Heard In Passing

I got this via email early this morning:

Scuttlebutt from a trusted source who works inside AFSCME Minnesota Council 5 states that there are interesting developments in the Wisconsin AFSCME. Ever since passage and signing of the “right-to-work” laws in our neighboring state to the east, about 80% of those AFSCME members have “opted-out” of paying union dues.

This is from a source I trust on these things, who is – as noted above – relaying third-hand information.

So I’ll throw this out there; anyone else hearing anything from the Wisconsin unions?

28 thoughts on “Heard In Passing

  1. Mitch: Call the unions and ask. It’s Journalism 101, brother. A union leader wouldn’t try to mislead, obfuscate, obstruct, lie or pander.

    They have the press for that.

  2. I would call this a “non-surprise”. The value that unions provide to employees today requires fine methods of measurement.

  3. No, but I’ve made it over 50 years without ever belonging to a union, so I’m not in on being down with the struggle.

  4. You just love to post these first hand, second hand, now third hand stories from anonymous trusted sources, often about unions.

    The only problem is that yours stories never turn out to be true.

    Remember the I was there, 103 ballot controversy in Dinky town, that turned out to be a hoax. Then there was that union slowdown in the plowing of New York story that you thought was plausible……except that 4 separate investigations disproved it.

    This is bunkum. Check it out, and stop relying on these planted stories you so love to promote.

    You used to give Pen all kinds of heck for information from experts he didn’t identify… except that he HAS actually identified them to you privately, and to me.

    If you don’t want to check, by all means privately give me your source, the way Pen provided his to you, and I’ll check it out.

    But after noticing this story pop up on the blog roll, I can tell you my quickie check says this is more bunkum that your Mitch-keteers are willing to swallow not because it is true, but because it is what they want to believe.

    Sheesh – double standard much?

  5. Actually, a 20% retention would be in the historical range for a decertified union so the number itself doesn’t raise suspicions (only 10% of the TA union members at UWM pay the voluntary union dues, for example). The only outlier I’ve seen is an NYC union that managed to get itself recertified after a strike, but nearly all decertified unions fail to gain representation rights after they’ve been kicked out once. It seems that folks who’ve been in unions bolt once they’re let loose.

  6. Yeah MBERG, stop spreading teh hoaxes!!! If you don’t stop, then don’t be surprised if the police show up at your place of employment!
    Yep, that’s how the unions/DFL/Peni’sBlog rolls.
    Disagree with them and they will do whatever it takes to ruin your livelihood.

  7. If you don’t want to check, by all means privately give me your source, the way Pen provided his to you, and I’ll check it out.

    Mrs. Teasdale’s trusted advisors at Media Matters for America are always willing to weigh in on such issues, running such assertions past their Absolute Template of Truth.

  8. Then there was that union slowdown in the plowing of New York story that you thought was plausible……except that 4 separate investigations disproved it.

    I usually assume that assertions of fact w/o supporting evidence are not be taken as fact. I guess that is why I am not a liberal.

  9. DG,

    As I noted in the post itself, and as the emailer himself clearly disclailmed, this is rumor. I am looking for corroboration.

    But I can tell you this much:

    1) Judging by your performance in this blog and your own: If you say something is true, it will most likely prove not to be.

    2) If you say something is false, it will most likely end up being true.

    3) The difference between this and Pen (and your) many phantom recognized authorities who happened to be neighbors but couldn’t be named (barring one who got named but couldn’t be contacted, doncha know) is that I’m not stating a conclusion. I’m asking a question, and looking for more information; that, as opposed to saying “what you believe is wrong, and here’s why”.

    4) So why was Minnesota’s “Stand Your Ground” bill a piece of “crap” legislation? You really don’t know – I know this – but I may as well ask.

    5) The ONE, SOLITARY time you’ve been right was the 103 votes in Dinkytown. It’s a new day!

    6) Did you REALLY go after a commenter’s job? I sincerely hope you had a REALLY good reason. As in *REALLY REALLY* good.

    7) My source on this isn’t important. The Wisconsin union numbers are.

    That should cover it.

  10. Well, from the comments to this post, it would seem as though my stereotypes about the Left and Right have been confirmed. Liberals suffer from epistemologic closure, they aren’t interested in discussion, they are interested in having you tell them they are right and then shutting the F up.
    Over at Pen’s blog, Dog gone once praised her junior high school debate teacher because he taught her that to debate was to marshal your facts against your opponent. This may be an appropriate thing to teach debaters in their teens; they believe all kinds of crazy things because they aren’t used to critical thinking and they do not have the wisdom to evaluate the validity of sources of authority.
    This is NOT appropriate for adults, especially in politics. Politics is hard. It is not hard because people refuse to recognize THE FACTS, it is hard because people have conflicting visions over

  11. (good Grief. Corrected last paragraph)
    This is NOT appropriate for adults, especially in politics. Politics is hard. It is not hard because people refuse to recognize THE FACTS, it is hard because people have legitimate political goals which are in conflict.

  12. KRod,

    Yep. That’s why I NEVER tell anyone where I work, and NEVER talk politics in the office.

  13. Oh yeah, leave another comment like that MBERG and you’ll have to answer to teh police!!! So just shut tf up if ya know what’s best for ya!!!!

  14. Mitch, we share that wise strategy. Never talk politics in the office. Ever. Leave your religion at home. I had a coworker ask me what I listen to on the radio. I told him KTIS and left it at that.

  15. I used to talk politics at work, but I haven’t for years, either. Lefties talk politics all the time, but I don’t engage.

  16. Let DG pontificate. Unions have already conceded their loss at the Curd Capitol. They’ve quit throwing national money at Wisconsin. June 5 will put the issue to rest.

    Next?

  17. If I was Bill or Hillary, I’d be thinking that if Obama loses on November 6, I’d be running the Democrat party on Nov 7.

  18. I tend to keep the politics out of the workplace. Life is too short and too much of it is spent at work to be stirring the pot. I did have one co-worker once go on and one puffing up some liberal balloon one day, condiment that she had an appreciative audience. When I finally poked a sly but pointed needle into her balloon the cognitive dissonance left her boggled.

    “You’re…you’re conservative? But, you’re such a nice guy!”

  19. An exchange at my church:

    Parishioner: Amy Klobuchar is such a sensible gal. I think you would really like her, she has a great temperment.

    Stinkeroo: How ’bout them Twins?

    Parishioner: No! Tell me you’re not a conservative.

  20. Don’t have anything to offer but the observation that the Wisconsin unionthugs are squirting an epic flood of tears on twitter about not having enough $ to run a proper thug campaign against Walker and that the DNC has tossed them under the bus….so cooling, so refreshing.

  21. Mitch, it gets worse when PenisBlog Seeeueentee contacts an employer and claims a person is commenting from work WITHOUT first FACTCHECKING if it is even possible! i.e. SonicWall blocks that web page!

    So when this gal/guy loses his/her job because you friend’s brown shirt malicious charecter what can be done?
    What kind of friends do you have?

    What can be done after your friend’s lies ruin this persons life?

  22. KRod,

    I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here. What’s happening?

    If someone has said or done something that is a) false and b) damages your reputation or livelihood, the law offers a remedy. It might be a defamation suit; it might be “tortious interference” (see the Johny Northside suit from last year).

  23. Stalk and snoop to find a person’ s place of employment. Send Police to your place of employment for a blog comment that wasn’t placed from your work computer.

    So, “good friend” Mitch, where are you working nowdays? Just curious, heard they were laying people off and I was concerned. So, Mitch, where do you work?

    …Then have the Police show up at you employer accusimg you of using company computer to comment… oopsie poopsie, sonicwall doesn’t allow comments.

    But the damage will have been done! Don’t mess with the seeueentee.

  24. Krod,

    I”m not trying to be obtuse, here; I’m genuinely confused. What happened? You’re saying the Penignmoids sent the cops to your day job?

    I’ll say this as forcefully as I can, KRod: if blogging has turned into something where people are damaging your reputation over things that are untrue, then you need get off the comment section and run, not walk, to retain a lawyer.

    Now. As in when you read this.

    Tell that lawyer what’s going on. Be absolutely honest – include everything you did as well as everything that came back. And then figure out what you can do, either to defend or to counterattack.

    When jobs get messed with, it’s time to stop talking and start acting. And if that’s what’s going on, “acting” means “getting a lawyer”.

    Now.

    Just for future reference: I don’t get in the middle of other peoples’ fights. And I keep secrets, but I don’t fight subpoenas.

  25. Don’t be obtuse, I’m not fighting with anyone, much less Seeuueentee.
    Girl friend or not
    If you’re gonna have a pet, at least keep it on a leash.

  26. Pingback: Shot In The Dark: Today’s News, Two Weeks Ago | Shot in the Dark

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