PolitiFact | Unions

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Mostly True

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Pants on Fire

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All Fact-checks for Unions

stated on December 8, 2022 in a statement

Joe Biden’s $36 billion for a union pension fund is “the largest private pension bailout in American history.”

true

true

stated on November 29, 2022 in an interview

In the first three quarters of 2022, “the railroad industry made $21 billion in profits, provided $25 billion in stock buybacks and dividends” and CEOs are paid up to $20 million a year, while railroad workers have "zero guaranteed sick leave."

true

mostly-true

stated on December 19, 2021 in a Facebook post

Says Kellogg’s tweeted, “Oh, so you think it's cool when workers strike jobs? Now replace 'jobs' with 'women.' Still think it's 'cool'?"

true

false

United Association’s Union Plumbers and Pipefitters Vote! PAC

stated on September 15, 2020 in a TV ad.

Nick Freitas “voted to let businesses discriminate and fire expecting mothers for no other reason but their pregnancy. ”

true

mostly-true

stated on December 12, 2019 in a campaign ad

California firefighters decided "to speak out" against President Trump because his tweet about the state’s wildfires "contained so much misinformation."

true

true

stated on July 26, 2018 in a public forum

Says "I have been through the gauntlet, when we had riots in that Capitol."

true

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Republican Party of Wisconsin

stated on August 1, 2018 in a news release

Says Mahlon Mitchell "received a massive raise on the backs of hard-working firefighters and turned the union into his own personal political slush fund."

true

half-true

stated on March 14, 2018 in an interview

"Our campaign staff was the first to unionize in the history of politics."

true

mostly-true

Mahlon Mitchell

stated on January 17, 2018 in a tweet

"When @ScottWalker told firefighters we didn’t need to worry about Act 10, we said hell no, we stand with working Wisconsinites everywhere."

true

barely-true

stated on January 3, 2018 in his State of the State address

"A case before Washington’s Supreme Court seeks to effectively end public labor unions."

true

false

stated on October 24, 2017 in a campaign ad

"We’re growing union jobs faster than Illinois."

true

true

stated on September 4, 2017 in a blog post

The new Illinois school funding formula "created a tax shelter for the wealthy and a voucher program…"

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half-true

Hillary Clinton

stated on September 6, 2016 in a rally in Tampa

"That's legal: If you find out about somebody else's salary even if you're doing exactly the same job, you can be retaliated against, including being fired, in most places."

true

barely-true

stated on June 18, 2016 in an interview.

"If you are a member of union, your median weekly income is roughly $200 more than if you are a nonunion member, and that doesn’t include benefits."

true

true

stated on May 10, 2016 in a news release

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has "2.8 students per faculty" member, "tied for second-lowest in its history since 1994."

true

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stated on November 10, 2015 in a tweet

"@Jorge_Elorza still think your plan is safe? Rescue Captain Kenyon just worked 96 hours straight. 96 hours."

true

mostly-true

stated on September 25, 2015 in comments to reporters

A state agency wanted to fire an employee who spent four hours per day watching pornography, but the state "employment commission reinstated the person."

true

mostly-true

stated on September 20, 2015 in blog

"Remember that developers are forced to use the ‘195 land union’ contractors, so tap an extra $10 million into any construction project."

true

false

stated on September 25, 2015 in an interview

Says Scott Walker "said he wouldn't touch" the state civil service system but now supports overhauling it.

true

barely-true

stated on September 22, 2015 in a speech

Every general City of Milwaukee employee "pays toward his or her pension, but approximately 88 percent of our police officers and firefighters do not."

true

mostly-true

A look back at our Act 10 fact checks

A look back at our Act 10 fact checks

By Eric Litke • February 9, 2021

Checking Evers' promises on Act 10, prisons, commissions

Checking Evers' promises on Act 10, prisons, commissions

By Eric Litke • January 22, 2021

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