Occasionally, one of my Republican friends asks me why I am so anti-union.  Many Republicans are hard working union members and so my buddy wanted to know why I assumed unions are pro-Democrat.  First off, look at the amount of money that the unions give to Democrats nationally.

Second, and more importantly at the local level, is that they constantly want to expand government and make it more expensive.  It is why they exist - to expand their membership and increase benefits for their members.  And while I am in favor of getting a fair wage for a day of work, I also don't want to overspend.  The unions are committed to making sure local government overspends and constantly grows.  To any conservative or Republican this is the exact opposite of what you want out of government.

But to paraphrase the Gipper, here they go again.

Check out this e-mail I received from a county employee regarding expanding the local union to even temporary workers.  I posted previously about the TAP program and tried to point out that without the TAP program many people would not qualify for entree level jobs or possibly would not be selected during an interview process.  This program allows the County to see these employees work experience and those who perform well often are hired full time (I'm told 50 percent), at the same time it allows the employee to see if the County is a fit for them.

During this temporary trial period, the employee makes nearly the same amount in take home income, while the County saves money in benefits and wages.

But what do the Supervisors get in return for their fiscal responsibility?  E-mail blasts and radio ads run against them.  Here is the email and link to the ads:

Hear It First: Riverside County Is Changing

"Greg Hagans" <seiu721@gmail.com> 5/20/2008 11:52 AM >>
Dear <<INSERT NAME>>,

As an SEIU 721 member, I wanted to let you know about something our union is doing to grow stronger.

I and other members of SEIU 721 decided to air a new 60-second radio ad about what Riverside County's elected leaders are doing with your tax dollars. The ad hits airwaves today, and we want you to have advance access it.

As you may have heard, the County of Riverside has refused, for the past two months, to recognize the decision of more than 1,000 employees in the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) to form a union. The script for the radio ad reads in part: "While Board members take home six-figure salaries, benefits and perks, they pay the County temps poverty wages, with no sick pay or health insurance, and they reject their efforts to have a voice at work."

The ad will air in heavy rotation on K-OLA (99.9 FM), one of Riverside's top-ranked stations, and it will expand to even more stations in future weeks.

Things are changing here in the Inland Empire - we can all be part of it.

Greg Hagans
Member, SEIU 721 Executive Board

P.S. - Please forward this message to your email lists and feel free to reply and let me know what you think of the ad.

The Service Employees International Union Local 721 is tens of thousands of working people united to improve services and our communities in the Inland Empire and throughout Southern California.

We are dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.

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Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://seiuaction.org/
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