As a research fellow in labor economics at The Heritage Foundation, James Sherk researches ways to promote competition and mobility in the workforce rather than erect barriers that prevent workers from getting ahead. Read his research.
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It is an old saying that “Businesses get the union they deserve.” Workers whose companies treat them poorly unionize; workers who are treated well do… Read More
The Grinch who stole Christmas has some competition in Washington. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) appears determined to steal Thanksgiving from employers and employees…. Read More
President Obama promised to run the most open and transparent Administration in history. However, his Department of Labor (DOL) just announced more regulations rolling back… Read More
Apparently unemployment is not much of a problem in the private sector. At least Senator Harry Reid (D–NV) thinks so. Debating the Senate’s proposed… Read More
Stand aside, citizen-protestors. The Occupy Wall Street movement is about to get professional help. New York City labor unions have decided to join the demonstrations…. Read More
This week, just in time for Labor Day, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) handed down several decisions that undermine workers’ rights to tell union… Read More
The voters weighed in on Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s (R) agenda on Tuesday. Government unions organized recall elections against state senators who voted to limit… Read More
The economy is recovering at an unusually slow pace. Typically, employment grows strongly after a severe recession. Not this time. Unemployment remains stuck above 9… Read More
Whom has the recession hurt the most? There is no easy answer to that question—job opportunities have diminished for every ethnic and demographic group. But… Read More
Do you think that a government union would make the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) more effective? President Obama does. The White House recently decided to… Read More
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Obama’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been aggressively reinterpreting the law to foist unions on workers—whether they want them or not. The Board famously… Read More
Last night the Wisconsin Supreme Court (finally) agreed that the legislature—not the courts—writes the laws. This is a huge victory for Wisconsin taxpayers. Collective bargaining… Read More
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO do not agree on much. But they have joined forces to persuade Congress to spend more on infrastructure…. Read More
Secret ballots protect voters from intimidation. As long as a vote remains private, no one can retaliate against individuals for voting the “wrong” way. The… Read More
Should a union need the support of most workers at a company in order to represent them? Most people would say yes—but most people are… Read More
Union members in Massachusetts support Senator Scott Brown (R). So it is perhaps surprising to see Massachusetts unions announcing their plans to target him for… Read More
Everyone knows that competition keeps prices down. However, collective bargaining eliminates competition, and downward pressure on costs, by giving government unions a monopoly. It forces… Read More
“It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government.” That wasn’t Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul, or Ronald Reagan talking. That was George Meany —… Read More
EDITOR’S NOTE: As Wisconsin’s Democrat Senators escape to Iowa to avoid voting on Governor Scott Walker’s (R-WI) proposed budget, read Heritage analyst James Sherk’s commentary… Read More
Part of living in a democracy involves accepting election results. Americans know to move on when their side loses. Neither Republicans nor Democrats would suggest… Read More
President Obama just announced a partial two-year pay freeze for civilian federal workers. Under the President’s plan, federal employees will not receive cost-of-living increases in… Read More
Big Labor’s number one priority in the 111th Congress was the Employee Free Choice Act. Also known as check, the law would have allowed union… Read More
Unions have become famous — or infamous — for fighting against layoffs for any reason. Teachers unions have made it next to impossible to fire… Read More
Michael Kinsley once observed that “a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth.” By that measure Michael Gittings, the treasurer of United Food and… Read More
This Labor Day marks a milestone in the history of the U.S. union movement. It is the first Labor Day on which a majority of… Read More
Managing the city of Bell, California, is apparently twice as challenging as being President of the United States. The Los Angeles Times reported on July… Read More
Despite mounting state budget crises and growing public discontent with government unions, the House of Representatives added the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act to the… Read More
Two of the most important results from last Tuesday’s primary have been drowned out by the coverage of other races. Voters in Chula Vista, CA… Read More
The economic effects of prolonged unemployment insurance (UI) have become a controversial topic recently. Conservatives have pointed to a raft of economic studies to demonstrate… Read More
Liberals, and especially unions, frequently claim that raising the minimum wage helps workers and the economy. They contend that if people earn more money through… Read More
