Archives: Ben Wilterdink / Articles
Archives: Ben Wilterdink / Articles
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Setting the Record Straight on Open Contracting
An interesting exchange occurred in the Wisconsin Senate last Wednesday. During discussion of a bill that would prohibit the state of Wisconsin or political subdivisions from requiring Project Labor…
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2017 is Right-to-Work’s Watershed Year
Workers should have the right to decide for themselves whether or not they want to join or fund a union without fear of losing their jobs. With the recent adoption…
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Rebecca Friedrichs: Why Good Teachers Want School Choice
Just in time for School Choice Week, Rebecca Friedrichs, a California public school teacher, partnered with Prager University to produce a short video describing why school choice programs lead…
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Kentucky Becomes the 27th Right-to-Work State
Over the weekend, Kentucky lawmakers and Governor Bevin moved swiftly to fulfill one of the most repeated campaign promises of the election, make Kentucky a right-to-work state. Making the issue…
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House REINS in Government Red Tape
Yesterday, an eager House of Representatives got to work and quickly fulfilled one of the season’s most significant campaign promises—regulatory reform. With an eye toward protecting the economy from the…
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When Speech is Compelled
As the country celebrates one of our most fundamental freedoms during Free Speech Week, it is important to keep in mind that the freedom of speech also means the freedom…
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Lawsuits Filed to Challenge Department of Labor’s New Overtime Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is facing fresh challenges to its new rule regarding overtime pay.
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Michigan Leads on Giving Choice to Public Employees
For far too long, supporting workers has been interpreted as synonymous with supporting labor unions. Labor unions are happy to keep this conflation alive, but the changing nature of…
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This Labor Day, Support Workers
Labor Day was first recognized as a federal holiday under President Grover Cleveland in 1894. While the roots of the holiday can be traced…
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Welfare Reform at 20
There is something special about work. For most, this simple fact can often get overlooked or lost in the endless pressures of a job.
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Public Employees Deserve Choice, So Do Public Employee Unions
On June 28, 2016 dashed were many hopes to liberate public employees from being forced to contribute to political causes with which they disagreed. The Supreme Court decided not…
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Checking the Facts of Minimum Wage Hikes
The case for minimum wage has been made ad nauseum: people are not earning enough money, so the legislature should give them a pay increase. The unintended consequences of drastic increases to the minimum wage, however, are hardly ever examined.
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D.C. Residents Face Tougher Path to Employment as $15 Minimum Wage Proposal Passes
The recent push to raise minimum wage across the country has reached its boiling point in the District of Columbia. The proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 per…
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Machines Invade the Labor Market
Last week, Wendy’s announced that self-service ordering kiosks will be made available to its more than 6,000 stores nationwide. Wendy’s is just the latest example of increasing automation in…
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An Open Letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Regarding Automatic Withholding of Union Dues
The recent editorial by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch misleads the public on the importance of transparency in the payment of union dues. The bill in question, Missouri’s House Bill…
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Tune In: How Collective Bargaining Negatively Affects State and Local Finances
Collective bargaining by public employee unions has a major impact on a state’s budget. A new report from the Heritage Foundation and the Nevada Policy Research Institute highlights…
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Disappointing Friedrichs Decision Underscores Need for States to Act
Although the Supreme Court decision is a tremendous disappointment, it underscores the need to affirmatively protect these rights at the state level. States can prevent public sector unions from compelling workers to fund their political positions.
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Right-to-Work in 2016
Even before the third month of the year is finished, there have already been major victories for advocates of increased worker freedom. For the first time, a majority of U.S.
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Sunshine Week Spotlight: Public Employee Bargaining Transparency Act
Government transparency is absolutely critical for government accountability. The government that works best is the government that is accountable to the people. But, there can only be accountability when the…
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Senator Michael Hough Awarded at CPAC
On March 5 at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Maryland Senator Michael Hough, former ALEC State Chair for Maryland and current ALEC member, was honored with the American…