– While many articles will undoubtedly focus on last night’s State of the Union Address, it was the oddly predictable State of the Union response made by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla) that spoke the loudest about the state of Washington.

FACT: Sen. Marco Rubio’s State of the Union Response was 14 minutes 38 seconds long and began literally 13 minutes after the end of the President’s State of the Union Speech.

3 QUESTIONS:

Question #1  – Did Sen. Rubio get a copy of the president’s State of the union speech prior to the President making it?

Question #1a – If not, are we to believe that a carefully written 14:38 min response speech was objectively written in 13 minutes even with the availability of top speech writers?

Question #2 – If not, does this mean that Sen Rubio’s State of the Union response was written before the State of the Union?

Question 2a and 2b – If so, does this sound like an objective, bi-partisan manner in which to respond to a potentially historic state of the union speech or was it Washington Politics as usual demonstrating that no matter what the president had to say, Sen. Rubio already had his negative words prepared because that is just how gridlocked Washington has become?

Final Question – Although I do appreciate Sen. Rubio’s middle class roots and background, is he a legitimate example of new national GOP leadership that now represents the interests of the American middle class or is he just a smokescreen to make Americans believe that the national GOP leadership now represents the interests of the middle class?

My Response – Actions Speak louder than words and based on your actions and your predictable and likely premeditated words (not to mention the multiple water breaks), it’s non-partisan business as usual in Washington Sen. Rubio and your 14 minutes and 38 seconds are thankfully up!

– Sen. Paul Introduces (Anti-Union) National Right to Work Act – (If they Can Not Beat Unions, They Want to Get Rid Of Us)

– Feb 1, 2013 – In His Own Words From His Own Website at – – Go to: http://www.paul.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=692

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul this week introduced the National Right to Work Act, S. 204, which seeks to preserve and protect the free choice of individual employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, or to refrain from such activities.

“Every American worker deserves the right to freedom of association – and I am concerned that the 26 states that allow forced union membership and dues infringes on these workers’ rights,” Sen. Paul said. “Right to work laws ensure that all Americans are given the choice to refrain from joining or paying dues to a union as a condition for employment. Nearly 80 percent of all Americans support the principles and so I have introduced a national Right to Work Act that will require all states to give their workers the freedom to choose.”

Sen. Paul’s Right to Work Act does not add a single word to existing federal law, it simply deletes forced unionism provisions in federal law.

Due to six infringing and freedom-crushing provisions in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Railway Labor Act (RLA), there are currently 8 million working Americans who are required by law to pay union dues. These workers are not required to join a workers union but they are required to pay the dues; and if workers refuse to pay these union fees, they risk losing their jobs to Big Labor.

Below is text of Sen. Paul’s legislation:

S.204

A bill to preserve and protect the free choice of individual employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, or to refrain from such activities.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ”National Right-to-Work Act”.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT.

(a) RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES.-Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 157) is amended by striking ”except to” and all that follows through ”authorized in section 8(a)(3)”.

(b) UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES.-Section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158) is amended-

(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ”: Provided, That” and all that follows through ”retaining membership”;

(2) in subsection (b)-

(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ”or to discriminate” and all that follows through ”retaining membership”; and

(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ”covered by an agreement authorized under subsection (a)(3) of this section”; and

(3) in subsection (f), by striking clause (2) and redesignating clauses (3) and (4) as clauses (2) and (3), respectively.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE RAILWAY LABOR ACT.

Section 2 of the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 152) is amended by striking paragraph Eleven.

Mayor Nutter has filed a lawsuit in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court seeking a ruling allowing him to impose the City’s last contract proposal on AFSCME District Council 33.

In response AFSCME District Councils 33 President Pete Matthews and District Council 33’s Counsel Samuel Spear will hold a press conference to respond to Mayor Nutter’s lawsuit today

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

At 5:00 pm

at AFSCME District Council 33

3001 Walnut Street, 5th floor.

All media are invited to attend.

Dateline: Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, February 6, 2013, 8:30 am

Contact: Kevin Hanes, 412-330-9930
Bob Wolper, 215-896-2970

Sources: AFSCME District Council 33

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Representatives from most every union where in attendance at this Years Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO Leadership Conference in Atlantic City, NJ participating in discussions and seminars with topics ranging from organizing and politics to public schools and public services to How Labor, Community and Non-partisanship saved the refineries.

Phillylabor was proud to be a part of such an outstanding conference!

Press Release

Dateline:        Philadelphia, PA
Date:             Friday, February 01, 2013, 12:00 pm
Source:           IATSE Local 8 (Stagehands)
Contacts:        Mike Barnes (cell) 215-880-3162
Bob Wolper, (cell) 215-896-2970

The union representing workers at the Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) today announced that they have reached an agreement to settle a two week old strike and have ratified a first contract with the theater company.

Michael Barnes, the President of IATSE Stagehands Local 8, praised the union members who were on strike as well as other Labor allies and community supporters.

“This was not an easy battle. It took the support of our International Union and the community to get this contract. I would like to thank the AFL- CIO and the affiliates who supported us on the picket line as well as the community members who honored the picket line and provided support through social media and letters to PTC management,” said Barnes. “I would also like to thank our International President Matthew Loeb, who marched with us on the picket line and provided extraordinary assistance throughout the campaign, and I would especially like to thank the Local 8 membership who did went out all out to support a bunch of young stagehands who last year we called our competition but today proudly call our union brothers and sisters.”

IATSE Local 8 members had been on strike at the theater company for two weeks and had been trying to get PTC to agree to a first contract with the newly organized group of workers that reflects already existing conditions of work and includes a minimal wage increase consistent with existing industry standards.

“The newly organized Local 8 at the PTC we not asking for much,” said Barnes. “All they were looking for was job security; maintain existing working conditions, health benefits and a decent wage increase.”

Barnes noted that the new contract for stagehands for the PTC is the first contract Local 8 has settled for a theater of this size. The contract has strong language that protects the jobs, maintains and improves conditions that now include overtime after 8 hours in a day and holidays and double time for overnight work. The contract also contains health and retirement contributions for every worker and increases the wages of the workers each year of the agreement.

“This strike was about economic justice,” said Barnes. “The fight for economic justice is as important today as it was when Martin Luther King stood with those sanitation workers in Memphis 44 years ago. With this settlement there will be no strike this weekend at the PTC. The Rat will be somewhere watching the Super Bowl with the rest of the stagehands. But come Monday we will start building on this agreement by taking our message to the other regional theater workers and unrepresented stagehands in the City.”
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