1 00:00:17,199 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: And we are back with another edition of the Federalist 2 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,160 Radio Hour. I'm Matt Kittle, Senior Elections correspondent at the 3 00:00:24,199 --> 00:00:28,920 Federalist and your experience shirpa on today's quest for Knowledge. 4 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,399 As always, you can email the show at radio at 5 00:00:32,439 --> 00:00:36,960 the Federalist dot com, follow us on exit fdr LST. 6 00:00:37,359 --> 00:00:40,200 Make sure to subscribe wherever you download your podcast, and 7 00:00:40,359 --> 00:00:43,359 of course to the premium version of our website as well. 8 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:48,200 Our guest today is Vincent Bernuccio, president of the Institute 9 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,960 for the American Worker. We discuss, among other things, the 10 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,679 Employee Rights Act of twenty twenty five, legislation that seeks 11 00:00:57,719 --> 00:01:01,520 to modernize outdated federal label laws to meet the needs 12 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,840 of today's workers. Its proponents say the bill is aimed 13 00:01:05,879 --> 00:01:10,760 at promoting growth, freedom, and innovation, while also ensuring our 14 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,560 laws protect workers and guarantee unions are acting in the 15 00:01:14,599 --> 00:01:18,159 best interest of union members. Vincent, thank you so much 16 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,400 for joining us in this edition of the Federalist Radio 17 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,599 app Hey, thank you for having me on. I appreciate 18 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:30,480 it absolutely. This is known also as the Era. It 19 00:01:30,519 --> 00:01:35,120 has been taken up in committee. Give us, if you will, 20 00:01:35,159 --> 00:01:37,840 a broader overview of what it hopes to do and 21 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,519 where it stands in the process right now. 22 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,599 Speaker 2: Sure, well, big kudos to Congressman Rick Allen from Georgia 23 00:01:45,799 --> 00:01:49,760 for introducing this. He just introduced it a couple weeks ago. 24 00:01:50,159 --> 00:01:54,159 The Employee Rights Act is quite simply the most comprehensive 25 00:01:54,719 --> 00:02:00,000 pro worker labor legislation of this Congress. It protects workers 26 00:02:00,079 --> 00:02:03,040 is right to a secret ballot in union organizing elections. 27 00:02:03,439 --> 00:02:06,760 It protects their privacy, It gives them more say on 28 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,039 how their money is spent on politics. It protects independent 29 00:02:11,159 --> 00:02:16,080 contractors and small business owners' ability to own a franchise, 30 00:02:16,719 --> 00:02:18,960 does a bunch of other things, but I don't want 31 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,159 to believe in the point. It is simply one of 32 00:02:22,159 --> 00:02:26,960 the best pieces of labor legislation for workers out in 33 00:02:27,039 --> 00:02:30,919 Congress today, and just once again want to applaud Congressman 34 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:31,520 Allen for that. 35 00:02:32,479 --> 00:02:36,719 Speaker 1: Well, this also takes up, you know, years and decades 36 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,840 upon decades of you know, what I think a lot 37 00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:47,639 of folks in the worker rights movement would say is entrenched, 38 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:53,199 an entrenched imbalance in the power of unions versus the 39 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,520 power of the individual, particularly the individual who does not 40 00:02:57,719 --> 00:03:01,479 want to be in it. The individual rule that has 41 00:03:03,159 --> 00:03:06,719 for many years been forced to pay union dues for 42 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:13,120 services that the individual does not want. Particularly on the 43 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,520 political side, that's a huge issue. This bill would seem 44 00:03:17,599 --> 00:03:20,599 to delve into these kinds of areas with just what 45 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:21,360 you laid. 46 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 2: Out, absolutely, and it doesn't in a couple different ways. 47 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:27,599 We talked about the protecting the right to a secret 48 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,879 ballot for workers in right to work states, and I 49 00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:32,159 know you know what right to work is, but just 50 00:03:32,159 --> 00:03:35,919 to recap right to work simply means that a union 51 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,919 can't get a worker fired for not paying them. So 52 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,919 in those states where workers can fully opt out of 53 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,319 paying union fees, it also now gives them the right 54 00:03:45,439 --> 00:03:46,479 to decide. 55 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: Whether they want to be under the union contract or not. 56 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,719 Speaker 2: Right now, even in right to work states, workers are 57 00:03:51,719 --> 00:03:54,599 forced under a union contract. Even if they opt out 58 00:03:54,639 --> 00:03:56,439 of the union they want nothing to do with the union, 59 00:03:56,479 --> 00:03:59,319 they're still stuck by the terms. So it's a very 60 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,439 innovative of approaching the eer called workers choice that gives 61 00:04:03,439 --> 00:04:06,000 workers that choice to say, yeah, I don't want anything 62 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:06,919 to do with the union, I'm. 63 00:04:06,759 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 3: Not going to pay you. 64 00:04:07,639 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 2: I want to be like the over ninety three percent 65 00:04:10,599 --> 00:04:16,480 of private sector workers that represent themselves absolutely. 66 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:24,519 Speaker 1: And as we see over time, the pro union left 67 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,600 in this country, the Democratic Party, very much tied at 68 00:04:28,639 --> 00:04:35,600 the hip with big labor, has obviously benefited through financial contributions. 69 00:04:36,319 --> 00:04:41,720 They have threatened time and time again to push legislation 70 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,560 that would get rid of right to work laws these 71 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:52,439 sorts of things. Does this bill protect right to work states? 72 00:04:52,519 --> 00:04:56,600 Does this bill protect right to work concepts in America? 73 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 2: This is not the national right to work at but 74 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,839 once again it does protect the secret ballot. It does 75 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,399 give workers in those right to work states that ability 76 00:05:06,439 --> 00:05:08,759 to choose whether or not to be under the union contract. 77 00:05:09,199 --> 00:05:13,560 Going back to your point on the union politics, even 78 00:05:13,639 --> 00:05:15,839 in non right to work states, once again, where work 79 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,399 unions can get workers fired for not paying them, it 80 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,639 gives union members the ability to opt in on a 81 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,399 yearly basis to political spending of the unions. Instead of 82 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,759 just signing up once and being stuck in perpetuity. It 83 00:05:31,759 --> 00:05:35,800 gives them that annual ability to make that decision and 84 00:05:35,879 --> 00:05:39,720 not be trapped into funding union politics. You are also 85 00:05:39,879 --> 00:05:42,759 talking about, you know, intimidation, things like that. Besides the 86 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:47,120 secret ballot, it also includes the Freedom from Union Violence Act. 87 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,879 Right now, unions have a loophole in federal RICO law 88 00:05:52,439 --> 00:05:54,199 saying that they can't be prosecuted. 89 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 3: The ERA does away with that. 90 00:05:56,399 --> 00:06:00,399 Speaker 2: It also does away with another loophole unfortunately promulgated under 91 00:06:00,519 --> 00:06:04,680 the National Labor Relations Board under the Biden administration, that 92 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:12,000 allows unions and union organizers to harass workers, use racist, sexists, 93 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,199 all sorts of vile language, and stops employers from protecting 94 00:06:16,199 --> 00:06:21,319 their employees from that. The ERA says that employers can 95 00:06:21,439 --> 00:06:25,079 protect their employees from that type of harassment. So, once again, 96 00:06:25,439 --> 00:06:28,000 it's a very big bill. There's a lot of great 97 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,560 provisions in it. Those are just a few samplings for 98 00:06:30,639 --> 00:06:31,600 what we were talking about. 99 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: Now, there have been myriad examples of the kind of 100 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,560 abuses you've talked about. I know there are hotel workers 101 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:44,759 in California, Illinois, and elsewhere that have had reported terrible 102 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,639 stories about what they've experienced and trying to extricate themselves 103 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,279 from the unions that represent them. I know there are 104 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:58,199 teachers across this country who have experienced some tales of 105 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,560 horror as well on that front. Are there is your 106 00:07:01,639 --> 00:07:08,439 organization dealing in particular with workers going through these kinds 107 00:07:08,439 --> 00:07:13,879 of abuses? What are you hearing from workers out there 108 00:07:14,199 --> 00:07:18,399 in America today about what unions are doing to keep 109 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,439 them locked inside union agreements. 110 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,639 Speaker 2: Sure, let's feel was introduced. We had two workers actually 111 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,560 speak out. Terry Bowman, who full disclosure, he's board chair 112 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,040 of Institute for the American Worker. 113 00:07:30,439 --> 00:07:32,519 Speaker 3: He is currently a worker. 114 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 2: On the line at Ford Now, an established union that's 115 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,160 been there for decades. He talked about how the Employee 116 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,920 Rights Act would help him have those political protections, have 117 00:07:42,959 --> 00:07:45,759 those privacy protections. And then on the other end of 118 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:49,439 the spectrum, we also had visiting fellow with us, a 119 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,839 man named Michael Alcorn, who is a Trader Joe's employee 120 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,879 who was actually the face leading the push against the 121 00:07:55,959 --> 00:08:00,879 Trader Joe's unionization in Massachusetts. Talked about, you know, some 122 00:08:00,959 --> 00:08:04,319 of the misinformation and the lack of rights that him 123 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,920 and his co workers felt when the union tried to 124 00:08:08,079 --> 00:08:13,399 organize his store, and then the problems with the National 125 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,560 Labor Relations Board under the Biden administration that when they 126 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,800 try to decertify the union, all the roadblocks that were 127 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,399 put up in the prevention from actually leaving the union. 128 00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 3: So, you know, we're hearing. 129 00:08:23,639 --> 00:08:27,959 Speaker 2: From workers across the country on you know, different parts 130 00:08:28,079 --> 00:08:31,439 of the Employee Rights Act and how it would help them, 131 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,080 both workers in establish unions and workers that you want 132 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,320 to remain union free, and even workers that say, hey, 133 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:42,200 unions are doing a good job, but we deserve more protections. 134 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,279 Speaker 3: Than they could do better, and that's what the ERA does. 135 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 1: Now to the other side of this question, of course, 136 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,320 you will hear from Democrats in particular and from big 137 00:08:51,399 --> 00:08:58,480 labor that legislation like this could threaten the existence of unions, 138 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:06,000 could threaten how unions conduct themselves and perform and the 139 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,639 sorts of things that sustain them. What say you to that. 140 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 2: Ploy writes at one hundred percent pro worker, and you 141 00:09:14,519 --> 00:09:18,000 look at the different provisions. You know, you're talking privacy protections, 142 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,919 allowing workers to decide what piece of information the union 143 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,039 gets to contact them once again, the secret value union 144 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:30,480 organizing elections, protecting them against funding a union political agenda. 145 00:09:30,879 --> 00:09:34,039 And frankly, this this bill would actually make union stronger 146 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,200 because then they would have to go back to their core, 147 00:09:36,279 --> 00:09:40,799 which is representing workers, you know, and then going back 148 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:42,559 to them and saying you want us to be involved 149 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,559 in politics, Well, every year, tell us if you want 150 00:09:45,639 --> 00:09:48,440 us to or not, and if you don't then we're 151 00:09:48,519 --> 00:09:52,000 representing you and we're actually representing your interest as opposed 152 00:09:52,039 --> 00:09:54,240 to what the union leadership wants. 153 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 3: And it goes further, you know. 154 00:09:56,159 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 2: It protects independent contractors' ability to work for themselves. 155 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:02,519 Speaker 3: It goes to a thing called joint. 156 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 2: Employer, going back to a traditional standard where if you 157 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,919 have two, you have a corporation that owns a franchise 158 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,879 and then a small business that's the franchise or essentially 159 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,000 that mom and pop shop on your street corner. It 160 00:10:16,039 --> 00:10:19,039 allows them to continue to exist and push back against 161 00:10:19,279 --> 00:10:23,039 some of the overreach that we're seeing with the Democrat 162 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:25,720 proposals such as the pro Act or what we saw 163 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:26,799 on the buy An administration. 164 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely the pro Act, which Democrats pushed quite vigorously, 165 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,600 that was a clear and immediate threat to worker freedom 166 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,840 and worker rights. We have seen those kinds of pieces 167 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,360 of legislation over the years. 168 00:10:46,879 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 3: What about the. 169 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: Communication aspect of this? In organized labor unions, many have 170 00:10:57,159 --> 00:11:01,480 been I think downright violates did some of the terms 171 00:11:01,519 --> 00:11:07,080 of the laws in terms of communicating when agreements go 172 00:11:07,279 --> 00:11:12,679 into place and that window of opportunity that a worker 173 00:11:12,759 --> 00:11:17,000 would have to you know, get out of a union 174 00:11:18,399 --> 00:11:21,159 and those sorts of things. Does does the e er 175 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,639 A bill does that deal with those kinds of things 176 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,000 as well? 177 00:11:26,159 --> 00:11:29,399 Speaker 2: It protects the rights to a secret ballot, protects that 178 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:33,840 piece of personal information as far as the being able 179 00:11:33,919 --> 00:11:36,799 to decertify. There are other good bills out there. There's 180 00:11:36,919 --> 00:11:39,320 you know, hopefully we'll see movement when the National Labor 181 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,000 Relations Board has a quorum of you know, protecting those 182 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,000 workers that do want to opt out and giving them 183 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,559 more options and ratching. 184 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,759 Speaker 3: Back what's known as the contract. 185 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 2: Bar or blocking charges that unions use to prevent workers 186 00:11:55,799 --> 00:11:57,320 from exercising their rights. 187 00:11:58,039 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: I see, uh, just the state of organized labor in 188 00:12:02,879 --> 00:12:06,960 America today as you are following this that it's a 189 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:15,159 certainly a smaller percentage, dwindling percentage than we saw, you know, 190 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:19,720 back in the mid nineteen seventies and eighties. Much has changed, 191 00:12:19,759 --> 00:12:23,600 of course over the years. Where does the strength of 192 00:12:23,799 --> 00:12:30,440 organized labor stand today? What sort of new strategies are 193 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:35,679 they pushing to try to get around the laws on 194 00:12:35,759 --> 00:12:39,799 the books right now? In organizing. 195 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:47,159 Speaker 2: Well, you said it, union membership has been falling for decades. 196 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,759 In twenty twenty four, which is the latest round of 197 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,360 numbers that we have it fell below ten percent. For 198 00:12:55,080 --> 00:13:00,480 first time in the private sector, you are being less 199 00:13:00,519 --> 00:13:06,279 than six percent of workers being union members. So it 200 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:10,240 really is a case of the unions have figured out 201 00:13:10,279 --> 00:13:12,639 how to organize and represent workers kind of in the 202 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,480 Industrial Revolution in the nineteen thirties or turn of the century, 203 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:17,519 and they. 204 00:13:17,759 --> 00:13:19,159 Speaker 3: Haven't really adapted. 205 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 2: And I would say they should adapt to represent those 206 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,120 individual workers and be focused on individuals and instead of 207 00:13:26,159 --> 00:13:29,840 this one size fits all of a serial model that's 208 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,039 outdated of collective bargaining right now. 209 00:13:33,159 --> 00:13:35,799 Speaker 3: So you are seeing. 210 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 2: Union membership drop off, and I think that's just because 211 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:39,200 they have. 212 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 3: An outdated business model. 213 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 2: And you know, if they did want to expand they 214 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,159 did want to improve, they have to modernize and they 215 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,879 have to embrace a lot of the concepts like we're 216 00:13:48,879 --> 00:13:50,799 talking about here in the Employee Rights Act. 217 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 1: Well, that's what it boils down to, doesn't it. I mean, 218 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,039 it should be a matter of choice, but in so 219 00:13:58,159 --> 00:14:02,720 many circumstances big labor today, and it's been this way 220 00:14:02,759 --> 00:14:07,399 for a long time, it is compulsory. And I think 221 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:12,559 that is exactly what the er legislation and others like 222 00:14:12,639 --> 00:14:17,720 it tries to deal with the fact that for real 223 00:14:17,759 --> 00:14:21,840 worker freedom in this country. Workers need to be able 224 00:14:21,879 --> 00:14:24,799 to have a choice just like every other consumer out there. 225 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,919 Am I getting that straight from the bill? 226 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:29,919 Speaker 3: You're absolutely right. 227 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 2: I mean, that's one of the main things that we 228 00:14:31,399 --> 00:14:33,960 want to see at I four AW. 229 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,799 Speaker 3: Is workers having a choice in a voice, having. 230 00:14:36,519 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 2: The ability to say who they want to be represented by, 231 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,759 how they want their money spent, and how they want 232 00:14:42,799 --> 00:14:44,960 to work. And I know we talked about it briefly 233 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,840 with the ERA, but the ability for an independent contractor 234 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:52,440 to work for themselves, not be considered an employee, small 235 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,840 business owner, to own a franchise, all those things are 236 00:14:56,080 --> 00:15:00,200 core to what the flexibility and the entrepreneurship of the 237 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,519 modern worker, and those are the concepts that are embraced, 238 00:15:03,519 --> 00:15:05,759 you know, not just on the union end of the 239 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:11,080 Employee Rights Act, but on the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit 240 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,559 and pro worker end of the ERA. 241 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 4: We're at the worst level we've seen in thirty five years. 242 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,000 The watch Doot on Wall Street podcast with Chris Markowski. 243 00:15:24,039 --> 00:15:26,879 Every day Chris helps unpack the connection between politics and 244 00:15:26,919 --> 00:15:29,879 the economy and how it affects your wilet. Americans making 245 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,120 median income need to spend forty percent of the money 246 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,000 they make on their monthly mortgage interest rates coming down 247 00:15:36,039 --> 00:15:39,080 makes the prices just go back up. Prices need to 248 00:15:39,159 --> 00:15:41,440 come down. Whether it's happening in DC or down on 249 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,120 Wall Street, it's affecting you financially. 250 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 3: Be informed. 251 00:15:43,799 --> 00:15:45,639 Speaker 4: Check out the watch Dot on Wall Street podcast with 252 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,840 Chris Markowski on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. 253 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: Were the Teamsters and the SEIU and other unions have 254 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:59,720 been fighting hard. They spend a lot of money on 255 00:15:59,799 --> 00:16:04,120 some very high priced lawyers to fight, particularly that side 256 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,480 of things that you just mentioned. I really are going 257 00:16:07,559 --> 00:16:12,120 after targeting that independent contractor market. What's the status on 258 00:16:12,159 --> 00:16:17,159 some of the litigation. Is your organization dealing in this 259 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:26,240 area when it comes to contract employees or individual contractors? 260 00:16:27,519 --> 00:16:30,919 Speaker 2: Well, thankfully the Department of Labor is now abandoning the 261 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,440 Biden administration's rule. 262 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 3: That would have made it much harder. 263 00:16:34,879 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 2: For workers to work for themselves and had very kind 264 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,960 of a MorphOS test. So you know, we're hopeful that 265 00:16:43,039 --> 00:16:47,320 we'll see more proactive moves from DOL. Same thing with 266 00:16:47,399 --> 00:16:50,759 the National Labor Relations Board once again. You know, they 267 00:16:51,639 --> 00:16:55,559 had a ruling during the Biden administration called Atlanta opera 268 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,440 that you know, would get very close to, you know, 269 00:16:58,559 --> 00:17:01,639 kind of the curtailments that we saw in California to 270 00:17:01,879 --> 00:17:06,079 independent contractors, and you know, thankfully that is on ice 271 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:06,599 as well. 272 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 3: And my hope is that. 273 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 2: When there is a quorum at the NLRB, we could 274 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:15,119 see more proactive reversals of those type of decisions. On 275 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,319 our website, I the number four AW dot org I 276 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:19,599 for aw dot org. 277 00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 3: We actually have stories. 278 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 2: From independent contractors from across the country and particularly in 279 00:17:25,039 --> 00:17:29,599 California where there was a direct attack on independent contracting 280 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,720 and you know, the the you know, the benefits that 281 00:17:32,759 --> 00:17:35,880 those workers had before those attacks, and you know the 282 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,480 detriments that they had afterwards. So you know, we really 283 00:17:39,519 --> 00:17:42,559 here are hearing from real people that are affected by this, 284 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,559 that they want to work for themselves, but you have. 285 00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 3: These misguided laws that are harming them. 286 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: Our guest today is Vincent Bernuccio, president of the Institute 287 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,559 for the American Worker. We're discussing, among other things, the 288 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,599 Employee Rights Act of two thousand, twenty five. The legislation 289 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,799 seeks to modernize outdated federal labor laws to meet the 290 00:18:05,839 --> 00:18:13,400 needs of today's workers. Executive orders you mentioned some of 291 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,680 the new direction that the Department of Labor in the 292 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,640 Trump administration is going. Obviously, it's much different than what 293 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:27,000 we saw the push for more compulsory organization efforts with 294 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,759 the Biden administration. What kind of executive orders have you 295 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,839 seen so far in the first five and a half 296 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,119 months or so of Trump two point zero assisting worker freedom? 297 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 3: Sure, while a lot of. 298 00:18:40,599 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 2: The executive orders and what we've seen have dealt mostly 299 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:47,759 with federal employees, such as President Trump's executive order that 300 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:51,200 said that if employees were working in agencies dealing with 301 00:18:51,319 --> 00:18:56,039 national security, they should not be collectively bargaining because the 302 00:18:56,079 --> 00:18:58,160 federal Civil Service. 303 00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 3: Laws gives him the ability to say, if it's. 304 00:18:59,799 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 2: Notional security, there should not be a federal collective bargaining. 305 00:19:05,279 --> 00:19:08,920 So we're seeing that, We're seeing agencies like the Office 306 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,240 of Personnel Management doing surveys saying how much is the 307 00:19:12,279 --> 00:19:15,960 federal government spending on collective bargaining? 308 00:19:16,079 --> 00:19:18,880 Speaker 3: How much are they spending on concepts known as official time? 309 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,759 And if you're not familiar with official time. 310 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 2: It's essentially a federal employee doing union work while still 311 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,960 getting their tax payer funded salary to do their federal job, 312 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,599 but instead working some cases full time for the Union. 313 00:19:35,079 --> 00:19:39,720 So President Trump and his first administration curtailed that to 314 00:19:39,839 --> 00:19:41,519 a degree and also. 315 00:19:41,319 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 3: Had more reporting on it. 316 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 2: And I think we're, you know, via his executive orders 317 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,079 and some of the moves that we're seeing at OPM, 318 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:50,759 we might be seeing a repeat. 319 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 3: Of that in this administration as well. 320 00:19:53,319 --> 00:19:57,279 Speaker 1: Very interesting. You know, there's, like I said before, we're 321 00:19:57,319 --> 00:20:03,119 talking about you know, almost century of movement, you know 322 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:08,480 that has been directed in favor of big labor in 323 00:20:08,519 --> 00:20:11,640 America at a lot of turns. There have been some 324 00:20:11,759 --> 00:20:16,400 key wins for individual worker rights, those who do not 325 00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:21,440 want to be forced to be in labor organizations, some 326 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:29,319 very big victories in recent years, particularly on the healthcare side. 327 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,720 Where do things stand right now in terms of the 328 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:39,240 legal fight that's going on? The Supreme Court, as noted, 329 00:20:40,319 --> 00:20:44,200 within the last several years, has weighed in a couple 330 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,599 of times with some very important decisions. What sort of 331 00:20:48,599 --> 00:20:52,440 cases are you monitoring looking at that may be coming 332 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,160 before this court in the coming years. 333 00:20:55,079 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 2: Sure, well, there's a lot of cases that are coming 334 00:20:58,759 --> 00:21:02,039 after the jen versus Ask Me decision. I think that's 335 00:21:02,079 --> 00:21:04,240 probably when it comes to labor, one of the most 336 00:21:04,279 --> 00:21:10,359 seminal decisions of our generation, where the Supreme Court said 337 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,920 that pretty much everything that government unions do is political. 338 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 3: So just think, if you are. 339 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 2: Negotiating over salaries, what is that. That's taxpayer money. If 340 00:21:18,759 --> 00:21:22,240 they are negotiating over the length of a school day, 341 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,720 what is that? That is public policy. So the Supreme 342 00:21:25,759 --> 00:21:28,759 Court in this Janics case said that really everything that 343 00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:32,279 government unions are doing is political, and therefore public employees 344 00:21:32,279 --> 00:21:35,799 have a First Amendment right to choose whether or not to. 345 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 3: Play to pay a union. 346 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:42,880 Speaker 2: So essentially, this Jane's decision that is a number of 347 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,200 years old at this point, brought right to work to 348 00:21:46,279 --> 00:21:48,720 the entire public sector. That's why a lot of what 349 00:21:48,759 --> 00:21:50,559 we're talking about now, when you're talking about right to work, 350 00:21:50,559 --> 00:21:54,160 it's only private sector employees because thanks to the Supreme Court, 351 00:21:54,279 --> 00:21:57,480 thanks to the First Amendment, and thanks to the Janice decision, 352 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,799 public employees across the country have those rights already. 353 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,799 Speaker 1: What is interesting to me is the history of this. 354 00:22:06,039 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 3: If you look. 355 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: At some of the original pioneers, if you will, of 356 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:18,039 the organized labor movement in this country, If you look 357 00:22:18,079 --> 00:22:23,839 at the first president, arguably who really was on the 358 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:30,880 side of unions, Franklin Delana Roosevelt. They may have been 359 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:37,480 supportive for expanded union authority union rights, but they were 360 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:44,839 dead set against organized labor within the government, within the 361 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:50,079 government sector. That obviously has changed over the years, and 362 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:55,640 as we mentioned before, President Trump is looking to go 363 00:22:55,799 --> 00:23:01,559 back oddly enough to the FDR con in many ways 364 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:07,039 that there should be definitely some limits on organized labor 365 00:23:07,559 --> 00:23:10,680 in the federal government. Where do you see that issue going. 366 00:23:13,839 --> 00:23:17,279 Speaker 2: That's right, Well, you know, FDR, you know, the champion 367 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,119 of the working man, and you know some say, you know, 368 00:23:20,279 --> 00:23:21,839 very good friend of labor. You know, he said that 369 00:23:21,839 --> 00:23:25,680 it's impossible to collectively bargain with the government, that you know, 370 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,000 that advisarial process that is in the private CECRIC can't be. 371 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 3: Transplanted into the public sector. And you know, you are 372 00:23:32,279 --> 00:23:33,519 seeing moves from the. 373 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,839 Speaker 2: Trump administration, uh, you know, with those National Security Executive 374 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:42,200 Orders and others saying that, yeah, that public employees should 375 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,000 be working for the tax payer, and that, you know, 376 00:23:46,079 --> 00:23:50,599 especially when it comes to national security, which the president absolutely. 377 00:23:50,079 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 3: Has the right. 378 00:23:50,759 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 2: The law is very clear when it comes to national security. 379 00:23:54,519 --> 00:23:57,400 The ability to say, well, you know it's not in 380 00:23:57,519 --> 00:24:00,480 the national interest, it's not in the national secure security 381 00:24:00,519 --> 00:24:02,559 interest to have collective argaining. 382 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,759 Speaker 1: The US Supreme Court recently, at the end of its term, 383 00:24:09,039 --> 00:24:13,079 ruled issued a very significant decision. I don't think it 384 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,119 has gotten enough attention at me. I think it certainly 385 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:23,599 needs more and actually involved immigration law decisions from lower courts. 386 00:24:23,599 --> 00:24:30,559 But what the Supreme Court ultimately ruled was saying to 387 00:24:31,279 --> 00:24:34,039 the lower courts and the federal system, you can't just 388 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:41,000 issue blanket injunctions from a district court level. There are 389 00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:45,279 times when that is appropriate, but those times are very limited. 390 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:50,160 And I think about that case and how that ruling 391 00:24:50,559 --> 00:24:55,759 would and should affect some lawsuits against the Trump administration 392 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,960 and the President's executive order, the removal, if you will, 393 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:05,880 well of some individuals in some key positions, including the 394 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:12,599 National Labor Relations Board. I'm curious where that litigation stands 395 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,759 in what the impact will be on that front from 396 00:25:15,799 --> 00:25:17,599 the Supreme Court ruling. 397 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 2: So President Trump fired one of the members of the 398 00:25:22,559 --> 00:25:28,440 National Labor Relations Board, Gwen Wilcox, and that is ongoing litigation. 399 00:25:29,799 --> 00:25:30,359 Speaker 3: We will see. 400 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, it sounds like from some of 401 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,759 the things that the Supreme Court has recently ruled. 402 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,759 Speaker 3: That you know, they may uphold the firing from the 403 00:25:39,799 --> 00:25:40,720 Trump administration. 404 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:42,319 Speaker 2: And you know, it really should be said that this 405 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,720 kind of was the door was opened by the Biden administration, 406 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,160 which fired the General Council. 407 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 3: So that was kind of the opening salvo. 408 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 2: President Trump fired President Biden's General Council, but anyone further 409 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,400 and fired Gwen Wilcox, the NLRB member. 410 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 3: So still go through courts. We're all watching to see 411 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:04,599 what happens there. 412 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,559 Speaker 2: And your guess is as good as mine. 413 00:26:08,599 --> 00:26:12,039 Speaker 1: The bottom line is always the bottom line. We noted 414 00:26:12,039 --> 00:26:16,440 it before, but union membership in this country has diminished 415 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:22,160 dramatically over the last two generations or so, under ten 416 00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:28,400 percent now according to the last figures. Are well. It 417 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:33,359 seems to me that most Americans believe that if unions 418 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:39,359 still play an important role somewhere, that a lot of 419 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:44,079 Americans don't believe that unions are for them. Where do 420 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:48,759 you think the union movement stands right now? Facing those 421 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,160 realities once again? 422 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,319 Speaker 3: I think the union movement has to adapt. 423 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 2: They're still stuck in this one size fits all adversarial 424 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,160 collective bargaining model. They have to adapt to the mine 425 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:06,039 and workforce, to the freedom and flexibility that individual workers want. 426 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,640 Their workers want to be treated as individuals. They want 427 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,759 to have a say in their contract. They don't want 428 00:27:12,799 --> 00:27:15,559 to be forced into an organization against their will. 429 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:17,519 Speaker 3: And you know, I do think. 430 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 2: That if unions adapt, they can thrive, they can expand 431 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,920 more workers will want to join. 432 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 3: But they have to drop kind of the. 433 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 2: Government granted crutches that they have now through federal labor law, 434 00:27:32,519 --> 00:27:32,799 or that. 435 00:27:32,759 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 3: Federal labor law has to be updated. But you know, 436 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,519 if that happens, I could. 437 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 2: See a resurgence of unionization in America. 438 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:44,519 Speaker 3: But embracing freedom and embracing the individual. 439 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: Okay, so let's take a look at this at an 440 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:54,400 individual level. Say a worker is you know, is tired 441 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,599 of a union where the individual works, wants to get out, 442 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:05,799 finds that path extremely difficult, and believes that the union 443 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:09,319 is abusing the existing laws in place, or quite frankly, 444 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:15,200 what the union is doing is discriminatory to the employee 445 00:28:15,519 --> 00:28:20,839 based upon current federal state laws on labor. What can 446 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,680 that person do? What's the recourse? Because not everybody you 447 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:30,640 know has access to you know, a sharp labor law 448 00:28:30,759 --> 00:28:31,440 legal mind. 449 00:28:33,039 --> 00:28:34,799 Speaker 2: Sure, well, I mean the good thing is if they 450 00:28:34,799 --> 00:28:36,240 are in a right to work state, they don't have 451 00:28:36,279 --> 00:28:39,599 to pay, but they're still stuck under that union contract. 452 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,720 If they and their coworkers. 453 00:28:42,279 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 3: Want to get rid of the union, they can try 454 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:45,160 to decertify. 455 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:49,279 Speaker 2: Now, the only problem there is that usually decertification is 456 00:28:49,319 --> 00:28:53,240 allowed only during narrow windows. And there's things that you know, 457 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:57,000 as you know I have heard from our visiting federal 458 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,640 fellow Michael Elkhorn, the roadblocks that unions can put up 459 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:06,039 to prevent workers from desertifying or removing the unied and 460 00:29:06,079 --> 00:29:09,240 not even talking about not allowing the employer to assist 461 00:29:09,279 --> 00:29:12,480 at all, or the employees to use the copy room 462 00:29:13,039 --> 00:29:17,039 at a workplace, but things like blocking charges. You're saying, well, 463 00:29:17,079 --> 00:29:20,799 the employer did something wrong, so therefore the employees should 464 00:29:20,799 --> 00:29:24,480 not have the ability to exercise their rights or re 465 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,519 upping their contract, which then would put a freeze. 466 00:29:28,039 --> 00:29:30,359 Speaker 3: On desertification for a number of years. 467 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,319 Speaker 2: So unfortunately, there's a lot of road blocks that is 468 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,480 incredibly difficult, and this once. 469 00:29:35,279 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 3: Again is why we do need some sort of change 470 00:29:38,519 --> 00:29:42,400 in federal law regulation to make it easier. But there 471 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:43,359 are avenues. 472 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,039 Speaker 1: I think that's an important point as well. We saw 473 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:53,160 the abuses of big labor during the Biden administration that 474 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:58,319 were countenanced by the Biden administration, encouraged by the Biden 475 00:29:58,319 --> 00:30:04,200 administration in some cases the abuse of certainly the spirit, 476 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:09,119 if not the exact language of the laws. And you 477 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:14,359 had a labor Relations board that was well, it was 478 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:19,240 doing the bidding of a president who said campaigning that 479 00:30:19,319 --> 00:30:23,160 he was, you know, in essence, the biggest friend that 480 00:30:24,119 --> 00:30:28,200 big labor had ever known. So far in the Trump administration, 481 00:30:28,519 --> 00:30:36,480 are you seeing more robust action from the administration in 482 00:30:36,839 --> 00:30:44,119 going after unions that are truly abusing their the federal 483 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,240 laws and their their employees. 484 00:30:50,759 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 3: I think we're all waiting to see what happens. 485 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 2: So the agency that does a lot of that is 486 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,400 the National Labor Relations Board, and I think a lot 487 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,960 of people are waiting with baited breadth for the NLRB 488 00:31:02,119 --> 00:31:06,000 to have a quorum. President Trump has nominated a woman 489 00:31:06,079 --> 00:31:11,319 named Crystal Carey to be general the General Counsel of 490 00:31:11,359 --> 00:31:17,039 the NLRB. Unfortunately, she is stuck in her confirmation process 491 00:31:17,079 --> 00:31:20,720 in the Senate. So hopefully the NLRB will have a 492 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:25,519 general Council soon and then soon after a full quorum 493 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,559 on the NLRB that we'll be able to make. 494 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 3: Sure that workers are protected. 495 00:31:30,279 --> 00:31:36,039 Speaker 1: President Trump. As candidate, Trump of course campaigned on worker 496 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,680 rights for sure, but he also did something that a 497 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:45,400 lot of Republicans have not done. He courted organized labor. 498 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:51,279 Do you see that ultimately as a positive for worker rights, 499 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,920 worker protections from the excesses and abuses of unions, or 500 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:01,440 do you see that perhaps as problematic moving forward? 501 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:04,519 Speaker 2: You know, I think there are definitely positives, you know, 502 00:32:04,559 --> 00:32:08,759 working with unions to protect workers, but there's also negatives, 503 00:32:08,759 --> 00:32:10,279 and you know, on the negative side, I think you 504 00:32:10,279 --> 00:32:12,319 go to the other extreme. You look at people like 505 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:18,440 Senator Josh Hawley, who is borrowing multiple ideas and concepts 506 00:32:18,799 --> 00:32:22,440 from the union wish lists legislation that you know, most 507 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,519 Democrats support the pro Act. 508 00:32:24,599 --> 00:32:26,599 Speaker 3: As we were talking about before. 509 00:32:26,799 --> 00:32:32,119 Speaker 2: Senator Hawley released a framework that had multiple concepts borrowed 510 00:32:32,119 --> 00:32:35,599 directly from the pro Act. Has introduced a bill called 511 00:32:35,599 --> 00:32:41,359 the Fast Labor Contracts Act that would force finding arbitration, 512 00:32:41,559 --> 00:32:45,920 have the federal government force arbitration on a private business 513 00:32:46,279 --> 00:32:48,759 and a union if they don't reach your first contract 514 00:32:48,839 --> 00:32:52,279 in time, and that arbitration panel could essentially write a 515 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:56,160 contract for workers even against their will or against their 516 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:57,160 employers will. 517 00:32:57,319 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 3: So you know, we are seeing the. 518 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,599 Speaker 2: Rise of what I'm calling the union curious conservatives like 519 00:33:04,839 --> 00:33:06,200 Cenator Hawley, and for. 520 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 3: What they are doing, you know, I think there are 521 00:33:09,279 --> 00:33:09,920 issues there. 522 00:33:10,359 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's leads us to I think a good question 523 00:33:13,559 --> 00:33:18,440 that I think are our listeners would ask as well, 524 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:24,599 why why is Josh Howley not only courting but working 525 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:29,279 beside big labor on some things that conservatives have found 526 00:33:29,359 --> 00:33:33,839 quite questionable over the years. And again, as you mentioned, 527 00:33:33,839 --> 00:33:36,039 he's not alone. Why why is this happening now? 528 00:33:37,279 --> 00:33:39,799 Speaker 2: Well, I think, you know, some repubmpkins and then once 529 00:33:39,839 --> 00:33:42,559 again it is a very very small minority. But you know, 530 00:33:42,559 --> 00:33:45,480 they made me misguided for why Holly is doing it 531 00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:48,279 that that's a question directly for him. 532 00:33:48,799 --> 00:33:52,279 Speaker 1: Sure, yeah, no, I certainly understand. But I'm just wondering 533 00:33:52,319 --> 00:33:56,960 what the political gain is from doing this sort of thing, 534 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:03,640 and you know, putting and lobbying for things that come 535 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:09,559 out of the Proact that are absolutely anti worker freedom, 536 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:17,960 absolutely anti individual rights in the workplace when it comes 537 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,000 to these sorts of things, Well, tell me a bit 538 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:26,039 if you wouldn't mind about the Institute for the American Worker. 539 00:34:26,559 --> 00:34:30,559 Obviously you are engaged in the fight for worker freedom, 540 00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:34,440 but tell us more about your mission and what you do. 541 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,679 Speaker 2: Absolutely so you know, we have worker freedom as the 542 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:41,920 center of I for a w all of this, and 543 00:34:42,519 --> 00:34:45,719 you can learn more about the Employee Rights Act and 544 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:47,719 some of the regulations and other laws that we were 545 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,800 talking about on our website. It's i the number four 546 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:55,840 AW dot org IFO AW dot org. We actually also 547 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,519 have a website called Labor News Today that you can 548 00:34:59,599 --> 00:35:02,440 access from IFOW dot org that gives you the latest 549 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:03,840 and greatest in labor news. 550 00:35:04,039 --> 00:35:06,119 Speaker 3: And if you just can get enough of it, you 551 00:35:06,159 --> 00:35:07,760 can sign up for a daily. 552 00:35:07,559 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 2: Digest that will put all the great labor stories in 553 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,000 your inbox first thing in the morning. I know people 554 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,880 from all over the country pay attention to it. You 555 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:19,840 have to be kind of a real labor geek, but 556 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,360 if you are, it's an incredibly useful newsletter. 557 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,679 Speaker 1: There you go, labor geeks, you heard it here thanks 558 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:31,400 to my guest today, Vincent Vernuccio, president of the Institute 559 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,440 for the American Worker. You've been listening to another edition 560 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:37,559 of The Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Matt Kittle, senior elections 561 00:35:37,599 --> 00:35:41,039 correspondent at the Federalist. We'll be back soon with more. 562 00:35:41,519 --> 00:35:44,840 Until then, stay levers of freedom and anxious for the 563 00:35:44,880 --> 00:36:02,800 fray