Latest Fact-Checks In Labor

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Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida Chamber of Commerce
stated on March 3, 2011 a radio ad.
Says "union bosses" bused protesters to a Central Florida education protest.
Pants on Fire!
By Aaron Sharockman • March 7, 2011
Travis Rowley
Travis Rowley
stated on February 22, 2011 a web commentary
"Last year it was discovered that Rhode Island's public employees ranked 4th in average pay, while the private sector ranked 23rd."
Half-True
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • March 7, 2011
Rand Paul
Rand Paul
stated on February 24, 2011 an appearance on a TV interview program
"The average (public school) teacher in Wisconsin’s making $89,000 a year" in salary and benefits.
False
March 4, 2011
MacIver Institute
MacIver Institute
stated on March 3, 2010 a video news release
In 2011, "the average annual compensation for a teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools system will exceed $100,000."
True
March 4, 2011
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
stated on March 2, 2011 a news release
As part of efforts to rein in protesters, Republicans in Wisconsin have "bolted windows inside the Capitol shut."
Pants on Fire!
By James B. Nelson • March 4, 2011
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on February 27, 2011 an appearance on a TV interview program
"We've seen local union after local union rush to their school boards, their city councils, their technical school boards and rush through contracts in the past two weeks that had no contributions to the pension and no contribution to health care."
Mostly False
By Cary Spivak • March 3, 2011
Jennifer Shilling
Jennifer Shilling
stated on February 27, 2011 a news release
Says many local governments in Wisconsin already require employees to pay 20 percent, 30 percent or even 40 percent of their health insurance premiums.
False
By Dave Umhoefer • March 3, 2011
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on February 21, 2011 a news conference and many other venues
"We’re broke. We don’t have any more money."
False
By James B. Nelson • March 3, 2011
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on February 27, 2011 an interview on NBC's 'Meet the Press'
"Most federal employees do not have collective bargaining for benefits, nor for pay."
True
March 2, 2011
Tom Niehaus
Tom Niehaus
stated on February 23, 2011 interviews with reporters
"Unfortunately we have documented instances where people defecated in the (Statehouse) building."
Pants on Fire!
By Reginald Fields • March 1, 2011
Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly
stated on February 24, 2011 on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor"
"The right-to-work states have much lower level of unemployment than the union states do."
Mostly True
By Louis Jacobson • February 28, 2011
Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
stated on February 19, 2011 a speech at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner.
Under former President George W. Bush’s administration "while the population in that period grew by 10 percent, the number of jobs in the nation grew by 1 percent."
Mostly True
By Sean Gorman • February 26, 2011
Ed Garvey
Ed Garvey
stated on February 21, 2011 a newspaper column and blog post
Claims Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said: "It is necessary to eliminate unions in order to balance future budgets."
False
February 26, 2011
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on February 21, 2011 a news conference
If public employees don’t pay more for benefits starting April 1, 2011, "the equivalent" is 1,500 state employee layoffs by June 30, 2011 and 10,000 to 12,000 state and local government employee layoffs in the next two years.
Mostly True
February 25, 2011
Mark Pocan
Mark Pocan
stated on February 16, 2011 a blog posting
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s estimate of a $3.6 billion state budget deficit is "manufactured" and a "bogus figure."
False
By Dave Umhoefer • February 25, 2011
Christopher Peace
Christopher Peace
stated on February 18, 2011 a post on his Facebook page.
Tim Kaine wants to thwart "right-to-work reform measures in Midwest battleground states."
False
By Jacob Geiger • February 25, 2011
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on February 23, 2011 a news conference
"The things I said (during the prank call by a blogger posing as GOP contributor David Koch) are the things I’ve said publicly all along" about the Wisconsin budget debate.
False
By Dave Umhoefer • February 24, 2011
Jeff Fitzgerald
Jeff Fitzgerald
stated on February 22, 2011 an interview on the Fox News Channel
"Every (Wisconsin) legislator that votes for this bill" will have to "give up the same amount of pay" as other state employees.
True
February 24, 2011
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on February 22, 2011 a secretly-recorded prank telephone call
When it comes to protesters in Madison, "almost all" are now from outside of Wisconsin.
False
By James B. Nelson • February 24, 2011
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
stated on February 21, 2011 in a Facebook post
The five states that outlaw collective bargaining for teachers all rank below 44th in the nation in test scores, while Wisconsin ranks 2nd.
False
By Louis Jacobson • February 23, 2011
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