“How Government Unions control America and rob Taxpayers Blind”
A shocking look at the underside of government employee unions, Brad Decker interviews Mallory Factor on his best-selling book “Shadowbosses,” in The Washington Times.
His new bestseller, “Shadowbosses,” shines the light on how “government unions control America and rob taxpayers blind.” You can find out more about Mr. Factor’s work at: malloryfactor.com.
Decker: Your new book is called “Shadowbosses.” What does that term mean in general and how does it apply to national politics?
Factor: In our own lives, our shadowbosses are the people we really work for, the people who hold us accountable for the decisions we make in our lives. Unfortunately, as I found while writing this book, for many of our political leaders, their shadowbosses are the government-employee union bosses. The shadowbosses are there to pat politicians on the back when they support the union agenda, and to tear them down if they act against those interests. Our government is no longer run by “We, the People.” It’s run by government-employee union bosses who spend billions on politics and expect their client politicians to do their bidding. These shadowbosses dictate which legislation to support, how much workers should be paid and what the future of our country should look like. It is time for the American people to ask our politicians who their shadowbosses are: the government-employee union bosses or the American people?
Decker: The political power of labor unions is based on corruption and thuggery. What kinds of intimidation techniques have the public-sector unions used to extend their stranglehold on the government workforce?
Factor: As we just saw in Wisconsin, threats, intimidation, violence and attempts to sabotage the political process are still very much in the union arsenal. Strikes and work slowdowns of teachers and other vital government workers are used regularly to intimidate communities into giving in to union demands, even in jurisdictions where strikes of government workers are illegal. But these days, government-employee unions use money — more than crowbars — to intimidate politicians into voting to preserve and grow their dues empire. These government unions keep careful track of whether politicians they support deliver for them, and they reward their loyal friends and punish their enemies. Outright violence is still very much with us though and happens three times as often in non-right-to-work states as in right-to-work states.
Decker: When you get down to it, this is all about cash, isn’t it? Money means control. What kind of bucks are in play in this racket, and where does this fortune go? How would you characterize the relationship between Big Labor and the Democratic Party?