Chicago Tribune calls out the city's latest leftist Mayor

Opinion by Aaron Kliegman (Fox News)

Chicago's most prominent newspaper called out the Windy City's newly sworn-in left-wing mayor for doing the bidding of unions and signing "radical" executive orders just hours into the job, calling one in particular a "disaster" for the fiscal stability of Chicago.

"As Mayor Brandon Johnson was celebrating 'the soul of Chicago' in his inaugural speech, his office was churning out a batch of deeply radical executive orders that signal trouble ahead for anyone worried about tax increases or concerned with the fiscal stability of America's third largest city," the Chicago Tribune's editorial board wrote Wednesday, two days after Johnson was inaugurated. "The one that most immediately caught our attention was Johnson's executive order creating a new deputy mayor for labor relations."

The Tribune outlined what "any reasonable adult, be they Democrat or Republican," would expect a deputy mayor for labor relations to do in a big city: balance the demands and expectations of a unionized workforce with the "need to hold the line on costs."

In the public sector, however, there's less incentive to hold the line on costs because spending money to gain popularity is more of an appeal than within private companies.

“In the case of the city's new mayor, this danger is compounded because everyone knows that Johnson was hand-picked by the Chicago Teachers Union, with the help of other public sector unions, and their superb ground game got out the Johnson vote and put their man in City Hall," according to the Tribune. "Even Johnson's most fervent supporters should hope that the new mayor will make some effort to stress his independence from his union paymasters … His first responsibility is to Chicagoans who are trusting him to be a steward of the hard-earned money they pay in taxes and deliver them functional services."

Johnson, a longtime union organizer and activist, was supported by a progressive coalition, including the Chicago Teachers Union. During his campaign, he acknowledged that his ambitious proposals for investments in Chicago's social programs would require tax increases. Among Johnson's most controversial tax proposals is head tax on large companies of $1 to $4 per employee and a jet fuel tax.
As part of his agenda, Johnson, a Democrat, seems to be adopting a clear pro-labor position through some of the new positions he's creating.

The job description for the deputy mayor for labor relations, as released Monday, is being "responsible for working with all city agencies and departments to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of Chicago; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights, including working with relevant authorities to help enforce workers' statutory rights."

According to the Tribune, such a job is a "gift-wrapped present" for the Chicago Teachers Union, "which probably had a big hand in its composition." The editorial board added that the executive order says nothing about an obligation to protect taxpayers, homeowners or businesses.

"It basically says: Do what unionized workers want, find more ways to give them more of what they want, and your annual review will be just dandy," the Tribune argued. "In fact, if you take that job description at face value, any deputy mayor pushing back on any union demand whatsoever would, in fact, be contravening what their boss says is the requirement of the job."

In other words, the city's biggest paper wrote, Johnson's job description for his new deputy is a "disaster and it needs to be immediately rewritten so as to reflect the dual responsibilities of the job, which is to navigate and mediate between legitimate union demands and the ability of the city to meet them without casting citizens from their homes or sending off Chicago businesses to Florida."

The Tribune then called on Johnson to recognize that unions can ask for "unreasonable things" of their employers and be willing to respond, "No, Chicago cannot afford that much."

Johnson has said as mayor he will fund more social workers instead of police officers, let illegal immigrants vote in school board elections, make Chicago a sanctuary for transgender people and ensure women can have easy access to abortions in the city.

On his first day of office, beyond the new deputy mayor for labor relations, Johnson also created new deputy mayor positions for community safety and for immigrant, migrant and refugee rights. During his inaugural address, Johnson said Chicago has "enough room" for migrants who are surging across the country's southern border "whether you are seeking asylum or you are looking for a fully funded neighborhood."

Who benefits from the lockdowns, musings and opinions

The lockdowns have benefitted the unions and Big Tech, two entities massively intertwined with politicians. The lockdowns have hurt the church, small businesses, and anyone seeking an education, particularly children. This won't end well. The lockdowns have increased suspicion and animosity between the haves and have nots (of freedom) Even an ordinary person sees that the ruling class tells us to mask up and shut up, while they continue life as usual--parties, restaurants, travel, investments, and private in-school education for their kids. So when Biden says, wear a mask for 100 days, who will believe him that it is about health? If the power brokers and pushers aren't worried, why should we be?

Unions and right to work

Public-sector workers had a union membership rate (34.4 percent) more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers (6.4 percent). So our taxes pay the salaries of govenment workers and then they lobby against us. Never waste a crisis, so government union membership grew during the recession. Among occupational groups, the highest unionization rates in 2016 were in education, training, and library occupations (34.6 percent). I think this suggests that women, who dominate those fields, seem to want protection despite all the bravado and complaints about a patriarchy, and see the government as a father/spousal figure. (Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016.)

https://www.law360.com/articles/899211/challenges-continue-for-organized-labor-in-2017

"The union agenda has also shifted since the 1940s. What was once a collective bargaining focus has morphed into a political operation using those millions in member dues to support other liberal organizations and campaigns. From 2012 to 2015, union bosses have given away over a half-billion dollars to groups many of their members would never support."
 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/feb/6/union-support-for-donald-trump-gives-big-labor-cha/

A comment from a FB friend:  "And, in Ohio, they have what they call a "fair share fee" for those who don't wish to join the union, but pay their share of the union representing them. The difference is supposed to be what goes to political activity. What is a fair share? 100%, of course. Nothing fair or accurate about that at all. Having served as union rep and on state executive board, I can tell you much of what is done is clearly partisan political activity, including much of what goes on in their conventions."

Unions lie about right to work states

Private sector wages are not reduced in right-to-work states as union advocates have argued, according to a new report released Tuesday by The Heritage Foundation.

Every state with compelled union membership and Virginia, a right-to-work state, has living costs above the national average, which is how EPI arrived to its finding that right-to-work states have lower wages.

Though more than three-quarters of Americans believe union membership should be voluntary, 25 states still have compulsory unionization.

Two useful solutions for VA scandal

Paul Krugman, eat crow. Romney suggested private vouchers for veterans and was roundly ridiculed on the left. However, Obama said there were problems in 2008 and did nothing but ask for more money. It's control, not money. VA health system is socialized medicine, the direction all leftists want us to go. The pro-choice crowd wants no choice for education, veterans' health, light bulbs, etc. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/opinion/krugman-vouchers-for-veterans-and-other-bad-ideas.html?_r=0

It wouldn't take a genius: give the veterans vouchers to introduce some competition and reduce the wait time, and get rid of the unions. Why, when we already have civil service and professional organizations for every medical specialty, does there need to be union bosses calling the shots for veterans' health?

http://nypost.com/2014/05/28/how-unions-share-blame-for-va-deaths/

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/379051/while-vets-wait-va-employees-do-union-work-jillian-kay-melchior

SeaTac minimum wage for hospitality and transportation workers upped to $15 January 1.

But there will be more law suits, because some are exempt.  There will also be many jobs lost as employers try to scramble not only to find the money, but to increase those who have been working for years above minimum.  How much does a mechanic deserve if the hospitality worker cleaning the hotel room or the driver of the van gets $15/hour as a beginning salary.  How many workers, if they are good, remain at minimum whether they are burger flippers or hotel maids?

And why does the city council think hospitality workers should earn more than McDonald’s or Burger King workers.  At least they get tips.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/31/news/seatac-minimum-wage/

Washington’s in for a rough economic ride.  Unions are pushing Boeing, who may just leave the state for a right to work state.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/business/vote-on-boeing-contract-highlights-rift-in-machinists-union.html

The dispute highlights a rift within the union, one that reflects the varying priorities of its leadership. Union officials in Washington State want to preserve gains hard won from a company that has surging profits and record plane orders. But the international leadership sees a different threat — the possibility of losing a large manufacturing center and more than 10,000 union jobs to a right-to-work state where it would be difficult to win representation. And that could mean a big loss in dues — Boeing workers in the Puget Sound area paid $25.5 million in dues to the international union in 2012.

Will unions be able to improve service at this Grandview Heights McDonald’s?

I have no idea how many protesting the fast food wage (entry level, starting job, many for teens) are not working there and are union plants.  I was browsing one of those rating systems for one in our area, and I’m guessing these employees are all doing well, and looking for advancement.  This store is at 911 W. Fifth St., Grandview Heights, Ohio, and the customer gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

                                   

“Yes, I know I am reviewing a McDonalds, but we all should know no two McDonalds are the same. All health comments aside lets get right down to the results.

This McDonalds is really, really busy during meal hours, days when I choose to stop in a get breakfast on the way to work I always worry when I see the line completely wrapped around, but I have never waited more than about 7 mins, usually its around 5 mins.

They have yet to mess up my order at all or do anything else that would lead to complaints. When I decide to eat inside I find the restrooms, eating area and kitchen clean. I even like that they let a local semi "weird" guy just watch the TV in there all night when he just gets a coffee, which they may or may not make him pay for.

All in all this is probably one of the best McDonalds in Columbus and since I do not plan to go around all of Columbus to try them out you will just have to take my word for it.”

I worked for 25 cents over minimum at a Readmore Bookstore in the early 80s.  I wasn’t even worth that.  I was just awful at learning the cash register and figuring gift coupons. And my being a librarian with an MLS was useless to my employer. 

But who’s counting?

How unions kill jobs

The company had warned it would file a motion in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to shut operations if enough workers didn't end their weeklong strike by 5 p.m. ET Thursday.

Twinkies were my husband’s favorite snack before he started watching for sugar on the label.  I probably haven’t bought anything Hostess in years, but the company provided a good living for many people.

Wikipedia:  Hostess Brands, Inc. was founded as Interstate Bakeries Corporation (IBC) in 1930 and was the largest wholesale baker and distributor of bakery products in the United States.  It is the owner of the Hostess, Wonder Bread, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Butternut Breads, and Drake's brands. For many years it was based at 12 East Armour Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri. In 2009, after it emerged from a 2004 bankruptcy, the name was changed to Hostess Brands, Inc., and the headquarters moved to Irving, Texas.^[2] Hostess Brands, Inc., declared Chapter 11 again in 2012.^[3] 

In May 2009, Wonder Bread closed in Columbus, Ohio. The plant was almost 100 years old, and according to the local news was too expensive to retrofit for “natural” products demanded by the consumer.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2009/03/11/wonder_bread_close.ART_ART_03-11-09_C8_QHD6BNI.html

Let’s hope Rayburn, the CEO, doesn’t ever run for president because he’ll be blamed for taking our Twinkies.

             

If there are socialists in the teachers’ unions

there are socialists in the classrooms teaching the kids of Chicago.

“. . .socialist factions of the union blasted union president Karen Lewis for failing to disclose the full deal to members. A socialist leaflet distributed on Sunday accusing her of issuing a “package” summary of the deal to sell it to ignorant members.

The socialist statement accused the union leadership of conceding too much to the school system, allowing, for example, evaluations that “victimize teachers.””

http://freebeacon.com/socialists-stall-contract-agreement-in-chicago/

The right not to join a union

Scott Walker's reforms in Wisconsin--limiting bargaining to cost-of-living salary increases; increasing workers’ contributions to their pension and health-care plans; eliminating unions’ ability to automatically collect dues from all members; and requiring unions to re-certify each year--have saved the state a ton of money.   People who contribute to Social Security are probably scratching their heads about what they are so unhappy about.  It’s still a better deal with a better pay out at retirement. Wisconsin now has a surplus instead of a debt. What about the RIGHT NOT TO JOIN a union? When given a choice, workers leave in droves, and this is why unions are shipping people in to vote in Wisconsin today. http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/breaking-union-thugs-allegedly-busing-in-voters-from-michigan-to-vote-in-wisconsin-recall/

http://quincyjournal.com/union-membership-dwindles-in-wisconsin,-u.s.1328195259.html

http://nation.foxnews.com/scott-walker/2012/06/04/scott-walker-reforms-create-budget-surplus

Democrats and the Teachers' unions--Illinois

Although this story is from the Rockford Register Star in Illinois, it's business as usual for teachers' unions. Most teachers are Republicans, but they are forced to contributed to Democratic causes, candidates and scams through their unions. In Ohio, you can't teach if you don't pay union dues, although there's no compulsory membership. They just want your money. To stop these abuses so that school boards can negotiate what's best for the children, not the union officials, vote YES on ISSUE 2.

Two lobbyists with no teaching experience will be allowed to count past years as union employees toward state teacher pensions after substitute teaching for only one day in 2007, according to a published report today.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers' political director, Steven Preckwinkle, and another union lobbyist, David Piccioli, took advantage of legislation allowing union officials to get into the teacher pension fund and count previous years as union workers after quickly obtaining teaching certificates and conducting classroom work before the legislation was signed into law in 2007, according to a Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV investigation published today.

According to the report, Preckwinkle, 59, could collect $2.8 million by the time he's 78. Piccioli, 61, could receive around $1.1 million by age 78.

Illinois lobbyists qualify for pensions after 1 day subbing - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

The Ohio Education Association squabbles with its staffers' union

I’ve been reading some of the pro- and anti-Senate Bill 5, Issue 2 (restricts public unions in Ohio). For those of you outside (or inside) Ohio, all teachers in Ohio public schools must pay union dues, but technically they don't have to be members. Since a lot of their money goes toward political issues in which they have no say, a lot of teachers are muzzled with their own money. Make any sense to you? Me neither. But. . .

Seems that the OEA (Ohio Education Association aka “union” with revenue of nearly $62 million) has a problem with its employees' union called PSU (Professional Staff Union of the OEA) and some of the dirty linen was being aired, so the PSU blog was taken down. Yes, I can see the OEA wouldn‘t want this circulating, but it was copied to PDF and posted by The Columbus Tea Party.

“The truth of the matter is that OEA failed to bargain in good faith with PSU. In fact, they wasted five bargaining sessions before even responding with a written counter-proposal. Does that sound like collaborative leadership?

No doubt both the teachers, their highly paid (nearly $200,000 a year) union reps and the lowly PSU staffers will all be out on the streets of Columbus joining raised fists in solidarity against the evil rich tomorrow with "Occupy Columbus." It will keep their minds off the "public" and children.

This is really working well for the anti-American forces behind the Occupy Wall Street movement. The first few weeks they couldn't get any traction, but now that it has spread to cities like Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati and people are already unhappy about a number of things messed up by the government and particularly Obama's leadership (although they would never say that), the socialist/marxist crowd is practically wetting itself with glee and anticipation.

Some people get Obama loud and clear

In 2008 we were in a recession cycle and an election cycle. But even those of us who had to hold our noses to vote for McCain could tell a growth candidate from a non-growth. As senators, Obama's growth record votes were zero, and McCain's 94%. Is it any wonder he's floundering in restoring the economy. Look at his record!

According to the Club for Growth it costs $80,000 for a small business to create a new $40,000 job--a so called "middle class" salary. That's because of taxes, benefits, mandates, etc. Now how big of a government stimulus and additional tax breaks would a small businessman need to create a job and hire you? The first stimulus in 2009 failed to create or save jobs. The money went to save unions (public and private) and to create new government jobs (unemployment hovering around 3.5 in that sector). The second will too. Why? Obama is pro-growth for government, and anti-growth for the private sector. His record as a senator said it; his record as a president proves it.

Last night I attended a gathering of "like minded" conservatives. They were all Christians, but members of a number of different churches from Lutheran to Roman Catholic to Pentecostal to "not a member." And their issues were diverse, too--abortion (Heartbeat bill), Issue 2 (public unions), Issue 3 (defeating Obamacare), protecting Israel from extremists to confronting jihadism. But none of these issues will matter if Americans continue to struggle financially, because they'll lose interest in the highly charged and critical moral issues.

People are waking up about Obama. The Tea Party gets it; the 9/12 Glenn Beck groups get it; the libertarians get it; about 50% of the Republicans get it; and about 25% of the undeclared, fence-sitters get it. Time to shake things up in local elections this November and nationally next November.

Governor Chris Christie--I hope this guy runs for President some day

"My argument is not with teachers in New Jersey. My argument is with a union who collects $730 a year from every teacher and school employee in the union in mandatory dues. And if you don't want to join the union here's your option: you can be out. You pay 85% of $730 ... to be out. It's like the Hotel California. You can check in anytime you like but you can never leave. That raises for the teachers union, get ready, $130 million a year. What do they spend that money on? ... $6 million in negative advertising against me since March 16th. Think about that. That's a little over two months they have spent $6 million on New York TV and Radio, Philadelphia TV and radio to attack me. That's dues money that is coming from their teachers, mandatory no choice, and from all of you because those salaries come from your property taxes and your state income taxes."

Students benefit from charter schools

"A string of high quality studies is finding that students benefit academically from attending a charter school rather than a traditional public school."

And then he lists the studies. Very impressive. Don’t expect a change, however. It’s really not about the children.

Portable pensions--we need them

Yes, just ask your union rep who should control your pension. I'm sure they'll be impartial.

"SEIU Promotes Risky Pension Plans

Last month the Service Employees International Union sponsored “Take Back the Economy” rallies in 100 cities, supporting a largely Democratic economic agenda. Included in the union’s wish-list is support for “defined-benefit” pension plans, which SEIU advocates over “defined-contribution” plans for workers. The latter setup, which includes 401(k) plans, allows workers to make regular contributions toward their pension funds—contributions which can be carefully invested and transported from job to job. To the contrary, defined-benefit plans are usually managed by union officers who can steer funds to projects requiring union-only contracts—but not necessarily good investments. The SEIU National Industry Pension Fund, for instance, is underfunded by about 44 percent despite a well-funded plan for SEIU officers, reports Brian Johnson of the Alliance for Worker Freedom." Capital Research Center Newsletter

Kind of reminds me of the well-funded, congress on both sides of the aisle who didn't want to see sound changes in Social Security but had their own pension plan that closely resembled what Bush proposed for the rest of us. When the people have more, the politicans have less.

4727

Why Democrats are anti-choice when it comes to schooling

This morning I heard a radio interview about school choice in Ohio and the nation's capital. People who support school choice--school vouchers--are usually conservatives or libertarians. Liberals, Democrats and "progressives," usually do not. On this issue they are illiberal. The reason, of course, is not quality of education--they can read the charts and scores--but the power of unions. Democrats do not support the poor and weak if the unions have anything to say about it. The guest on 91.5 FM was Virginia Ford, (D.C. Parents for School Choice) and she has done a survey for the state of Virginia and not a single federal legislator puts his/her child in the DC public schools. The teachers of the DC children don't put their own children in DC public schools. Obama's daughters go to private school; Hillary's daughter attended a private day school; Al Gore's children went to an exclusive school; Jesse Jackson's grand children, whose father claims a link to every major civil rights event since he was born, don't. If Nancy Pelosi brought her grandchildren to Washington, I'm sure she wouldn't enroll them in public school. Even suburban DC parents don't use the public schools if they can help it. Democrats control all the major cities--Cleveland, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, Atlanta--and parents have to fight tooth and nail to have a choice.

All children will benefit when there is competition, was the theory behind tax supported vouchers. When schools have to be accountable and the best they can be in order to get the federal and state dollar, they will drop some of the silliness that passes for education. You may not like NCLB, but it is the result of generations of professional educators leaving the poor and minority children behind. Choice is why Catholic schools are better than the public. That's why homeschooled children with parents untrained in pedogogy do much better than publicly schooled children. Sol Stern writes:

"Public and privately funded voucher programs have liberated hundreds of thousands of poor minority children from failing public schools. The movement has also reshaped the education debate. Not only vouchers, but also charter schools, tuition tax credits, mayoral control, and other reforms are now on the table as alternatives to bureaucratic, special-interest-choked big-city school systems."

But school choice groups are struggling. They are being worn down by the powerful and well-funded unions who fear losing control. In Ohio, our former Methodist pastor Governor Ted Strickland, who ran a touchy feel-good, family values campaign to get elected, is not supportive of choice and better education for Ohio's children. The Catholic schools, the only viable alternative in many cities, will probably not survive without vouchers for the poor, according to Stern. [In my opinion, the Catholic church's pockets are deep enough in Rome from centuries of wealth building to do this without government aid, but that's another blog.]

"Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., recently announced plans to close seven of the district’s 28 remaining Catholic schools, all of which are receiving aid from federally funded tuition vouchers, unless the D.C. public school system agreed to take them over and convert them into charter schools. In Milwaukee, several Catholic schools have also closed, or face the threat of closing, despite boosting enrollments with voucher kids."

Stern says competition hasn't had the results hoped for--individual children have benefited but the systems haven't changed. I'm no math whiz, Mr. Stern, but if only 25,000 children have been able to use the voucher system and there are 50,000,000 children in the public schools, that's not exactly a fair test of market incentives! Stern says he's now leaning toward the problem of teacher training, not market forces. It's hard for me to believe 62 years after my husband and I started elementary school, me with phonics and he without, that the "experts" are still fighting that battle. I'd call throwing a child into reading without phonics is child abuse.

"Professors who dare to break with the ideological monopoly—who look to reading science or, say, embrace a core knowledge approach—won’t get tenure, or get hired in the first place. The teachers they train thus wind up indoctrinated with the same pedagogical dogma whether they attend New York University’s school of education or Humboldt State’s. Those who put their faith in the power of markets to improve schools must at least show how their theory can account for the stubborn persistence of the [Soviet style] thoughtworld."

Ironically, New York has embraced "market" forces in giving principals and teachers bonuses for improved scores, according to Stern.

"While confidently putting their seal of approval on this market system, the mayor and chancellor appear to be agnostic on what actually works in the classroom. They’ve shown no interest, for example, in two decades’ worth of scientific research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that proves that teaching phonics and phonemic awareness is crucial to getting kids to read in the early grades. They have blithely retained a fuzzy math program, Everyday Math, despite a consensus of university math professors judging it inadequate. Indeed, Bloomberg and Klein have abjured all responsibility for curriculum and instruction and placed their bets entirely on choice, markets, and accountability."

I wonder where their children attend? Stern is able to cite one success with improved test scores, and it isn't vouchers or bonuses, it's curriculum reform and better teachers; and it's in Massachusetts.

This would be bad because?

The screen writers are threatening to strike? Well, goodie.

The Writers Guild of America wants studios and networks “to take a serious look at the Guild proposals — which seek a doubling of DVD residuals, spelling out terms of new media work and broadening WGA jurisdiction over new media, reality and animation,” wrote Dave McNary of Variety. Reported in NYT

It won't affect movies much because of the long lead time, but could hold up some TV shows. Whoop de do. That would be such a loss.

456 Steubenville and Mt. Morris

Mr. Kerry was in Steubenville, Ohio this past week. I read that protestors made up half the crowd, which wasn’t very large. Ohio gets a lot of attention from both the President and the man who would be President. I certainly hope he didn’t bring up that tired nonsense about outsourcing and manufacturing jobs. Steubenville is part of Ohio’s “rustbelt,” and it was killed by the unions in the 1970s, when they wouldn’t allow companies to eliminate jobs by improving technology, something that all companies do. First, companies just moved out of state--now they move out of the country. You wouldn’t be working at a computer right now if your department had kept all its secretaries and clerks and hadn’t forced you into learning word processing.

The effects of a strike at a printing plant in my home town in Illinois which was never satisfactorily settled (and the strikers moved on to well paid jobs in Mississippi), lingers today, 30 years later. It was the lesser paid workers and all the small businesses that depended on a flourishing company that suffered. The economic disaster caused by this strike was worse than the fire that demolished the town’s college in 1931.

“How much the community benefited from the company was demonstrated on May 10, 1974. On that day photo engravers at the company began a strike. A week later the book binders joined them on the picket line. This strike continued for six and a half years, one of the longest in northern Illinois' history. The enrollment in the Mount Morris schools declined in the strike years. Many community leaders feared Mount Morris would become a ghost town when many of the Kable employees found work elsewhere and moved away. After the strike ended, everything began to look much brighter for the community. The strike seriously depressed the community's economy.” The Kable Brothers Company

People less committed to the town's values began to move in, people who didn't care about education, churches and helping your neighbor. Bond issues failed. Now the town has lost its high school and is bussing its children to the next town, and may soon lose its elementary school, which burned down in a disastrous fire this year.

A town without a school system has no soul; a town with a greedy union has no heart.