work.
“Arizona statute requires that all inmates that are making $2 per hour will have deductions of 30% to offset the cost of their incarceration. In addition, thirty percent of the prisoner’s wages will be deducted for court ordered restitution.” (Are you doing the math here? Sounds like the inmates actually receive 80 cents an hour for their work.)
Nevermind the recession, the prison labor business is growing. The number of inmate hours worked during FY12 was up 8.5% over FY11. Room and board “contributions” were up by 9.8%. Sales were up. Profits were up. Arizona Correctional Industries added new products and new customers, and “are currently working on finalizing contracts that will help grow our telemarketing and service business.” (ACI helpfully explains “How we do it: We provide a positive learning experience for all of our workers. We balance our home and business life. We continually strive to improve our quality focusing on Lean Continuous improvement. We are passionately involved in making the customer happy.”)
Arizona is now leading the nation in efforts to crack down on those same immigrants who used to pick crops. Read National Public Radio’s “Prison Economics Help Drive Arizona Immigration Law” here.

Think about that employer-recruitment video that was funded by the Bush Administration in 2004:

“I have a workforce that doesn’t have car problems, or baby sitter problems et cetera. They’re always here, and they’re always willing to come to work.”

“The situation here allows us to be able to control costs far more than we could in the past.”

“Partnerships between correctional industries and private business are a rapidly growing segment of a multi-billion dollar industry in America.”

“Bring us your business challenge. Chances are, there’s a nearby correctional facility that can supply dependable labor, enhance your competitiveness, and increase your profitability.”

Now, think about the growth in the non-violent inmate population.

As of 2008, non-violent offenders made up over 60 percent of the prison and jail population.
If incarceration rates had tracked violent crime rates, the incarceration rate would have fallen to less than one third of the actual 2008 level.

Don’t you think something went terribly, terribly wrong?

New Hampshire is considering privatizing the NH correctional facilities. We cannot let that happen.

The United States Of ALEC and ALEC’s Hand in New Hampshire

By New Hampshire Labor News | November 13, 2012 - 7:09 pm | AFT-NH, Granite State Progress, Labor, Politics, Press Release

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Do you know about ALEC?

No matter what you think you know, there is more!

Here is what we already know:

ALEC is a corporate lobbying group that is disguised as a education group.
ALEC is a non-profit organization, which in turns pays no taxes.
ALEC works to change the laws that “directly benefit the bottom line” of corporate sponsors. They work to open public sectors for privatization which allows corporations to profit from the law changes.
In ALEC, legislators come together with corporate members and vote, equally, on model legislation.

ALEC has been working for years to infiltrate our state legislatures to push their agenda. Why, because the legislatures have more real power than the President.

“The decisions made here in the legislature are more important to your everyday life, more than the decisions the president makes.” Steve Farley

Below is a 30 minute movie from PBS and Moyer and Company that digs deep into ALEC. After you learn about what ALEC is doing in state houses nation wide you can join Granite State Progress, AFT-NH, SEIU, and more to see what ALEC is doing in New Hampshire. (full press advisory below)

Moyers & Company Show 138: United States of ALEC from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

Media Advisory: “Who is Writing New Hampshire’s Laws?” Report Release to Detail ALEC Corporate Influence in New Hampshire

Report outlines corporate trade group’s influence during the 2011-2012 session; calls on new legislators to oppose outside corporate special interests as they file legislation this week

CONCORD, NH – Concerned citizens, legislators and organizations will shine a light on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)’s extreme agenda and impact on the New Hampshire State Legislature during the 2011-2012 session, and call for a return to Granite State values during a Wednesday morning press conference in Concord.

Granite State Progress, The Center for Media and Democracy, People For the American Way Foundation and Common Cause will release the joint report, “Who is Writing New Hampshire’s Laws? A Summary of ALEC Corporate Influence in New Hampshire, 2011-2012,” which examines the influence of ALEC corporate model bills in New Hampshire this past session. ALEC’s corporate executives, lawyers and lobbyists, along with member legislators, draft, lobby for, and secure passage of a wide array of bills designed to promote corporate interests. Due to rising public outrage and exposure, several state legislators and major corporations have begun to drop their participation in ALEC, including Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, and KRAFT.

WHAT: Report release of “Who Is Writing New Hampshire’s Legislation?” to shine a light on ALEC’s influence in pushing legislation in New Hampshire aimed at attacking workers’ rights, undermining public education and enriching specific industries; Public call for new and returning legislators to reject corporate special interests as bill filings open this week.

WHEN: TOMORROW, Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM

WHERE: Granite State Progress – 4 Park Street, Suite 207, Concord, NH

DETAILS: Community leaders will speak out at a press conference about ALEC’s influence in the New Hampshire State House and call for a new direction. The speakers will identify specific ALEC legislation that has directly impacted Granite State families and communities. Speakers include:

Zandra Rice Hawkins, Executive Director, Granite State Progress
Laura Hainey, President, American Federation of Teachers, NH
Diana Lacey, President, State Employees Association, SEA/SEIU Local 1984
Rep. Cynthia Chase, Sponsor of Legislation to Identify Corporate Model Bills

State Reps getting Taxpayer Money to attend ALEC conferences???

By Matt Murray | May 18, 2012 - 11:29 pm | Elections, Politics

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In October the NH Labor News posted “State Reps getting Taxpayer Money to attend ALEC conferences“. This was an in depth look at NH State Legislators attending the American Legislative Exchange Council meetings on taxpayer money. The issue of using taxpayer money for political gains has come up again with former State Rep Bob Mead resigning after he was reimbursed with taxpayer funds to attend a GOP recruiting event. This is a direct violation of Chapter 15-B ”GIFTS, HONORARIUMS, AND EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS”.

The law states:

I. Prevent receptions, breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, dances, or picnics or like events from being held for the sole purpose of raising political contributions, provided such contributions comply with and are reported as required by RSA 664.

This is what got Bob Mead in trouble, and prompted me to dig a little deeper into the Secretary of State Website for more. In my search I found that Speaker Bill O’Brien may have also violated Chapter 15-B when he attended a NH Young Republicans event that also honored retiring Executive Councilor Ray Wieczorek. Are we really made to believe that this was not a “fundraising event”?

How does this tie into ALEC? Well it does not directly. The NH Young Republicans are not directly tied to ALEC however the purpose of their event and how they are funded brings us back to ALEC. In a recent article, “State attorney general asked to investigate American Legislative Exchange Council” from the Nashua Telegraph how ALEC is funded is being questioned. This also raises concern because our State Reps are attending ALEC with taxpayer funds.

“ALEC is a corporate lobby front group masquerading as a public charity on the taxpayers’ dime,” Edgar wrote. “New Hampshirites shouldn’t have to subsidize ALEC’s agenda.”

So if ALEC is a charitable organization funded under a 501(c)(3) then that would bar Reps from receiving reimbursement from the taxpayers who attended.

Chapter 15-B(B) The event is sponsored by a charitable organization that is registered with the division of charitable trusts, department of justice, or which is a charitable organization pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code

With all the scrutiny over the ALEC organization and their activities you would think that ALEC would be slowly falling to pieces. According to Speaker O’Brien that is not the case.

In recent weeks, a number of national corporations, including Proctor & Gamble, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, have abandoned their support for ALEC, and in New Hampshire, Rep. Robert Theberge, D-Berlin, recently gave up his membership. But other members have stood by the group.
Membership rolls have even increased in recent weeks as House Speaker William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, and other legislators joined ALEC.

So as the NH Legislature is trying to distance themselves from the allegations of ALEC, Speaker O’Brien has recently become a member. As a member he attended one of the ALEC conventions earlier this year. After returning from his trip to Santa Barbara, he requested the taxpayers reimburse him for the $1080 dollars he spent to attend. As you can see Speaker O’Brien titles ALEC’s convention as “ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Academy”.

Speaker O’Brien is not the only house member to attend ALEC events on public funds this year. Representative Daniels also attended an ALEC Event in Washington DC. He then requested $1290.70 from the taxpayers to attend this convention. At this ALEC event they talked about task forces on Education, Tax and Fiscal Policy, Health and Human Services, and Public Safety and Elections. I wonder if there was different from the ALEC convention in DC that Rep Daniels attended (on the taxpayers dime) in September of 2011. Rep Daniels was reimbursed $1382.96 for attending.

So if Bob Mead was forced to resign his legislative services position for improper use of taxpayer money should we not be questioning Speaker O’Brien and Rep Daniels for attending ALEC events? This will all hinge on wether ALEC is funded through the 501.c.3 or not. We will wait and see.

	Speaker William O’Brien request for reimbursement for ALEC Convention in Santa Barbara.
	Agenda for ALEC Convention in Santa Barbara
	Agenda for ALEC Convention in Santa Barbara
	Speaker William O’Brien’s request for reimbursement to attend a NH Young Republicans Event.
	Rep Daniels request for reimbursement to attend ALEC
	Agenda for ALEC Event in DC
	Agenda for ALEC Event in DC