The GOP is at War Against the Heart of America (OT)

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/dropping-the-ax-update-2009-03.pdf

Our findings provide significant support for the view that an important part of the decline in private-sector unionization rates (the unionization rate in the public sector has remained constant for three decades) is that aggressive—even illegal—employer behavior has undermined the ability of workers to create unions at their work places. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) penalties associated with illegal firings are small: back pay for illegally fired workers minus any earnings that workers had after they were fired. Current law has given employers a powerful anti-union strategy:
fire one or more prominent pro-union employees—typically workers most involved in organizing the union—with the hope of disrupting the internal workings of the organizing campaign, while intimidating the rest of the potential bargaining unit in advance of the NLRB-supervised election.

Koch brothers quietly open lobbying office in downtown Madison
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4743782
http://www.jconline.com/article/20110222/NEWS/102220319/Amid-Statehouse-walkout-governor-says-its-time-to-dump-labor-bill-update

JUDITH DAVIDOFF | The Capital Times | jdavidoff@madison.com madison.com | (32)

The billionaire brothers whose political action committee gave Gov. Scott Walker $43,000 and helped fund a multi-million-dollar attack ad campaign against his opponent during the 2010 gubernatorial election have quietly opened a lobbying office in Madison just off the Capitol Square. ("The lobbyists for Koch Companies Public Sector registered with the state on January 5, two days after Walker's inauguration.")

Charles and David Koch, who co-own Koch Industries Inc. and whose combined worth is estimated at $43 billion, have been recently tied by many media outlets to Walker's push to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public workers. The two have long backed conservative causes and groups including Americans for Prosperity, which organized the tea party rally Saturday in support of Walker’s plan to strip public workers of collective bargaining rights and recently launched the Stand with Scott Walker website.

........

"It's curious that the Kochs have apparently expanded their lobbying presence just as Walker was sworn into office and immediately before a budget was unveiled that would allow the executive branch unilateral power to sell off public utilities in this state in no-bid contracts," says Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, a watchdog group that focuses on corporate power.

Koch Companies Public Sector LLC occupies a seventh-floor suite at 10 E. Doty St., one block off the Capitol Square. According to a tenant who requested anonymity, the lobbying group moved in two weeks before Walker was elected governor on November 2. When contacted for confirmation, Jeffrey Schoepke, the company's regional manager, said through a receptionist that he could not answer any questions and would have to forward them to other company officials.