Unions’ Glass House

This letter was originally published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on May 21, 2017

“Unions’ glass house”

To the Editor:

Before partisan Democrats like Marcus Owens throw stones at the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation for supporting employee rights over union power, they should take a good look at their own glass house (“Expert: Bradley Foundation is walking fine line on politics,” May 17). Labor unions like the Service Employees International Union frequently give to liberal 501(c)(3) groups involved in union organizing and public policy, including the Center for Popular Democracy, National Employment Law Project, and Alliance for Global Justice.

These nonprofits advocate for union privileges like forced dues and for policies like minimum wage hikes that directly increase the money in the union treasuries that fund the nonprofits. Such advocacy is generally considered legal. And it’s certainly legal for free-market foundations to give to nonprofits that share their policy views. We should honestly discuss the competing policies’ merits, not insinuate wrong-doing by donors.

Scott Walter, President
Capital Research Center

Washington, D.C.

CRC receives Bradley Foundation support