A Columbus, Georgia Dolly Madison plant is scheduled to be up and running by July. The reformulated Hostess Brands expects the most popular products to be back on the shelves this summer.

In a bankruptcy forced liquidation Hostess due in part to a lengthy impasse by striking workers, the brand and five of the bakeries were bought in a joint venture by two private equity companies.

The Dolly Madison plant in Columbus, Ga., will be the first to reopen. The ‘new’ bakery is inviting former workers to apply for positions. There has been no talk of unions in the new company.

In its new iteration, the company will hire 200 workers for jobs starting this summer. Another 100 jobs will follow. Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson said her town is better off with the opportunities — whether they’re union or not.

“I think we’re very happy to have the jobs back; 300 jobs is better than zero jobs,” she said.

Read more at CNN Money.

The elections of 2012 saw an unprecedented $100 million dollars spent by large employee unions throughout the United States. More than $11 million of that money was spent in Minnesota. Bought and Paid For… Minnesota Legislature lists some of the powerful democrats who are pushing bills through legislative committees that are clearly inspired by various unions. Those same unions supported their campaigns through endorsements and financial contributions.

Expanding on the previous list, here is an investigation into the democrat members of the MN House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee who have also been bought and paid for by employee unions.

Representative Sheldon Johnson: Chair of the Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee

Endorsed by AFSCME, MAPE, Teamsters, Education MN, MNA, IBEW, and various police, firefighter, building, trades, and transportation unions.

Johnson was a Union Steward for Teamsters 320.

Johnson has received the following campaign donations: $8,400 from public employee unions, $4,100 from civil servants/public officials, $3,000 from building trade unions, and another $3,700 from miscellaneous unions.

Representative Mike Sundin: freshman legislator and Vice Chair of the Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, IBEW, MN Farmers Union, Teamsters, United Transportation Union, Education MN, and 11 other unions.

Sundin is a professional painter and was part of the Internation Union of Painters and Allied Tradees (IUPAT).

Representative Peter Fischer: freshman legislator

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, MNA, MAPE, Education MN, Teamsters.

In his final campaign finance report submitted in January 2013, Fischer reported donations in excess of $4,000 from unions including IBEW, Education MN, MAPE, Iron Workers and more.

Representative Carolyn Laine: Vice Chair of MN House Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy Committee which already passed the forced unionization bill

Endorsed by AFSCME, SEIU, IBEW, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, MAPE, United Transportation Union, various police, firefighters, nurses and farmers unions

Received 42% of campaign donations from out-of-state sources.
Received more than $8,000 in campaign contributions from unions.

Represenative Shannon Savick

Received the following donations for her 2012 campaign:
SEIU $250
Education MN $450
IBEW $700
Joint Council 32 (Teamsters) $500
MAPE $250
AFL-CIO $250
MNA $500
Laborers Council of MN & ND Pol Fund $500
United Food and Commercial Workers Union $500

Representative Michael Nelson: Professional carpenter for 22 years before working directly for a carpenters union in 2000

Representative Erik Simonson

Endorsed by AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Firefighters unions, and building/construction trades unions.

Over $3500 in Simonson’s 2012 campaign contributions were from city and state employees.

15 employee unions donated more than $6,300, including $500 from AFSCME, $250 from AFL-CIO, $200 from Public Employee Services Association, and $250 from Education MN.

Representative Sandra Masin

Endorsed by AFSCME, Education MN, SEIU, AFL-CIO, Joint Council 32 DRIVE (Teamsters), MAPE, Police and Peace Officers Union, Council of Carpenters, United Transportation Union, St. Paul Building Construction Trades Council, MNA.

Campaign contributions from AFSCME, SEIU, MAPE, Education MN and others totaled $4,000 in Masin’s 2012 campaign.

Representative Jason Metsa: currently employeed as Field Coordinator for North East Area Labor Council

11 employee unions contributed to Metsa’s 2012 campaign. Northern Central States Carpenters union contributed $500 and Virginia Eveleth Carpenters Local #606 donated $300.

The MN House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee heard the introduction and testimony on the forced unionization of in-home child care business owners today and is expected to pass the bill onto the House floor later in the session. Both AFSCME and SEIU will see an influx of thousands of new members should the bill pass making private business owners employees of the State of Minnesota.

The information for this article was obtained via the MN Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board and individual candidate campaign websites. Some endorsement and other information was obtained from ProjectVoteSmart.org.
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Author of the MN Senate version of the child care provider unionization bill is Senator Sandy Pappas. What are her ties to unions? What happened in her committee: Read here: It’s Payback Time
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In Minnesota, union influence was purchased with more than $11 million. Payback is taking the form of increasing the number of dues-paying members through bully legislation.

Making its way through Minnesota Senate committees is a rehashed proposal to force private business owners and sole proprietors to join a union or be forced to pay a “fair share” penalty.

The bill, Senate File 778, states that any child care provider who accepts clients who are subsidized by the state Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) must, under penalty of the law, join the union or pay the “fair share” fee of $25 per month. There are approximately 9,000 business owners and child care providers that would be affected by this part of the law.

Minnesota Senate State and Local Government Committee met Monday and was greeted by a large crowd of both opposition and support. Chief author of SF 778, Senator Sandra Pappas, who was endorsed by AFSCME and SEIU (Service Employees International Union) in her 2012 campaign, presented her proposal along side union bosses and sobbing testifiers. Executive Director of AFSCME Eliot Seide testified in favor of Pappas’ bill. He was paid over $122,000 last year by the union. According to union members present at the senate committee hearing, both AFSCME and SEIU would see an increase in membership if the bill becomes law.

According to testimony at the hearing, child care providers already have the option to join AFSCME and a total of 57, out of more than 9,000, have already done so.

Republican members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee had harsh words and presented stiff opposition to Pappas’ bills. Senator Brandon Petersen criticized the bill saying, “…you’re talking about unionizing small business owners… Isn’t this just a plan to syphon off dues money for the unions?”

Petersen was visibly frustrated throughout the meeting. Referring to a provision in the bill that would make the State of Minnesota the “employer of record” for all child care providers, Petersen asked, “Home child care providers are not employees. Why are we trying to unionized small business owners?”

Pappas embarassed

One testifier in opposition to the union power grab took it upon herself to call child care providers in Pappas’ district to find out if they wanted to be unionized. Becky Swanson, a licensed child care professional, only found three. Swanson urged members of the committee to return to their districts and find out for themselves if their constituents are in favor of forced unionization.

Hollie Saville also testified before the committee in opposition to the bill. She quipped, “I brought a copy of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence,” as she waved the booklets in her hands, “Perhaps some need a refresher on them.”

Republican Senator Dave Thompson asked Pappas if there was any way to know how many providers who currently take CCAP clients will stop taking low income family clients because of this forced unionization. Pappas simply replied, “no.”

Consequences and the Democrat War on Poverty

Republican Senator Dave Thompson exposed a consequence of the bill. Many in-home child care providers currently take clients who receive CCAP funding. That funding follows the low income family, not the provider. CCAP is a reimbursement to the provider. Thompson wanted it on record that he finds it “unbelievable that you would suggest people give up a large portion of their income OR join a union and pay dues.” Senator Dan Hall suggested this was a form of bullying.

In response, Pappas confirmed that providers would have to pay union dues or fair share fees, or turn away low income families.

By that rationale, Pappas and those who would vote for this bill are aware that some low income families would have to find new child care providers. In theory, Pappas is encouraging the mass exodus of licensed in-home providers and forcing low income families into more expensive, union-backed facilities that will likely have higher costs. These costs will be the burden of the tax payers in Minnesota.

More to the bill than child care

Not only does SF 778 establish a new and expensive state board, a coucil, and other administrative bureaucracy, it also attempts to unionize unlicensed in-home care givers like those caring for a disabled child or aging parent.

A Star Tribune report breaks down this part of the bill accordingly.

According to Katy Chase, executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, unlicensed providers are often relatives or neighbors who do not have to meet the requirements of licensed providers. “You’re talking grammas and grampas, families and neighbors,” she said.
“To have them included in a bill that’s talking about negotiating things that wouldn’t even come into play for them — we don’t think they should be included,” said Chase, whose organization will oppose the AFSCME-backed bill.
At the same time, a former union supporter, Kathy Stevens, who provides licensed family child care in Brainerd and was once active in the union effort, issued a statement saying the union engaged in “unethical tactics in signing unlicensed providers.” She said the reason for doing so was to win votes for the unionization attempt.
“Legally unlicensed providers are a mere pawn in the numbers game to obtain votes,” Stevens said in her statement, which was submitted to the Senate committee.

Should the unionization of small in-home child care business owners pass in the MN Senate, it will also likely pass the state House. Both senate and house are led by a democrat majority. Many of the democrats in both the senate and house were endorsed by AFSCME and SEIU in the last 2 election cycles, as was Governor Mark Dayton, who would sign it into law.

To see a comprehensive list of unions & their influence on Minnesota politics, click here:
Shot In The Dark – Unions Buy Minnesota

See others who are influenced by union campaign contributions in Minnesota here: Bought & Paid For
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The United States Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Assn. have reached an agreement on container royalty fees, one of the most heated and controversial issues in the negotiation.

Employers have attempted to put a cap on royalty fees (which supplement dockworker wages) and limit who gets them. The longshoremen’s union has been against the changes.

If it had gone into effect, the strike would have efficaciously stopped the flow of consumer goods to virtually the entire half of the U.S. Talks will now go on until at least Feb. 6.

“The container royalty payment issue has been agreed upon in principle by the parties, subject to achieving an overall collective bargaining agreement,” George H. Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said in a statement.

The National Retail Federation, which represents many of the nation’s largest retail chains, told the L.A. Times Friday that it was pleased to learn of the latest contract extension, but referred to it as only a temporary reprieve.

In the dispute, are 14 ports with over 15,000 dockworkers. The ports are among the busiest in the country.

Get the word out!

Watch interview with Clint Tarver:

For full story go to “Ironic Surrealism”

Check out this video about how beloved Clint is to the Community:

Ellison shared the following photo on his Facebook page courtesy of We Are Michigan, a coalition of unions and progressive groups.

Surely Rep. Ellison was aware of the violence and turmoil that took place today that included vandalism, mob behavior and a comedian being punched in the face. Certainly he had heard about the Michigan State Rep. Doug Geiss made calling for “blood” over the pending legislation. Does the congressman “stand” behind these atrocities?

Rep. Ellison did not return attempts for comment.
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Who is Rep Keith Ellison? Here’s a start: The Company You Keep
Ellison’s Town Hall #Fail
Ellison’s 2009 Arrest

P.S. – I stand with Steven Crowder.

Here is an interview with Steven Crowder after the fact with Dana Loesch:

Crowder suffered bruises to his face and a chipped tooth in the assault. Additional footage can be seen on the Sean Hannity show on Fox News Channel.

“The passage of Right-to-Work is a win/win for Michigan,” said Michigan State Director Scott Hagerstrom in a statement. “Despite this victory, it took place amid union brutality and violence. I am saddened by the union protestors’ complete disregard for safety and freedom of speech, tearing down an AFP tent and stomping on peaceful AFP demonstrators trapped under the tent.”

Volunteers and staffers for Americans For Prosperity across the nation have come out in social media force to expose the violence in Michigan, but also to showcase the hypocrisy of the unions who claim to support free speech and peaceful protest.

John Cooney, State Director of Minnesota which also saw demonstrations related to proposed right-to-work legislation, had this to say.

“Disappointingly, unions have continued their pattern of violence and rejection to civil discourse today in Michigan just as they did earlier this year in Minnesota with multiple disruptions at the state capitol during a senate hearing on employee freedom. The threats and acts of physical violence, not simply intimidation, are shockingly a common tool used by union thugs to protect the confiscated wages of hard working Americans and were caught on camera today.”

Cooney joined Americans For Prosperity last summer and has been a conservative activist in various capacities for more than 13 years.

“Americans For Prosperity remains committed to free market reforms and principles of freedom and liberty,” concluded Cooney’s statement.

The video of the AFP tent being torn down and the union mob screaming profanity-laced chants has been shared by many of the individual state chapters across the U.S.

The tent was erected by the Michigan chapter of Americans For Prosperity, a free market activist group. The tent, according to reports via social media from those in attendance, had women and children inside who were unable to get out because of the weight of the tent as well as union protesters standing on the edges. It’s clear from the video that there are people under the tent after it had fallen.

Reports on Twitter and Facebook claim more violence such as popular conservative activist Steven Crowder was punched in the face at least four times. Video of his encounter will be released later today via social media and again on the Sean Hannity show on the Fox News Channel later tonight.

See additional video courtesy of conservative blogger Lee Stranahan here: Frightening Mob