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Obamacare: New rule may remove reinsurance fee for unions

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A provision in Obamacare would collect a fee from health insurance companies and third-party administrators (TPAs) of administrative services only (ASO a.k.a. self-insured) group health plans, to fund a reinsurance program to help “stabilize” premiums available through the exchanges. A significant number of unions are self-insured. Unions were pissed they had to pay this fee of between $60 and $80 per insured (now said to start at $63 and reduce in following years), and as recently as last week were demanding President Obama change the law. Obama caved.

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Detroit goes for Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy

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Detroit is broke, and as we learned yesterday afternoon, the broken city has filed Chapter 9 bankruptcy. If accepted by the courts, it will allow city leaders to restructure their debt. But who gets to do the restructuring?

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Chicago teacher’s union leader – “Rich, white people” part of the education system’s problems

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Staying classy! Karen Lewis, the president of the Chicago Teacher’s Union also claims she was “a girl who could throw a perfect slider” when she was growing up. OK, I don’t believe that for a second, but we do know she believes the rich, white people in Chicago are a problem for the cities school system.

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A funny thing happened to union membership in Wisconsin

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Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin was able to obtain the passage of new laws dealing with public sector unions in Wisconsin.  Their employees now actually have to shoulder the burden of paying something close to the value of their health insurance coverage and their future pension costs.  But, there was another interesting provision of the Wisconsin law… Read more

Union protests at LAX misleading and astroturfed?

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If you traveled through LAX yesterday, you may be under the impression airport union workers were protesting as a part of the May Day tom-foolery, and in turn delaying your flight. You may be incorrect.

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It’s an evil special interest group … unless it’s your special interest group

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I chuckle and laugh every time I hear the phrase “special interest group” simply because all of you are part of a special interest group. Some may be large, some may be small but it’s the union “special interest groups” who are the big complainers, always attacking the “bad” special interest groups.

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SEIU union collecting dues from parents who are caregivers for their children

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In Michigan, the state and the SEIU created a collaborative crime syndicate to bilk care-giving parents of more than $28 million intended to care for disabled children. Nobody is stepping up to take responsibility, and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy says the Republican-controlled state Senate is part of the problem.

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West Virginia fire station not being rebuilt thanks to prevailing wage (union) rules

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The volunteers who staff the Sissonville, W.Va. Fire Department have been working for more than 16 months to collect donations and government funding to rebuild their fire station after it burned to the ground in Oct. 2010. I know, ironic. After getting an estimate of $1.2 million to build and raising the funds through a variety of sources, the State of West Virginia Division of Labor halted the project since the gig would not pay the state-mandated prevailing wage.

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Obama again displays the difference between statists and conservatives

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Maybe it’s not statists and conservatives, but to President Obama it’s him against his opponents. On his home-turf in front of a United Auto Workers crowd in Washington yesterday, Obama couldn’t grasp the concept that wanting to be on top and working together is not mutually exclusive.

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Why jobs leave this country…or return

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On Friday, Caterpillar announced the closing of a locomotive plant in Ontario, Canada.  The plant had been the site of a weeks long lockout over wages and benefits.  To remain competitive with the likes of General Electric, Caterpillar wanted concessions, but the Canadian Auto Workers union refused. Read more