Union bosses are reportedly planning to spend $300 million of their members’ money to eliminate five Republican governors during in the 2014 elections.
While union bosses have not released a prioritized list, if they had a list prioritizing which governors are higher in their hit list, it would probably look like this:
- Scott Walker (Wisconsin)–While Walker’s Act 10 has done well for Wisconsin’s budget, by most accounts, Walker is highest on the unions’ hit list.
- Rick Snyder (Michigan)–In 2012, UAW boss Bob King and other unions pushed a overly broad pro-union ballot initiative called Proposal 2 that would have solidified union power in the state’s constitution. When voters soundly rejected it 58-42%, Governor Snyder responded with making Michigan the nation’s 24th Right-to-Work state. Since giving workers the choice whether or not to pay union dues or fees is as anathema to unions as the plague, unions have vowed their revenge.
- John Kasich (Ohio)–Though Kasich has been largely neutered since his attempt at reforming Ohio’s collective bargaining laws were repealed by Ohio voters a few years ago, Ohio is a swing state and, with 2016 right around the corner, having the state in Democrat hands will come in handy for Hillary.
- Tom Corbett (Pennsylvania)–Though not as high profile as Wisconsin’s Walker, the Keystone State’s Corbett has been nibbling at union power with trying to privatize the state-controlled (and unionized) liquor stores. In addition, with an effort underway to curb unions’ ability to deduct union dues for politics from public-sector employees, both public and private-sector unions across the state are in an uproar.
- Rick Scott (Florida)–While Rick Scott has been angering unions with what union bosses refer to as “union busting,” the state itself is a Right-to-Work state and, with only 5.8 percent of the Florida workforce in unions, unions do not have a lot of power in Florida. However, like Kasich above, union bosses are likely looking ahead to 2016 and want a friend in power in case there is a need for an election-night recount.
Whether or not the unions actually succeed in eliminating any of their targets can mean a sea change in the public policy debate and all it takes is one for union bosses to declare victory.
Hat-tip: Wisconsin Election Watch .
