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Heritage Foundation Senior Policy Analyst James Sherk on the growing political influence of unions.
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Their membership dropping their finances in shambles.
Yet -- the biggest outside spenders in American politics and none other than the Supreme Court has handed big labor unprecedented.
New powers for this year's election.
-- -- -- -- Policy analyst and labor economics at The Heritage Foundation.
James welcome back to the show I know let's start with -- the foot soldiers actually that are gonna be out some 400000.
Union members canvassing.
Not just other union members going door to door putting Obama is message to the people now this is happening.
Because of the Supreme Court and Citizens United.
Which is interesting because it's really been -- derided by the left as empowering these billionaires who started these super -- But that's not the only story.
Oh that's right to the Citizens United -- being criticized by some including unions.
Because of allowing up corporations who have spend money for a political expression.
What they tend to ignore is the fact that they've also expanded what unions can do.
And traditionally unions have been required to if there -- making a political speech communicate with their members and as long as they can do that there are no -- -- certainly the federal rules.
Well what Citizens United says is they can that -- ordered or canvassing -- people but anyone sounds.
Parents is going to make -- I got huge difference I mean they spent over a billion dollars.
In political and lobbying.
Expenditures in the last election cycle well.
I was gonna show some of these -- is a matter at let's take a look at this.
Since -- 1989.
Unions made up twelve out of twenty.
Of the all time biggest political donors.
So here you see the financial impact very big from unions and yet there membership declining -- how can happy.
Well EU membership is only declining in the private sector we've got competition.
Most union members today -- don't work in the private sector they work in government.
There are twice as many union members and the post office is there are in the entire domestic auto industry and the finances of the government unions are doing -- -- most are just fine.
Well you know it's interesting about that -- you make this point.
These are all public workers -- being paid with tax dollars and our tax dollars are turning right around and finding these campaigns.
If it's to me that's that's just not right.
I agree completely and it changes entirely the incentives of the union movement.
They used to be concerned about the private sector if the bill sale endorsed the in 1963 Kennedy tax cut.
But now that they were percent primarily government employees but they -- higher taxes and more government.
That's where they lobbied so heavily for the stimulus meant more money for their members have been more money for them.
Lead the health of the union movement now tracks with the help of government not the health of the overall economy if they're.
That the interest of -- unionized employees and in the union leadership is now not lining up so much with the interest of effort private sector -- Well let's talk about what they get have gotten out of the Obama administration what would you say are the tangible benefits of their support for the White House.
They've gotten favours a large and small.
On the large and they got the stimulus which transferred about tens hundreds of billions of dollars to state and local governments to -- dead then that -- -- coming back on government spending.
That was a top priority of the -- which -- -- -- -- -- let's have salaries for workers in many cases is that point you're making.
What exactly that you had in the the good times in the to thousands.
The size of William the state and local -- payrolls its -- -- with the tax revenues.
-- the recession came and instead of making efficiencies.
The Obama stimulus allowed the that the government payrolls to.
To stay inflated.
Well they rollback needed transparency measures you've had union officials like Karen Freeman then for 175 dollar glass you -- -- of cognac.
With union money and that's come to -- because of these new union transparency rules.
And of the Obama administration -- almost all of those rules back union leadership didn't want the scrutiny.
The -- administration said okay.
For a project labor agreements requirements that contractors on large federal construction projects sign an agreement with the union -- -- -- department court.
But basically reserve federal construction jobs the one out of every seven construction workers who -- -- union.
The rest of the construction workers 86% of them they got -- -- Nicole are why should we be reserving.
Construction jobs for only fortunate few well I agree with that -- outrageous -- thanks for coming on and sharing that with us we really appreciate your time.
Thank you.
