"Unmasking Union Antisemitism"

1[House Hearing, 119 Congress]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                    UNMASKING UNION ANTISEMITISM5=======================================================================67                                HEARING89                               Before The1011                         SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH,12                    EMPLOYMENT, LABOR, AND PENSIONS1314                                OF THE1516                      COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND17                               WORKFORCE1819                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES2021                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2223                             FIRST SESSION2425                               ----------2627           HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 9, 20252829                               ----------3031                           Serial No. 119-263233                               ----------3435    Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Workforce3637[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3839            Available via: edworkforce.house.gov or www.govinfo.gov4041                                ----------4243                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISING OFFICE4463-570 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 202645=======================================================================4647                  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE4849                    TIM WALBERG, Michigan, Chairman5051JOE WILSON, South Carolina           ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT,52VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina            Virginia,53GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania           Ranking Member54GLENN GROTHMAN, Wisconsin            JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut55ELISE M. STEFANIK, New York          FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida56RICK W. ALLEN, Georgia               SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon57JAMES COMER, Kentucky                MARK TAKANO, California58BURGESS OWENS, Utah                  ALMA S. ADAMS, North Carolina59LISA C. McCLAIN, Michigan            MARK DeSAULNIER, California60MARY E. MILLER, Illinois             DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey61JULIA LETLOW, Louisiana              LUCY McBATH, Georgia62KEVIN KILEY, California              JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut63MICHAEL A. RULLI, Ohio               ILHAN OMAR, Minnesota64JAMES C. MOYLAN, Guam                HALEY M. STEVENS, Michigan65ROBERT F. ONDER, Jr., Missouri       GREG CASAR, Texas66RYAN MACKENZIE, Pennsylvania         SUMMER L. LEE, Pennsylvania67MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, Washington      JOHN W. MANNION, New York68MARK HARRIS, North Carolina          YASSAMIN ANSARI, Arizona69MARK B. MESSMER, Indiana70RANDY FINE, Florida7172                     R.J. Laukitis, Staff Director73              Veronique Pluviose, Minority Staff Director74                                 ------7576        SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, LABOR, AND PENSIONS7778                     RICK ALLEN, Georgia, Chairman7980ROBERT F. ONDER, Jr., Missouri       MARK DeSAULNIER, California,81JOE WILSON, South Carolina             Ranking Member82VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina        JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut83JAMES COMER, Kentucky                DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey84BURGESS OWENS, Utah                  LUCY McBATH, Georgia85LISA C. McCLAIN, Michigan            JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut86MICHAEL A. RULLI, Ohio               GREG CASAR, Texas87RYAN MACKENZIE, Pennsylvania         SUMMER L. LEE, Pennsylvania88MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, Washington      JOHN W. MANNION, New York89RANDY FINE, Florida                  MARK TAKANO, California9091                         C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S9293                              ----------94                                                                   Page9596Hearing held on September 9, 2025................................     19798                           OPENING STATEMENTS99100    Allen, Hon. Rick, Chairman, Subcommittee on Health,101      Employment, Labor, and Pensions............................     1102        Prepared statement of....................................     4103    DeSaulnier, Hon. Mark, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on104      Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions....................     6105        Prepared statement of....................................     8106107                               WITNESSES108109    Mann, Kyle Koeppel, Senior Staff Attorney, New York Legal110      Assistance Group (NYLAG)...................................    10111        Prepared statement of....................................    12112    Rubinstein, David, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History,113      Cornell University.........................................    69114        Prepared statement of....................................    72115    McCartin, Dr. Joseph, Professor and Executive Director,116      Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor,117      Georgetown University......................................   152118        Prepared statement of....................................   154119    Taubman, Glenn, Staff Attorney, National Right to Work Legal120      Defense Foundation.........................................   162121        Prepared statement of....................................   164122123                         ADDITIONAL SUBMISSIONS124125    Chairman Allen:126        Letter dated September 2, 2025, from Keri D'Angelo.......   360127        Written testimony dated September 9, 2025, from Shelley128          Goldfarb...............................................   362129        Written testimony dated September 9, 2025, from Karin130          Yaniv..................................................   365131    Foxx, Hon. Virginia, a Representative in Congress from the132      State of North Carolina:133        Article dated August 29, 2025, from www.wsj.com, titled134          ``Stanford's Graduate Student Union Tries to Stifle135          Dissent''..............................................   346136137                      UNMASKING UNION ANTISEMITISM138139                              ----------140141                       Tuesday, September 9, 2025142143                  House of Representatives,144    Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and145                                          Pensions,146                      Committee on Education and Workforce,147                                                    Washington, DC.148    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:15 a.m., in149Room 2175, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Rick Allen150(Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.151    Present: Representatives Allen, Onder, Wilson, Foxx, Owens,152Fine, Walberg, DeSaulnier, Courtney, Norcross, Lee, Mannion,153and Scott.154    Also present: Representative Stefanik.155    Staff present: Vlad Cerga, Director of Information156Technology; Maren Emmerson, Staff Assistant; Cabell Fleet,157Intern; Amy Raaf Jones, Director of Education and Human158Services Policy; Libby Kearns, Press Assistant; Katerina159Kerska, Legislative Assistant; Trey Kovacs, Director of160Workforce Policy; Campbell Ladd, Clerk; R.J. Laukitis, Staff161Director; Danny Marca, Director of Information Technology; Brad162Mannion, Professional Staff Member; John Martin, Deputy163Director of Workforce Policy/Counsel; Audra McGeorge,164Communications Director; Kevin O'Keefe, Professional Staff165Member; Alexis Morgan, Intern; Ethan Pann, Deputy Press166Secretary and Digital Director; Leah Raymond, Intern; Kane167Riddell, Legislative Assistant; Sara Robertson, Press168Secretary; Dominico Sassano, Intern; Heidi Schneider,169Professional Staff Member; Ann Vogel, Director of Operations;170Joe Wheeler, Professional Staff Member; James Whittaker,171General Counsel; Jeanne Wilson, Retirement Counsel; Damian172Arambula, Minority Intern; Ellie Berenson, Press Assistant;173Ilana Brunner, Minority General Counsel; Zenaida De La Cruz,174Minority ChCI Fellow; Sarah Holehouse, Minority Intern;175Alexandra Pernie, Minority Intern; Stephanie Lalle, Minority176Communications Director; Dhrtvan Sherman, Minority Research177Assistant; Raiyana Malone, Minority Press Secretary; Kwesi178Matthews, Minority Einstein Fellow; Kevin McDermott, Minority179Director of Labor Policy; Eleazer Padilla, Minority Staff180Assistant; Veronique Pluviose, Minority Staff Director; Banyon181Vassar, Minority Director of IT.182    Chairman Allen. The Subcommittee on Health, Employment,183Labor and Pensions will come to order. I note that a quorum is184present, and without objection, the Chair is authorized to call185a recess at any time.186    Today's hearing will examine the ways in which unions are187using Federal law to pursue their anti-Israel political agenda,188and to harass and discriminate against Jewish workers. Today we189will hear about how unions, like the United Electrical Workers,190and United Auto Workers affiliate, A Better NYLAG, N-Y-L-AG,191would rather defend union members who engage in disruptive,192discrimination and antisemitic behavior than fulfill their duty193to fairly represent all the workers they represent.194    We will hear today about how their unions are selling them195down the river, even though Jewish workers have supported196unions and been leaders in the labor movement for generations.197This Subcommittee held a hearing 14 months ago because we were198concerned about the increase in antisemitic incidents in our199country and in our workplaces.200    Unfortunately, in the last year, we have seen even more201tragic incidents of discrimination and violence against Jewish202people, including right here in our Nation's capital. According203to the FBI crime tracking data, anti-Jewish incidents are the204most common religion related hate crime, for a group that205represents less than 3 percent of Americans, Jewish people are206victims of roughly 60 percent of all religious-based hate207crimes.208    Last year, the ADL reported over 9,300 antisemitic209incidents across the United States, a 5 percent increase from2102023, and the highest number on record since the ADL began211tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. The unions we will hear212about today have chosen to spend time and money advancing their213divisive, harmful and anti-American political agenda.214    Furthermore, these unions are throwing sand in the gears of215the employers, trying to create workplaces that are not hostile216or discriminatory for the Jewish employees. Take for example,217ABN. ABN represents public interest lawyers in New York City.218When employees put up posters around the office celebrating the219actions of Hamas and violence against Jewish people, the220employer banned all posters about the conflict in Israel and221Gaza.222    The union did not go along with this quietly. Instead, ABN223filed unfair labor practice charges against the employer for224this policy designed to protect Jewish workers. Take another225example, the Cornell Graduate Student Union. This union spends226its time trying to stop Cornell from disciplining students who227violate school policies. They disrupt campus life and harass228Jewish students.229    When Jewish graduate students respectfully ask not to have230to fund this union's activities, the union tries to make them231pay anyway and threatens to get them fired if they do not pay232dues, flouting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Union233members have rights under the Labor Management Reporting and234Disclosure Act and the Supreme Court's backed decision to speak235out against these unions and not pay dues for political236activities they disagree with.237    Title VII protects workers who want to live their lives238with integrity and protects them from having to sacrifice their239faith and their principles to get and keep a job. Unions have240every incentive to keep workers in the dark about their rights.241    Today we will hand the microphone over to those who are not242truly represented by their unions. We will discuss how the law243protects their political and religious convictions and how244lawmakers could provide additional protection. We might not all245agree on the appropriate role of unions in society, but I246believe we can all agree that they should use their resources247to promote the workplace interests of the employees and treat248each worker who relies on them with equal dignity and fairness.249    With that, I yield to the Ranking Member for an opening250statement.251    [The prepared statement of Chairman Allen follows:]252    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]253254    Mr. DeSaulnier. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome back to255all the witnesses, thanks for being here. Let us start by256saying no one should be threatened, harassed, or attacked257because of who they are, who they worship, or what they stand258for. I agree we should do more to combat antisemitism in259America.260    I also agree with Ranking Member Scott of the full261committee who has correctly pointed out that while we have had262many hearings on antisemitism, we have not had one addressing263racism, xenophobia, sexism, Islamophobia, or similar harms264confronting workers and student groups.265    As we discuss these issues today, I want to remind my266colleagues that the labor movement is a large, diverse267coalition of workers of Americans, including Jewish Americans,268that has been a significant force in the battle against269antisemitism. We are fortunate to have Joseph McCartin here as270one of our witnesses.271    He is a labor historian, and a history professor at272Georgetown University, who also serves as the Executive273Director of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the274Working Poor. Dr. McCartin's written testimony details how the275labor movement has been among the most important forces276countering antisemitism, and how labor unions are fundamentally277diverse.278    On a personal note, I will always also note that he279graduated from the best Catholic Jesuit college in the United280States, Holy Cross in Worcester, which I just happened to go to281as well. As Dr. McCartin mentions in his testimony, one of the282most notable labor leaders, and one of the most amazing283Americans in our history, was a Jewish immigrant from London,284Samual Gompers, a cigar maker by trade, and the son of Dutch285Jewish working-class immigrants, by way of London.286    He was the first President of the American Federation of287Labor. He is reported to have said, ``To be free, the workers,288[American workers,] must have a choice. To have a choice they289must retain in their own hands the right to determine under290what conditions they will work.''291    Throughout history, unions have been pivotal in advancing292the conditions of the right of workers. From establishing the2935-day work week to championing minimum wage, banning child294labor, protecting workers from being maimed and killed at work,295the labor movement has been instrumental in building and296sustaining America's middle class.297    The labor movement created the American middle class, which298is now under relentless attack. Since returning to office,299President Trump and his administration have attacked workers'300right to organize, exposed them to exploitive workplaces. For301example, President Trump has stripped nearly half a million--302half a million--of Federal workers of their hard-won303protections in one of the worst, if not the worst, act of union304busting in modern American history.305    He has also undermined the National Labor Relations Board,306which is responsible for cracking down on illegal union busting307for millions of private sector workers. At a time of obscene308wealth inequality in the United States, union workers enjoy309approximately 20 percent higher wages and are more likely to310have access to benefits such as health insurance, paid leave,311and pension plans.312    Union-represented workers also have the right to resign313from union membership, the right to object to dues beyond314representational activities known as the Beck right, which the315Chairman referred to in his opening comments. Even the right to316request religious accommodation for nonpayment of union dues.317    Unions are legally required to inform workers of their Beck318rights. Conversely, employers have no obligation to directly319inform their workers of their right to organize a union and320stand up for better working conditions without retaliation. Our321economic system has been rigged against the working class for322decades.323    As lawmakers, we should work to strengthen workers' rights324to balance the playing field, so that workers can afford to325provide a better life for themselves and their families, to buy326a home, and to retire in dignity, and give their children a327better life than they had.328    I look forward to today's discussions. Thank you, Mr.329Chairman, and I yield back.330    [The prepared statement of Ranking Member DeSaulnier331follows:]332[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]333334    Chairman Allen. Okay. I thank the Ranking Member, and now335we will go to the introduction of witnesses. Sorry, excuse me.336Sorry. A few legal matters to take care of. Pursuant to337Committee Rule 8(c), all members who wish to insert written338statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the339Committee Clerk electronically in Microsoft Word format by 5340p.m., 14 days after this hearing.341    Without objection, the hearing record will remain open for34214 days to allow such statements and other extraneous material343noted during the hearing to be submitted for the official344hearing record. I note that some of our colleagues who are not345permanent members of this Subcommittee may be waving on for the346purpose of today's hearing. I was in a hurry to get to our347witnesses, so I almost missed that.348    Now, we will turn to the introduction of our four349distinguished witnesses. Our first witness is Ms. Kyle Koeppel350Mann, Senior Staff Attorney for the New York Legal Assistance351Group from New York City. Our second witness is Mr. David352Rubinstein, a Ph.D. Candidate at Cornell University's353Department of History in Ithaca, New York.354    Our third witness is Dr. Joseph A. McCartin, Professor of355History and Executive Director at Georgetown's University's356Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Work Poor in357Washington, DC. Our last witness is Mr. Glenn Taubman, a Staff358Attorney for the National Right to Work Legal Defense359Foundation in Springfield, Virginia, and I trust I got most of360those names correct.361    We thank the witnesses for being here today, and we look362forward to your testimony. Pursuant to Committee Rules, I would363ask that you each limit your oral presentation to a 3-minute364summary of your written statement. As Committee members have365many questions for you, the clock will count down from 3366minutes.367    Pursuant to Committee Rule 8(d), and Committee practice,368however, we will not cutoff your testimony until you reach the3695-minute mark. I would also like to remind the witnesses to be370aware of their responsibility to provide accurate information371to the Subcommittee.372    I will first recognize Ms. Mann for your testimony.373374STATEMENT OF MS. KYLE KOEPPEL MANN, SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY, NEW375      YORK LEGAL ASSISTANCE GROUP, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK376377    Ms. Mann. Thank you. Good morning. I am Kyle Koeppel Mann,378a Coordinating Senior Staff Attorney in the Immigrant379Protection Unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group, a civil380legal services nonprofit. I am also a former member of A Better381NYLAG, or ABN, a chapter of UAW Local 2325, the exclusive382bargaining representative that has a duty to fairly represent383me.384    NYLAG has been a part of my life for decades. It was385founded by my step grandmother in 1990 as a partner agency of386United Jewish Appeal, Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of387New York, which still funds its work. I love the work I do388helping my clients, and I once loved the office where I did it.389Like you, I am a public servant because I care deeply about390improving lives.391    In June 2019 I voted to unionize. I believed collective392bargaining would mean better pay, healthcare, caseloads and393workplace conditions. In February 2023, I walked the picket394line when ABN went on strike. However, in 2024, I withdrew from395ABN as a religious objector after its crusade against Israel396following the October 7th Hamas attacks.397    The union turned NYLAG from a place where I could proudly398be Jewish and Zionist, identities inseparable for me and most399Jews, into a hostile, antisemitic workplace. For months, Jewish400staff faced posters glorifying violence against Jews and401Israelis. ``Intifada Now, Long Live the Resistance, and Abolish402the Settler State,'' covered NYLAG's walls.403    In one of my many complaints to NYLAG management, I wrote404that the images called for, ``the destruction of the Jewish405State of Israel, after the massacre, rape, and kidnapping of406nearly 1,500 Jews by Hamas, an organization that has murdered407countless Jews. The rhetoric in these images is not vague. They408are rallying cries for murdering Jews.409    As a Jew, I feel threatened when I see these and depressed410that they surround my workplace.'' To its credit, NYLAG411responded by banning harassing materials that create a toxic412work environment for many Jewish employees. Instead of413supporting us, ABN filed an unfair labor practice charge414against NYLAG for its opposition to antisemitic material.415    ABN has failed in its duty to fairly represent all416employees. As such, with the Brandeis Center for Human Rights417Under Law, I, and several other Jewish colleagues have filed418complaints with the National Labor Relations Board and the419Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.420    We cannot serve the public while enduring abuse at work.421Jewish union members have the right to expect that their union422will fight to remediate toxic antisemitic workplaces, not be423the ones creating them. Thank you.424    [The prepared statement of Ms. Mann follows:]425    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]426427    Chairman Allen. Thank you, Ms. Mann. I now recognize Mr.428Rubinstein for your testimony.429430STATEMENT OF MR. DAVID RUBINSTEIN, PH.D. CANDIDATE, DEPARTMENT431        OF HISTORY, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NEW YORK432433    Mr. Rubinstein: Good morning. My name is David Rubinstein,434and I am a Ph.D. Candidate at Cornell University. In fall 2023,435a bare majority of grad students voted to install the Cornell436Grad Student Union, CGSU as our official bargaining agent. CGSU437is affiliated with the United Electrical Workers, UE, a union438that seeks the destruction of Israel.439    When I objected to campus celebrations of Hamas terror440after October 7th, a union organizer emailed my whole441department calling me an apartheid apologist. When Jewish Ph.D.442students were targeted in their offices, CGSU claimed Cornell443needed its consent to discipline the culprits.444    When two grad students were suspended for leading a445disruptive encampment calling for intifada revolution, CGSU446demanded their reinstatement. When contract negotiations began,447CGSU demanded that all Ph.D. students be forced to pay union448dues. I and others lobbied the university to reject this449violation of free speech and association.450    Cornell promised to protect our rights. President Mike451Kotlikoff stated that forced association would be ``Deeply452unfair to our students, and incompatible with our commitment to453academic freedom.'' This commitment turned out to be454meaningless. When the union threatened to strike, Cornell455reneged on its promises and agreed to mandatory dues.456    The sole exception included what Federal law largely457provided already, that religious objectors in a narrowly458defined group with ethical and moral objections could pay a459charity instead. Despite this, Cornell assured us that460assertions of religious and ethical objections would not be461challenged, yet when I and others submitted objection letters,462CGSU subjected us to invasive and burdensome questioning.463    Cornell then caved again and agreed that students must464allow the union to ``evaluate'' whether to exempt them from465forced dues. Cornell's Jewish Ph.D. students must now beg the466union for permission not to fund its pro-Hamas, and pro-BDS467activism. When CGSU and UE refused to process my objection and468demanded relative personal information, Cornell and the union469left me no choice but to file discrimination charges at the470Equal Opportunity Commission, with free legal aid from the471National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.472    CGSU then belatedly recognized my objection, but other473students' objections are still being stonewalled, while the474students receive zero support from Cornell. GCSU has since475denied the existence of even narrow exemptions from forced476dues. This summer, the union began targeting student objectors,477claiming we would be fired if we refused to pay them.478    Cornell initially protested, but then settled with the479union, despite zero change in its behavior. I know multiple480students currently being threatened with termination for not481paying CGSU, and Cornell refuses to act to end this harassment.482Nearly 2 years after October 7th, the situation is only getting483worse. At Cornell, the union uses its power to shield offenders484from the consequences for their conduct.485    Recently, CGSU has rallied to support a self-declared Hamas486backer with a long record of harassing behavior, including487pushing past police to shut down a campus career fair. Though488Cornell belatedly expelled him, the university reversed course489after union intervention. When his visa was finally revoked490after urging the destruction of America, CGSU backed his491lawsuit.492    CGSU never misses a chance to protect bullies, while493threatening to fire those who refuse to fund them. It seeks494cover by calling this ``protected activity,'' under the495National Labor Relations Act. I am a registered Democrat.496Protecting students from antisemitism and forced association497should not be a partisan issue. It is wrong to make support of498any ideological organization a condition of earning a Ph.D.499    As the steward of taxpayer dollars, Congress should hold500Cornell accountable to its obligations under the Civil Rights501Act. When Cornell allows CGSU and UE to create a hostile502environment, it must face consequences. Finally, Congress503should clarify that Ph.D. students are students, not workers504subject to forced dues.505    This was settled law until 2016 when the National Labor506Relations Board erroneously classified us as employees.507Congress should promptly fill vacancies on the NLRB so this can508be rectified.509    By ensuring degree students are rightly defined as510students, Congress can end the intimidation and harassment I511and others have experienced from CGSU and UE. The payment of512union dues should be strictly voluntary. Thank for your513invitation to testify.514    [The prepared statement of Mr. Rubinstein follows:]515    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]516517    Chairman Allen. Thank you, Mr. Rubinstein. Next, I518recognize Dr. McCartin for your testimony.519520   STATEMENT OF DR. JOSEPH MCCARTIN, PROFESSOR AND EXECUTIVE521  DIRECTOR, KALMANOVITZ INITIATIVE FOR LABOR AND THE WORKING522         POOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C.523524    Dr. McCartin. Thank you, Chair Allen, Ranking Member525DeSaulnier, and members. I wish to share my perspective as a526labor historian on the question you considered today. Let me be527clear that I am not here to represent a union, but rather, as a528scholar of the American labor movement, which is I would argue,529the oldest democratic, multicultural, racially, religiously,530and regionally diverse institution that the United States has531produced in its 250 years.532    I would like to speak briefly of the character of the533American labor movement, Jewish members' important role in its534history, and about how the movement historically wrestled with535and addressed such issues as antisemitism. My brief opening536remarks I am just going to make two quick points.537    The first is that the labor movement is a uniquely diverse538and pluralistic entity, and American Jews have historically539played and continue to play an important role in its540development and leadership. Labor has been one of the most541important forces counteracting antisemitism in America, even as542it often found its opponents framing their attacks on it in543antisemitic terms.544    The pluralistic and inclusive labor movement that emerged545in modern America, and within which Jews have played an546important role and continue to, was a hard-won thing. It was547built in a hostile environment where most workers could not548count on the law to protect their efforts to organize and549bargain collectively until 1935.550    It was also built by a uniquely diverse working class, the551most diverse of any industrialized nation. In this context,552marginalized workers often initially had to build their own553separate unions.554    Blacks were initially excluded from unions on the railways,555for example. They formed their own Brotherhoods. Most important556being A. Philip Randolph's Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters557whose centenary we have recently marked.558    Similarly, many Jewish workers had first opted to form559unions of Yiddish speaking workers, founding the United Hebrew560Trades in 1888. The UHT unions ultimately though affiliated561with the American Federation of Labor, though the UHT persisted562as its own organization, ultimately it should be said, giving563birth to the Jewish Labor Committee in 1934, whose explicit564purpose was to fight Nazi antisemitism.565    It exists, by the way, to this day as a presence in labor.566Remarkably, out of this fraught crucible of the working class,567a vast diversity, and despite employers' conscious efforts to568pit one group against another, to undermine union organizing,569and to break strikes, the union movement arose that became ever570more inclusive over the course of the 19th and 20th Centuries.571    Jewish workers have played a vital role in that history,572and they continue to. At its founding in 1886, the American573Federation of Labor was, as Ranking Member DeSaulnier notes,574headed by a Jewish immigrant, Samuel Gompers, who was elected575to his post, even though Jews were then far outnumbered by576Protestants and Catholics within the AFL.577    Nor was Gompers unique. Jewish leaders, such as Sidney578Hillman, Bessie Abramowitz, Rose Schneiderman, David Dubinsky,579Clara Lemlich, Jerry Wurf, Albert Shanker, Sandra Feldman,580Randi Weingarten to this day, have helped to build inclusive,581multi-racial pluralistic unions that have fought for American582workers of every race, religion, and color over decades and583into the present.584    It would not be an exaggeration to say that each of those585leaders contended at times with antisemitism, but the586antisemites they fought were typically opponents of the union587movement who used their very prominence within it as evidence588that it was somehow foreign, un-American, or even part of a589worldwide Jewish conspiracy.590    In part because of the minority status of America's Jewish591activists, they have always understood the importance of592building bridges across lines of difference, creating unity593among workers. Jewish influence remains strong in labor today.594Antisemitism has not gone away, of course. No one can certify595that there are no antisemites in the labor movement, but where596it does rear its head it must be combated.597    The history record clearly shows that labor has been a598bastion of opposition to antisemitism and remains so. Second,599and very quickly, the labor movement is a democratic movement.600It allows for free speech and difference of opinion. Much of601what we will hear today speaks only to that aspect of it.602    These two elements, its democracy, its diversity, can allow603it to be characterized, but its record I think is clear. Thank604you.605    [The prepared statement of Mr. McCartin follows:]606    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]607608    Chairman Allen. Thank You, Dr. McCartin. Now, I recognize609Mr. Taubman for your testimony.610611STATEMENT OF MR. GLENN TAUBMAN, STAFF ATTORNEY, NATIONAL RIGHT612    TO WORK LEGAL DEFENSE FOUNDATION, SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA613614    Mr. Taubman. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today.615I have been practicing labor and constitutional law for over 43616years at the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.617My clients are individual employees who wish to stand apart618from a workplace labor union that they did not choose and do619not want.620    I was honored to testify before this Committee exactly 14621months ago, detailing the workplace harassment that labor622unions fomented against Jewish and Israel students at elite623universities, teaching hospitals, K through 12 schools, and624legal aid workplaces. I am back to report that things are worse625than ever due to ever more virulent union antisemitism, which626is actually fostered and protected by our Nation's misguided627labor laws.628    More than ever since October 7th, my phone is continuing to629ring off the hook with calls from unionized Jewish and Israeli630graduate students at the Nation's elite universities and631interns and residents at esteemed teaching hospitals asking me632how they can disassociate from unions like the UE, the UAW, and633SEIU. These unions, or their radical affiliates, foment chants634of antisemitic slogans, ostracize the Jewish and Israel635employees they purport to represent, and generally menace them636in their workplaces.637    In recent months, I have read commentary to the effect that638what Jewish and Israeli employees are facing in the workplace639is not a real problem, and that the Trump administration is640weaponizing over blown charges of antisemitism to tear down641universities and education. Such assertions are false and642stomach turning.643    I want to speak about the real weaponization that is at644play in today's workplace. The weaponization of an archaic645Federal labor law that Congress passed over 80 years ago, which646empowers labor unions with unique privileges granted to no647other private organization in America.648    Today's labor unions are not your father's labor unions.649Many of today's progressive unions harbor strong, antisemitic650and even anti-American world views, and they feel free to use651and abuse the potent power Congress gave them to harass and652intimidate Jewish and Israeli employees.653    Federal law empowers them to do so in four specific ways.654First, Federal labor law empowers the unions to act as655employees exclusive bargaining representatives, even when the656employees don't want to be represented by such hostile and657hateful organizations.658    Second, the Clinton, Obama, and Biden NLRBs transform659graduate students from students to employees, thereby paving660the way for radical unions to represent them and force them to661pay dues, whether they want to or not. Third, under the Biden662NLRB's extravagant view of union power and the Home Depot663ruling, unions outrageous pro-Hamas activities and even664workplace intimidation are considered to be ``protected,665concerted activity,'' meaning union actions that are overtly666hostile to Jews are coddled and protected by Federal law.667    Fourth, labor law authorizes unions to demand compulsory668union dues, which allows antisemitic unions to force the669victims of the harassment to pay for those activities or be670fired. At the National Right to Work Legal Foundation, we are671redoubling our efforts to help such employees, but despite our672best efforts, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Beck673decision, and the Duty of Fair Representation Doctrine are674inadequate.675    What are the solutions? First, Congress should pass the676National Right to Work Act to end the problem of coercive677forced unionism. Second, Congress should enact legislation678redefining graduate students as students, not employees, as679they were for the first 60 years. Third, Congress should680strengthen Title VII to better protect employees of faith from681union's antisemitism and radical ideologies.682    These would be small steps to restore individual employees'683right to not be part of a forced collective that takes hateful,684pro-Hamas views on foreign events 5,000 miles away from the685workplace. What could be more American than that?686    I want to conclude by saying that Samuel Gompers, who we687have heard the Jewish AFLCIO Chairman, also said that the688workers of America prefer organizations of a voluntary nature689rather than organizations of compulsion. Thank you.690    [The prepared statement of Mr. Taubman follows:]691    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]692693    Chairman Allen. Thank you, Mr. Taubman, for your testimony.694Under Rule 9, we will now question witnesses under the 5-minute695rule. I will recognize myself for 5 minutes. Obviously, we sit696here today thousands of years after Abraham's covenant with697God, and the battle still reigns.698    Ms. Mann, you and many of your Jewish coworkers were699supportive of the union before October 7, 2023. Have Jewish700colleagues withdrawn from union activities or stopped attending701meetings due to fear of harassment or hostility?702    Ms. Mann.703    Ms. Mann. Yes.704    Chairman Allen. How does the union's cultivation of this705hostile office culture weakened Jewish members' ability to706benefit from union representation and collective bargaining?707    Ms. Mann. Yes. I, along with several other Jewish members708have obtained religious objector status because we do not709believe the union can fairly represent us. Some Jewish members710only attend on Zoom because they cannot face the hatred in711person. In 2025, A Better NYLAG went on strike for a week.712Their No. 1 sticking point was not salary, healthcare, or case713load. It was free speech in and out of the office. The ability714to support Hamas over its Jewish workers.715    The union has targeted Jews and sent emails members have716sent emails to other staff members, excluding all Jews in the717office. There has been no declaration that this was718intentional, but it cannot be a coincidence that only Jewish719members have been left off of these emails, thank you.720    Chairman Allen. Mr. Rubinstein, you have filed721discrimination charges against the union with the EEOC, which722you included as an attachment to your written testimony. How723did the unions and Cornell's actions give you no choice but to724file charges with the EEOC?725    Mr. Rubinstein. Cornell could have denied the union's726demand for mandatory dues but instead made me proactively seek727out a religious exemption. Upon contract ratification, Cornell728claimed I had nothing to worry about because I could729religiously object by ticking a box on a form. That never730materialized.731    Instead, I had to beg union bosses for permission by732sending a highly personal letter detailing the private details733of my religious beliefs and practices. It felt deeply734humiliating and degrading to need to beg for permission from735those engaged in Jew hatred. Even that was not enough for these736union bosses, and they demanded further irrelevant personal737information, not only about myself, but also about my synagogue738and my rabbi.739    At that point, because Cornell was forcing me to pay dues,740and the union was demanding information they had no right to, I741had no other choice but to press charges.742    Chairman Allen. Thank you. Mr. Taubman, you represent743several employees seeking religious accommodations from the744unions that represent them. Could you discuss whether Title VII745of the Civil Rights Act provides sufficient protections for746people of faith in unionized workplaces? Is there anything we747can do to strengthen legal protections for religious workers in748unionized workplaces?749    Mr. Taubman. Title VII provides some protections, but as750Mr. Rubinstein just said, the problem with Title VII is these751employees are essentially required to beg their tormentors. I752will say that again. You have to ask the entity that is753harassing you and tormenting you on your workplace for a754religious accommodation. That is the worst part of this because755Title VII requires you to prove to certain level your sincerely756held beliefs. Who do you have to prove it to? To the union that757is tormenting you.758    This should be something that Congress can fix, by making759it easier for people to assert their religious rights.760    Chairman Allen. Could you define tormenting? I mean.761    Mr. Taubman. Tormenting meaning ostracism, shunning, pro-762Hamas activities, telling your graduate students pay dues or be763fired, while we are out fomenting pro-Hamas activities. Hamas764is a meatyevil killing terrorist group on the U.S.'s watch765list, but suddenly its protected labor free speech to support766an anti-American murderous media evil terrorist group. That is767what the labor laws bring to the situation.768    Chairman Allen. Thank you. That concludes my questions,769unless the panel has anything else you would like to offer.770Okay. Well, I will yield my time to Mr.--Mrs. Lee of771Pennsylvania.772    Ms. Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think it is important773that we are clear about what is really going on here.774Republicans are committed to eroding labor protections in this775country, and they will do anything, and use anything to that776end. The attacks on workers are relentless, and let us be777clear, when they attack unions, they are attacking Jewish778workers and Black workers, and white workers, and disabled779workers--all workers.780    Just last month the Department of Veterans Affairs781terminated collective bargaining agreements for workers at the782Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in my district, abandoning783groundskeepers, transportation workers, nurses, and doctors.784Unions, just like our government, are democratic institutions.785    Workers choose to unionize based on majority support, just786like Cornell graduate workers voted to unionize 1,873 votes to78780. Unions are also a channel for their members to debate and788voice beliefs and political issues, just like when UAW debated789and voted to adopt a cease-fire resolution, 1,067 votes to 570.790    In democracies we are supposed to accept the outcome of a791vote, even if we disagree with it. As democratic institutions792unions bear responsibility for protecting their members from793acts of hate, absolutely, while fostering environments for794critical and constructive discourse because union members will795never agree on every point, and they are not meant to.796    Being engaged in a union where you have a stake and a say797means having uncomfortable conversations, but discomfort and798danger are not the same thing, and at a time when those in799power are looking for any excuse to undermine worker800protections, it is more important than ever that we understand801and make that distinction.802    Those of us who believe strongly in unions recognize that803while organized labor may have had a complicated legacy,804especially considering its history, dealing with, and even805excluding marginalized groups that today they work to remedy806that because they know, and we all know that for marginalized807groups, it is the No. 1 pathway to economic security and a808place in the middle class. We fight and we work every day with809unions, just like we do with our own nation's governments, and810make sure that they live up to their true ideals.811    Unions are institutions that reflect the demographics and812the diversity of our workplaces, and we have more work to do,813just as we have more work to do to make our country that more814perfect union. There is no question that if we actually want815workers to be protected, we need unions.816    If we want unions to be equitable, we cannot ask them to be817apolitical. Dr. McCartin, can you speak briefly about the818history of workers taking political stances through their819unions at critical times in history?820    Dr. McCartin. Thank you. Thank you, Congresswoman, I'm821happy to. Unions, from their formation in the United States822have realized that they have to take political stands to823effectively defend and advance the interests of their members.824That was true in the 1820's when the first unions helped to825launch their own political parties, working men's parties.826    That was true in the early 20th Century when Samuel Gompers827drafted labor's bill of grievances because the courts were828attacking workers' rights to strike effectively, to organize,829and they knew they had to get political to fight back against830that. That was true in the 1960's when the labor movement831supported the Civil Rights and the Voting Rights Act because832they understood that what could be won at the bargaining table833could be undermined by politics if workers didn't have a834democratic voice there.835    That has been the labor movement's history. That is its836stand even today.837    Ms. Lee. Yes, and if I could ask you another question very838quickly. Historically, how has social inequality coincided with839the strength or lack thereof of labor unions?840    Dr. McCartin. Social inequality has been in inverse841proportion to union strength. When union strength is strong,842social inequality is weak. When union strength weakens, social843inequality grows. That was true in the 1920's when the labor844movement hit one of its low points, inequality surged.845    After World War II, when the labor movement was strong,846inequality dropped. Economists talk about the period of the847Great Compression because the poorest 20 percent of Americans848saw their income rise most then. When unions weakened in the84920th and early 21st Century, however, we have seen inequality850surge. Perhaps members here know of the recent study by the851Rand Corporation, which documented that if we had merely852retained the distribution of income we had in 1973 to the853present day, the lowest 90 percent of Americans would have854earned 79 trillion dollars more than they ended up earning.855That is because of union weakness.856    Ms. Lee. May I, if I can conclude. I just want to say that857this is obviously not about protecting workers, it is about858silencing dissent, criminalizing free speech, and chipping away859at the foundation of our democracy in order to accelerate a860shift toward authoritarianism.861    Unions are the first line of protection against that, and862we have to speak out against these attempts to suppress these863unions. Thank you, and I yield back.864    Chairman Allen. Thank you. The gentlelady yields. Now, I865call on our great Chairman for his questions.866    Mr. Walberg. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now, let me make it867very clear. We are not attacking unions. We are attacking868abusive union leadership that are not doing what they are869supposed to do for their union membership. I thank unions for870the working conditions I had at U.S. Steel South Works because871of what my dad as a union organizer and others did.872    We are talking about the backing away of protecting union873workers. We are not attacking unions here, and I think that is874why the Republican party is now being seen as the party of the875working man and woman. The rank and file. Randi Weingarden has876not said anything, anything about antisemitism. To raise her877name, raises my ire.878    Ms. Mann, your testimony is very clear. Let me go back.879Have there been instances where the union has chosen to advance880the interests of those engaging, and I am talking about the881union leadership, protecting the interests of those engaging in882harassing conduct over the interest of union's Jewish members?883    Ms. Mann. Yes. Very sadly, the union has doubled down on884protecting its members' ability to promote antisemitism and885images that make Jews feel threatened in the workplace. As soon886as our poster policy was enacted, requiring that the office887simply be neutral, that nobody posts anything related to the888Gaza Israeli conflict.889    Mr. Walberg. What is wrong with that?890    Ms. Mann. Exactly, that is all we are asking for. We just891do not--at 5 p.m. when you leave the office, you should be free892to say whatever you want about whatever issue it is. You have893complete free speech.894    Mr. Walberg. American liberty.895    Ms. Mann. When you are in the office you do not have a896right to free speech, and that is all that NYLAG management897asked to be done. As soon as that happened, ABN posted898watermelons all over our office, a symbol of Palestinian899solidarity, and over the watermelons it says, ``NYLAG violates900free speech. NYLAG silences workers.'' They continued these901tactics, holding lunchtime pickets where they walk around the902office in Keffiyehs holding Palestinian flags.903    They pose for pictures in our reception area. These images904are visibly seen by clients, not just Jewish members, but we905serve the most vulnerable populations in New York City, and906they too are traumatized by walking into our office.907    We have to shield them from the images that surround our908cubicles and try as quickly as possible to get them to a909conference room without seeing so many of the intimidating,910harassing materials that surround the office.911    Mr. Walberg. Cowardly union leadership that is encouraging912this type of thing to go on, as well as entities that do not913stand up against it, so I appreciate that. Mr. Rubinstein,914United, as you have indicated, United Electrical Workers Union915leadership and the Cornell Graduate Student Union leadership916chose to help fellow graduate students avoid university917discipline, and expulsion, and deportation by the U.S.918Government.919    This student engaged in disruptive anti-Israel advocacy on920campuses, as well as cheering for the, and I quote, ``End of921the U.S. empire,'' celebrating Hamas' actions on October 7th,922and tweeting that Zionists are a ``moral less, soul-less,923cowardly, inhumane bunch.''924    What do you think of the union leadership using its925resources to defend this graduate student?926    Mr. Rubinstein. Well, that is certainly the union's927prerogative to defend such an individual. I want to be clear, I928am not antiunion, and I believe in free speech, so if they want929to support someone like that, absolutely fair game, but Jewish930students should not be forced to financially support that. We931should certainly not be forced to beg for permission to not do932so, as Cornell is currently forcing us to do.933    Mr. Walberg. Thank you for nailing that home, the issue934that we are talking about there. That goes back to free speech935and freedom in American, thank you. Mr. Taubman, the duty of936fair representation doctrine was intended to protect workers in937a bargaining unit who may be in the minority in the union and938to force unions to represent those people fairly as well, even939if the union leadership did not like those workers or agree940with their views.941    Have you seen unions violate the duty of fair942representation with respect to Jewish employees?943    Mr. Taubman. The duty of fair representation, if properly944interpreted, would prevent exactly what Ms. Mann and Mr.945Rubinstein are seeing on their campuse, or their workplaces.946The problem is that over the years the duty of fair947representation has been watered down, and it is very difficult948for employees to use that to protect themselves from this sort949of antisemitic atrocities in the workplace.950    Mr. Walberg. Thank you. My time has expired. I yield back.951    Chairman Allen. I was a little lenient on our chairman952there on time, but anyway.953    Mr. Walberg. Less lenient than one of our other members,954take it from Mr. Wilson.955    Chairman Allen. All right. Mr. Wilson is next. All right. I956will now recognize Mr. Wilson, from the great State of South957Carolina, for his line of questioning.958    Mr. Wilson. Thank you very much, Chairman. I am very959grateful to share a district with you, North Augusta, Augusta,960South Carolina and Georgia working together. Indeed, Mr.961Taubman, I appreciate your service as the staff attorney for962the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.963    For decades, the National Right to Work Committee has been964a successful champion across the country for workers who have965the freedom to join or not join a union. The Right to Work966Committee is just such an example of freedom and so thank you967for what you do.968    With that in mind, your written testimony says that some969unions are weaponizing our labor law to harm Jewish employees970in the workplace. How are they doing that, and can you give971examples?972    Mr. Taubman. Sure. As I said in my opening, Federal law973allows forced representation. Nobody tells you, Congressman,974that when you want to sell your house you must use a certain975representative who may hate you and may trash your people and976your religion. In the union context, Federal labor law allows977for forced representation. These people are required to be978represented by a hateful organization. That is the first979Federal laws protections of unions.980    Then the second one, of course, is forced dues. They are981told that they have to pay for the privilege of being harassed982by these unions. This is all a matter of Federal labor law.983    Mr. Wilson. I want to thank you too for bringing up the984issue of Hamas. We are not talking about people who are985disagreeing with issues. Hamas, the covenant of August 1988 was986very clear. Article 7, it states that every Jew is to be chased987behind a rock or tree until you find the last Jew behind a rock988and kill him. That is their covenant.989    That is their plan. From the river to the sea, means the990elimination and death of the Jewish people. We are not talking991about just a disagreement of a policy. Ms. Mann, some unions992have chosen to mount defenses of antisemitic activity in their993units, and in some cases advocate on behalf of union members994who have engaged in antisemitic conduct outside the workplace,995particularly something that sounds so innocent, such as pushing996the anti-Israel boycott divestment and sanctions, BDS policies.997    What do you feel can be done? Does this undermine the998National Labor Relations Act?999    Ms. Mann. I believe that unions should stick to negotiating1000wages, healthcare, employment conditions. The union should not1001have a political view that is unrelated to its members well-1002being in the workplace. Just because unions were once1003politically active, historically, does not mean that they need1004to be now. Times change. We should not have to vote about1005political resolutions on anything about foreign policy that has1006nothing to do with representing individuals in New York City.1007    The resolution that was mentioned by Ms. Lee was a1008resolution that was sent by ABN less than a month, or sorry,1009just over a month after 10/13, asking union members to vote on1010whether they support calling the Israeli--sorry, calling1011Israel's attack on Palestine a genocide.1012    We should not be forced to answer such questions. It does1013not matter to our workplace. It does not matter to what we do1014for our clients. Political foreign relations should not be a1015part of the union's purview.1016    Mr. Wilson. How sad, indeed, genocide of the population of1017Gaza has increased substantially. There is not a genocide, and1018how sick for people to misconstrue what's going on. Mr.1019Rubinstein, you say in your written testimony that you did not1020believe graduate students should be considered employees under1021the National Labor Relations Act.1022    Why do you think the graduate students like yourself, as1023young as you are, should not be covered by NLRA?1024    Mr. Rubinstein. As Ph.D. students, we are provided with1025teaching assistantships to support ourselves while we work1026toward our degree. Our work as teaching assistants serves as a1027derivative of our primary status as students. Since1028unionization, our primary role as students has become a1029derivative of our part-time job as teaching assistants, meaning1030that we now have a non-academic, third party that holds power1031over the primary purpose for which we came to study in the1032first place.1033    Mr. Wilson. Well, thank you for bringing that to the1034attention of the American people. I yield back.1035    Chairman Allen. Okay. The gentleman from South Carolina1036yields. Now, we go to Chairwoman Emeritus Foxx from North1037Carolina, for questions.1038    Mrs. Foxx. Well, thank you very much Mr. Chairman. I1039appreciate that. I appreciate our witnesses being here today. I1040know this is a very tough issue for you all to be dealing with,1041especially Ms. Mann and Mr. Rubinstein because they are so much1042involved with this, so I really appreciate your being here.1043    Ms. Mann, your written testimony discusses how Jewish1044employees are afraid to speak up about the toxic workplace the1045unions created. Why do you believe they are afraid to speak up?1046    Ms. Mann. I believe they are afraid to speak up because1047they have already experienced the feeling of being ostracized.1048We never considered ourselves as a separate group in the1049office, but we have essentially been pushed into our own little1050Jewish ghetto, where we can only discuss matters of the office1051with each other.1052    We do not feel that the union has our back, and in fact,1053before this last strike many of my Jewish colleagues who had1054not yet obtained religious objector status, felt that the union1055was pressuring them to go on strike because their primary goal1056was not increasing our wages or getting us better healthcare.1057    It was fighting the NYLAG management policy that posters1058not be posted in the office about anything related to this1059conflict. They argued again that they have the right to free1060speech in the office, and the union has misled them because1061there is no right to free speech in a private workplace.1062    The union has told them that the poster policy is an1063``egregious infringement on our members' speech and a violation1064of labor law.''1065    Mrs. Foxx. What you are talking about sounds so much like1066what happened in Germany a long time ago, and we have all said1067never again this kind of thing can never happen again. Mr.1068Rubinstein, your written testimony includes exhibits of many1069emails documenting how the union and Cornell have tried to1070enforce the forced dues clause in the collective bargaining1071agreement.1072    Could you discuss whether the union has communicated to1073graduate students clearly and honestly what their rights and1074obligations are with respect to the union?1075    Mr. Rubinstein. It has not. We have the right to object to1076union dues on religious, ethical, or moral grounds, and yet the1077union has consistently represented that all graduate students1078are forced to pay dues or agency fees to the union, negating1079that third option.1080    Mrs. Foxx. What do you think could be done to make sure1081that people in unionized workplaces like yours know their1082rights?1083    Mr. Rubinstein. Well, the first answer to that is that one1084should not be forced to go through a burdensome and time-1085consuming exemption procedure in order not to fund a union that1086one does not wish to support. Union dues should be voluntary.1087While Cornell is locked into a contract with forced dues, the1088university should make clear that all exemptions will be1089recognized.1090    That the individuals do not need to beg for the unions'1091permission, with the union being given free rein to obstruct,1092ignore or deny visa exemptions. The university can recognize1093them.1094    Mrs. Foxx. Mr. Taubman, Mr. Rubinstein's written testimony1095and what he has said verbally, discuss receiving an intrusive1096questionnaire from the union, which he is alluding to again1097when he tried to obtain a religious accommodation. What1098responses have your clients at other workplaces received when1099they invoke their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights1100Act?1101    Mr. Taubman. The first response that the UE union gave my1102clients at MIT, who were Jewish, was to write them a letter1103saying, ``Jews can't object to our union because our founder1104was Jewish.'' They told these people that they know more about1105their Judaism and their religious beliefs than they do.1106    Since that time, the union has been sending these invasive1107questionnaires, and this has happened at Stanford. This has1108happened at Cornell. This has happened at other schools. They1109try to conduct a little mini inquisition to harass and delay1110and prevent these people from exercising their religious1111liberties under Title VII.1112    Mrs. Foxx. Thank you, and I think the term you used earlier1113about torture is certainly very appropriate. Mr. Chairman, I1114ask unanimous consent to insert in the record an article from1115the Wall Street Journal, August 29th, Stanford's Graduate1116Student Union Tries to Stifle Dissent.1117    Chairman Allen. Without objection.1118    [The information of Mrs. Foxx follows:]1119    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]11201121    Mrs. Foxx. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.1122    Chairman Allen. The gentlelady yields back. Next is Ranking1123Member Scott for 5 minutes.1124    Mr. Scott. Go ahead. Could you call on Mr. Courtney?1125    Chairman Allen. Mr. Courtney is recognized for 5 minutes.1126    Mr. Courtney. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank1127you to Ranking Member Scott. I apologize, a lot going on today,1128but I did read, again, the witnesses' statements, and again,1129you know, I want to thank all of you for being here, and the1130effort that you put into your testimony.1131    Ms. Mann, in particular, I found your testimony to be1132actually quite powerful in terms of just telling your story. As1133a former public defender, I sort of identify a little bit, at1134least with the mission of the legal aid, and you're obviously1135very passionate about your clients in terms of trying to, you1136know, advocate for fairness and justice, you know, in the1137system.1138    You know, that is not for the faint of heart. I can1139personally attest to that. Obviously, you also, you know,1140described your sort of, you know, your sort of foundational1141feelings about unions a little bit. I guess the one question I1142just really wanted to ask you was that you know, after reading1143your testimony, and you know, there are some really important1144issues that everybody has raised in their testimony.1145    There is obviously also another sort of agenda here, which1146is to pass a National Right to Work Law, and I just was curious1147just to hear what your thoughts were about whether or not that1148somehow, you know, would be a solution to you know the problem1149that has been identified here because that would be a fairly1150blunt instrument, you know, in terms of the rights of workers1151who again belong to unions that are actually doing good things1152for themselves.1153    Ms. Mann. Yes, there is--the union members that I work1154with, while they have been told that they are aware of their1155rights, most of them did not know that they had the right to1156file for religious objector status.1157    Mr. Courtney. I understand that. I am really talking about,1158like we are here as Members of Congress to deal with1159legislation, and there is a bill to pass a National Right to1160Work Law, and that is really my question. I mean do you feel1161that that is something Congress should take up, and that would1162be a solution in terms of, you know, really radically rewriting1163the labor laws of this country?1164    Ms. Mann. I think as Mr. Rubinstein said, the labor laws1165need to be addressed under the current framework, and then NLRB1166should take up the claims that we filed with them about an1167unfair representation and the duty to represent.1168    Mr. Courtney. Thank you. Right to work, I mean it is really1169just, as I said, it is a far blunter sort of instrument in1170terms of addressing this issue, and I certainly agree with you1171about, you know, having the NLRB act swiftly. It did not help1172matters that the President almost the day after he was1173inaugurated, basically fired a member, and they do not have a1174functioning quorum, so that, you know, the goal of actually1175having timeliness in terms of taking up issues has been1176paralyzed by this administration.1177    Dr. McCartin, as some of my colleagues know, I kind of1178always track the Gallup poll in terms of American public1179opinion regarding labor unions. They have been asking this1180question since the 1930's. Actually a few days ago they did1181their 2025 update, and again it was a 68 percent approval1182rating.1183    It is eight straight years now that it has exceeded 601184percent, and I have been around long enough in this Committee1185to remember when it was much lower than that. I just wondered1186if you would just sort of comment in terms of particularly at a1187time when we are watching health care get cut through H.R. 1,1188the exchange premiums are about to be devastated, and rates are1189going to skyrocket literally within days. We are going to get1190those numbers.1191    In terms of just what is driving that popularity because of1192the economic insecurity that working people feel in this1193country.1194    Dr. McCartin. The weakening of unions in general is one of1195the things that is contributing to growing inequality to the1196impact, the adverse impact, of the kind of cuts that you are1197talking about, and what they will have. Fighting for a National1198Right to Work Act, as Mr. Taubman is calling for, is not going1199to solve the problem of antisemitism or improve the bargaining1200power of workers.1201    It is really a non sequitur when it comes to the question1202that we are considering here today as well. That is, the unions1203promote antisemitism. Union members have rights. There has been1204lots of talk that--unions are not properly defending their1205members, representing them today.1206    I would assert that they represent their members as well as1207anybody on this panel represents their constituents. That does1208not mean that your constituents agree with everything you do,1209they do not. That does not make your positions any less1210legitimate. That is what unions are about: representing people.1211They might not do it to the satisfaction of every member.1212    We have heard from both Ms. Mann and Mr. Rubinstein that1213they do not want to support an organization, okay, that they1214object to, and they are not. They have the right not to and1215they are not.1216    Mr. Onder. [presiding]. The time has expired. The Chair now1217recognizes himself for 5 minutes. Thank you to all the1218witnesses here today. I will begin with the principle that I1219think everyone should agree with, no employee should be1220required as a condition of their employment to financially1221support a political agenda or candidate that he or she opposes.1222    This is an application of the First Amendment, and a1223cornerstone of American liberty. The Supreme Court agrees in1224Janus v. AFSCME. The Supreme Court recognized that Federal1225employees' First Amendment rights are violated when employees1226who are not members of the union are forced to pay agency fees.1227    The Court said that such agreements violate, ``the free1228speech right of non-members by compelling them to subsidize1229private speech on matters of substantial public concern.''1230Given that government unions, everything they do have to do1231with matters of public concern, free speech would be violated.1232    It is great that government employees' First Amendment1233rights are protected, but what about private sector workers?1234The Supreme Court case, Communication Workers of America v.1235Beck, partially protects employees from being forced to1236contribute to political causes they disagree with.1237    It is clear from the witness testimony today that Beck is1238not strong enough. At Cornell University, Mr. Rubinstein and1239his Jewish friends were continually harassed by their graduate1240student union for refusing to fund their affiliate union's pro-1241Hamas agenda.1242    At the New York Legal Assistance Group, Ms. Mann and her1243Jewish colleagues fear expressing support for Israel in their1244office because of the antisemitic climate created by the union,1245even though she was exercising her back out, opt-out rights.1246Mr. Taubman, you helped litigate CWA v. Beck, why is Beck1247insufficient today for Jewish employees and those who for other1248reasons do not want to support their union's politics?1249    Mr. Taubman. Beck is inadequate first of all because many1250employees have no idea that it exists, and unions have no1251incentives to tell them because if they find out then the union1252gets less money. Second of all, look at what happened with UE1253at MIT. People filed Beck objections in 2004 and 2005, and the1254UE gave them financial disclosure from 2018 and 2019--five and12556 year old financial disclosure, so how are people supposed to1256know what the union is doing with their money when the union1257will not open up their books to tell them?1258    I just want to address this point about right to work that1259Congressman Courtney paints this as some kind of radical thing.1260Right to work. It is called free choice in America. No one1261tells you what church to join. No one tells you to join the1262Elks Club or not join the Elks Club. No one tells you to join1263the AAA for your car, but Federal law tells you join this1264union, this Hamas supporting terror organization, or we will1265get you fired.1266    I could show you hundreds of threats to get employees1267fired. That is American. Okay. Free choice in America to join a1268private organization. Unions are not government. Unions are a1269private organization, and I think it is a disgrace that any1270American has to fund a private organization that they do not1271want to.1272    Mr. Onder. It is sometimes said that these unions have been1273chosen in a certification election, but many times that1274happened decades, or even generations ago. Do you care to1275comment?1276    Mr. Taubman. I think the last statistics I saw was that 90-1277some percent of employees have never voted for the union that1278represents them, and even if they have, I can tell you from1279experience trying to decertify a union is difficult, if not1280impossible.1281    Mr. Onder. I think Mr. Rubinstein alluded to this, and you1282may know the law on this. I have not heard of this phenomenon1283before of having to go to your union and apply for a religious1284exemption. What is that all about?1285    Mr. Taubman. What that is all about is under Title VII, you1286have to show that you have a sincerely held religious belief.1287Who do you go to to apply and prove that you have a sincerely1288held religious belief? The party that is forcing you to pay the1289dues. In this case, it is either Cornell and/or the union.1290    Mr. Onder. The party that is taking your money. Well, thank1291you. I yield back. Ranking Member Scott is recognized for 51292minutes.1293    Mr. Scott. Thank you, and I thank all our witnesses for1294coming. Mr. McCartin, we have heard a lot about the Right to1295Work Law and some of the things that people do not like about1296it. If you are in a right to work State and not joining the1297union, did not pay any dues, do you get the benefits of all of1298the benefits that have been achieved by the unions, like higher1299pay, safer workplace, better benefits? Do you get individual?1300    Dr. McCartin. Yes, you do.1301    Mr. Scott. Do you get individualized representation to the1302same degree as dues paying members?1303    Dr. McCartin. That is correct.1304    Mr. Scott. I do not hear any complaints about that?1305    Dr. McCartin. No. In fact, right now if Mr. Rubinstein had1306a grievance with Cornell University, the union that he is1307attacking would be compelled to defend him in that grievance.1308    Mr. Scott. Thank you. If you find that you said if you have1309found religious or racial discrimination in a union, you can go1310to the EEOC. Is that right?1311    Dr. McCartin. That is correct.1312    Mr. Scott. The funding in the Republican budgets have cut1313the EEOC?1314    Dr. McCartin. Yes, they have.1315    Mr. Scott. Okay. Now, antisemitism is a problem in society.1316Is it more or less of a problem in unions?1317    Dr. McCartin. I would say that it is less of a problem in1318unions because unions have long understood that antisemitism is1319a threat to the whole idea of a union.1320    Mr. Scott. Are there problems with racism, Islamophobia,1321homophobia, gender-based discrimination in society?1322    Dr. McCartin. That is true, and unions have understood that1323they needed to fight those.1324    Mr. Scott. Is that problem more or less than in society?1325    Dr. McCartin. I would say less. The union movement has been1326a force against all of those things.1327    Mr. Scott. Were gender and racial pay differences, on the1328pay differences, more or less in unions or in the general1329public?1330    Dr. McCartin. They are less in unions.1331    Mr. Scott. That is because everybody gets equal pay for1332equal work in a union contract?1333    Dr. McCartin. Unions fight for their members on a basis of1334equality.1335    Mr. Scott. We have heard about the religious exemption. Is1336there a similar exemption if a Black person were to decide that1337the union was run by racists. Do they have a way to get out?1338    Dr. McCartin. They can go to the EEOC, but to my knowledge1339not a similar way.1340    Mr. Scott. Thank you. I yield back.1341    Mr. Onder. The gentleman yields back. The Chair next1342recognizes Mr. Fine for 5 minutes.1343    Mr. Fine. Well, thank you Mr. Chairman. Look, I want to1344start by apologizing to those of you, particularly the two of1345you on my left. You have had to deal with this. I understand1346what it is like to deal with antisemitism. I dealt with it my1347whole life. Ironically, you know, the institution I went to 351348years ago where the problem is widespread today, it does not1349really exist today.1350    I am also angry. I mean what is clear is that Muslim terror1351has come to the United States, and it exists in our1352universities. I noted in your testimony, just to give a couple1353of interesting points about it before I get to my question. Ms.1354Mann, you talked about the first example of pro-Muslim terror1355stuff in your institution on October the 13th. Mr. Rubinstein,1356in your testimony you talked about it on October 25th at1357Cornell. I read your statements before I got here.1358    Israel did not send ground forces into Gaza until October1359the 27th, so to be clear, the Muslim terrorists were focused1360through your institutions on spewing their propaganda and hate1361before Israel had even responded, and that just shows you how1362the kind of evil that we are dealing with.1363    The good news is thanks to the Chairman and others up here1364we are willing to fight that fight. I have few questions for1365you, for the two of you. Ms. Mann, you testified about how the1366union contributed to the culture in your workplace. Could you1367tell us--the best is not the right word, the worst examples in1368the communication of antisemitic tropes or conspiracy theories1369in the multitude of things that you have gone through?1370    Ms. Mann. I would say that the posters that said, ``From1371the river to the sea,'' were definitely the worst of what I1372saw, or.1373    Mr. Fine. How do you interpret from the river to the sea?1374What does that mean to you?1375    Ms. Mann. To me, that means it is a call for the1376destruction of Israel, for the elimination of Israel, for the1377elimination of Jews. I interpreted that as them calling for my1378removal from existence.1379    Mr. Fine. By the way, you would not be wrong in having that1380view. That is exactly what it means because if you look at1381places where those folks have taken over, the best example for1382example is Bethlehem when it was under Israeli control was 851383percent Christian, and now it is 10 percent today. That is a1384part of from the river to the sea that they have taken control1385of, and they have endeavored to effectively launch a genocide1386of those who are not like them.1387    You have accurately described what is going on. Mr.1388Rubinstein, in your written testimony, you include an1389attachment, a petition that Cornell graduate students signed to1390express opposition to Cornell entering into a union shop1391agreement with the graduate student union.1392    Half the students who signed the petition signed it1393anonymously. They did not--they put their academic department,1394but they did not put their name. Why do you think so many1395students signed that petition anonymously?1396    Mr. Rubinstein. Yes. I actually signed that petition1397anonymously myself in early 2024. The reason being after1398students became signing that petition the union dispatched its'1399agents to meet with friends, with colleagues of signatories in1400order to turn those closest to them against them.1401    The union is engaging in this targeted personal harassment1402of anyone who publicly stands against them, and many people1403simply did not feel comfortable exposing themselves.1404    Mr. Fine. Then in an institution that wants to parade1405around talking about academic freedom, and let us all, you1406know, peace, love and talk, you are saying that graduate1407students, not like 18-year-old freshmen, but graduate students1408did not feel like they could put their own name on a petition1409without facing harassment from those behind Muslin terror?1410    Mr. Rubinstein. Cornell cannot claim to support academic1411freedom when it lets its students be harassed for expressing1412their views, and when it additionally forces students to1413support an ideological organization.1414    Mr. Fine. We know why the unions do this. We have talked a1415lot about it today. Why do you think in your case, Mr.1416Rubinstein, why do you think Cornell puts up with it? I mean1417why do they allow it?1418    Mr. Rubinstein. Cornell knows that this is wrong. President1419Michael Kotlikoff actually put out a very strong statement1420against mandatory dues, which----1421    Mr. Fine. He is weak?1422    Mr. Rubinstein [continuing]. As a violation of academic1423freedom, but ultimately Cornell is responsive to public1424pressure. After the union threatened to strike, President1425Kotlikoff reneged on his promises to protect us, and I think1426that public pressure-is the only thing that will force Cornell1427to change course now.1428    Mr. Fine. Well, public pressure or the law. I think this1429Committee under Chair Walberg has made clear that we are coming1430for the universities that will not protect their Jewish1431students, and maybe Cornell will find themselves in your seat1432here in the not too distant future. I do not know. I again, I1433am angry for you. I have two Jewish children too, and I know1434what it is like to go through what you all have gone through1435myself, having dealt with it my whole life.1436    I am sorry we have failed you to solve the problem, but1437rest assured there are me and my colleagues who are determined1438to get to the bottom of it and put an end to their scourge.1439Thank you for being here, and Mr. Chairman, I yield back.1440    Mr. Onder. The gentleman yields back. The Chair recognizes1441Ranking Member DeSaulnier for 5 minutes.1442    Mr. DeSaulnier. Thanks. I defer to Mr. Owens and wait my1443turn.1444    Mr. Onder. The Chair recognizes Representative Owens for 51445minutes.1446    Mr. Owens. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair, I appreciate1447you convening this hearing today on union antisemitism, and I1448want to thank the witnesses for coming here to testify. I just1449want to start off by saying that Utah is a right to work State.1450It is also one of the most attractive states in the union1451because unions there know they have to compete for their people1452to pay them.1453    If they are antisemites, or if they are antiblack, then we1454just do not--they do not pay in, they do not survive, so that1455is the very good thing to bring in, the competition piece of1456this. It is really disgusting that some unions are spending1457their time advancing antisemitic and anti-Israel priorities1458instead of addressing the immediate needs of their members.1459    Imagine the same unions would have advocate the issues that1460actually impact the well-being of their members, all their1461members, instead of paying for the support of hateful leftist1462politicians or politics. I hope that these union leaders are1463watching and will get the message. Do your job. Stop the1464antisemitic activity among your ranks.1465    You are paid a very good salary to protect your members1466against hate. Your failure to do so now, and your cowardly1467silence is deafening. Let me just start of Mr. Taubman, I just1468want to ask you real quickly, I know you have been addressing1469this a little bit already.1470    The way it is set up right now, if there was a union that1471was run by KKK supporters, the way it is set up right now,1472would I be forced if I worked for that company to pay these KKK1473folks to continue moving on? Is that the way it is set up at1474this point? Do I have a way of getting out of that?1475    Mr. Taubman. Well, that is the way that you would have to1476pay if you worked in a right to work State. If you are in the147725 or so states that have forced unionism, and you have a KKK1478union, you will pay them or you will be fired. Yes, you could1479try to exercise Beck rights. Yes, you might be able to try to1480exercise Title VII rights, but the bottom line is the default1481position is pay that union or you will be fired.1482    Mr. Owens. It is amazing that those who are pro-Hamas, who1483are nothing but KKK, feel they have a right to demand people1484paying them when they hate them. It is amazing to see that we1485are having this in 2025, we are having this conversation. Mr.1486Rubinstein, you mentioned requesting religious accommodation.1487Can you kind of go through that process?1488    You mentioned that it was very frustrating, but tell us1489what that looked like for you to try to get something in this1490process done1491    Mr. Rubinstein. Upon contract ratification, Cornell1492University promised that I could religiously object by doing no1493more than ticking a box on a form, and yet that form never1494materialized, and instead I needed to beg union officials for1495permission to object by writing a highly personal letter,1496detailing private information that's none of their business.1497    Even after I did that, they demanded further intrusive1498information that they have absolutely no right to, at which1499point I decided that if I did not want to pay the union, I had1500no choice but to file legal charges against them. That is not1501the ticking a box on a form that Cornell promised.1502    Mr. Owens. Well, I am going to give my time away, and I1503will give it back, but I just want to say this. We are in 2025,1504I am so thankful that we have a President, we have a body now1505that understands this, and we are going to have the right1506people sitting in front of us explaining why allowing unions to1507hate their folks, and continue to survive, how that happens in15082025, so thank you guys for being here before us, and we are1509going to continue to followup on this conversation big time,1510and I yield back.1511    Chairman Allen. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and now1512I will call on Ranking Member DeSaulnier for his questions.1513    Mr. DeSaulnier. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to1514thank the witnesses and Ms. Mann and Mr. Rubinstein. As a very1515pro-labor person, and as someone who was a member of the1516Teamsters and the AFL-CIO, I am appalled at what happened to1517you, and I would love to discuss it individually if you would1518care to.1519    Mr. McCartin, I could spend more than 5 minutes, we will1520talk later, but the history, as Santayana said, ``For those who1521forget history, they're condemned to repeat it.'' This is a1522pattern, so if we want to talk about unions as a countervailing1523institution, I am particularly interested. I have a chart I use1524regularly at town halls reflecting what you said about union1525membership and opportunity in this country for the middle1526class, they track evenly.1527    Samuel Gompers, I have to talk about this just because as1528someone who loves Teddy Roosevelt. There, Gompers is showing1529Teddy Roosevelt the tenements not far from his house, as a son1530of privilege. That instance where Roosevelt switched from being1531a Harvard son of this caste system in America, to understanding1532of what it was like to live in those kind of environments, and1533how that changed the American union movement.1534    Talk a little bit about, we could easily be having a1535hearing right now, with all due respect, about the business1536community and antisemitism in corporate board rooms, but let us1537talk about the context of why unions are important for1538equality. Can you give us a little framework on why it is so1539important, and how people like Samuel Gompers, not just him,1540and you alluded to this in your, you did not allude to it, you1541mentioned it in your opening comments, that they were part of1542the fabric of creating a strong middle class.1543    Without them Jewish Americans, and the labor movement, we1544would not have had the American middle class that now is under1545attack again. We are at the second coming of the Gilded Age,1546which created that moment of history in southern Manhattan when1547Gompers took Teddy Roosevelt to the cigar manufacturers.1548    Dr. McCartin. Thank you, Congressman. Yes, what unions did1549is they brought diverse workers together to give them1550bargaining power, and that is what built the middle class that1551you are talking about. To do that they had to bring diverse1552people together to do it.1553    They often faced being caricatured in the way we have heard1554today, as they attempted to do that. For example, the idea of1555unions as an outside agitator. Samuel Gompers was often called1556that. The idea that unions are somehow disconnected, that they1557are union bosses.1558    You know, it has been a lot of energy talking about the1559United Electrical Workers here today. Mr. Rubinstein, Mr.1560Taubman together had 255 pages of testimony about the UE. Not1561once in those 255 pages did the name Carl Rosen appear. Who is1562Carl Rosen? He is the son of a Jewish worker. He leads that1563union now, and he has being attacked here as a supporter of1564Hamas.1565    I would urge anybody on this Committee to go to the website1566of the United Electrical Workers and see if they endorse and1567embrace Hamas. Since Samuel Gomper's time, and you will find1568that they do not. Since Samuel Gomper's time, this is the kind1569of attack labor has faced.1570    Mr. Taubman has told you for 43 years he has fought unions.1571He says these unions are not your father's labor unions. He did1572not like our father's labor unions either. He was fighting them157343 years ago. Then he might not have been talking about1574antisemitism, now he is.1575    At the very moment that he is bringing these cases forward,1576he is also bringing another case forward at Cornell of a1577student who is not alleging antisemitism at all, but just does1578not believe that they should be in a graduate student union.1579Mr. Taubman at one point said that Samuel Gompers said unions1580ought to be voluntary.1581    Samuel Gompers might have, if you pulled that out of1582context somewhere, said something like that, but he fought his1583whole life for the idea of a union shop being a very American1584thing. That was what he was dedicated to. To portray him in1585this way, to caricature him, and to caricature so many of the1586people we have heard caricatured here. It breaks face with that1587image that we are talking about Congressman, of Gompers1588enlightening Roosevelt.1589    We need a little bit more of that kind of enlightenment I1590would say.1591    Mr. DeSaulnier. I just conclude by the observation of1592somebody who is a proud Californian, in the fourth largest1593economy in the world, that is very strongly union, over 651594percent of the U.S. GDP comes from states that are not right to1595work states. I yield back.1596    Chairman Allen. The gentleman yields. Now, we will call on1597Ms. Stefanik from New York for your questions.1598    Ms. Stefanik. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to direct my1599questions to Ms. Kyle Koeppel Mann, regarding the concerning1600rise of antisemitism in certain union organizations in New York1601State. Give me one moment here.1602    Last week a group of Jewish educators rallied outside their1603union headquarters in New York City. The members of the UFT, an1604affiliate of NYCT, AFT, and the NEA were rightfully upset that1605the union called an emergency meeting to vote to endorse1606candidate Zohran Mamdani.1607    They felt Mr. Mamdani's support of the term ``globalized1608intifada,'' is antisemitic and antizionist, correctly. While1609the educators were at the rally, AFT President Randi Weingarten1610was at a rally right down the street with Mr. Mamdani.1611Considering the union members' opposition and the recent rise1612of national antisemitism, are unions required to make political1613endorsements?1614    Ms. Mann. No, unions are not required to make political1615endorsements, and it is inappropriate for them to do so.1616    Ms. Stefanik. Mr. Glenn Taubman, I wanted to ask your1617response to that?1618    Mr. Taubman. No, they are not required to, and in the1619current world that we live in, it is divisive and hateful to1620support Hamas and Communist, antisemites like Mr. Mamdani.1621    Ms. Stefanik. Is there any mechanism today for Jewish1622teachers to opt out of paying dues to unions that support1623antisemitic causes? If not, how is that remotely1624constitutional, Mr. Taubman?1625    Mr. Taubman. For public sector employees like the New York1626City teachers, they are covered by the Janus ruling, which says1627you have a right, as a matter of free speech and association,1628to not pay the union. For private sector employees, if they are1629not in a right to work State, they can be forced to pay or be1630fired.1631    It would be nice to apply Janus to the private sector,1632where private people's constitutional rights could also be1633protected.1634    Ms. Stefanik. Do you believe that unions like the NEA and1635AFT are functioning as ideological enforcement arms rather than1636neutral labor advocates, especially in their treatment of pro-1637Israel educators?1638    Mr. Taubman. I have been at this for 43 years. When I1639started, I used to say unions were representatives who did1640politics on the side. Now, they are political powerhouse1641parties that do a little collective bargaining on the side, and1642that is what the NEA and the AFT and unions like that are all1643about.1644    It is all about power and money to them, and the collective1645bargaining is a secondary thing to their political power and1646their money.1647    Ms. Stefanik. Thank you. I yield back.1648    Chairman Allen. The gentlelady yields back. I believe that1649is the conclusion of our questioning, and I call on Mr.1650DeSaunier to give his closing comments.1651    Mr. DeSaulnier. Thank you Mr. Chairman, and again I want to1652just say that I am happy to work with you if we really want to1653approach antisemitism in any institution or field, in a1654serious, serious way, and that is not to diminish the comments1655from Ms. Mann and Mr. Rubinstein's right today.1656    It is crucial to emphasize that combatting antisemitism1657transcends, or should, transcend political divisions. It is a1658moral imperative that demands unwavering commitment from all1659Americans. However, as Dr. McCartin noted in his testimony,1660``The historical record clearly shows that the labor movement1661has been a bastion of opposition to antisemitism through its1662modern history and remains so today.''1663    America's union movement not only uplifts workers who have1664been left behind but also gives all workers the power to higher1665wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. That benefits1666everybody in America, including employers.1667    At the time of great economic inequality, where life is1668unaffordable for millions and millions of working families, we1669should be working to strengthen workers' union rights, and1670ensure all their rights are made reality, and make sure that1671cases that have been brought up today about antisemitism or1672hate in any institutions are dealt with directly and1673forcefully.1674    Unfortunately, since returning to office, President Trump1675has attacked workers' rights to organize, and undermined the1676agencies intended to protect them. In closing, I just want to1677end with a quote from Samuel Gompers. You can tell I am a fan.1678    He said, ``What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses1679and less jails, more books and less arsenals, more learning and1680less vice, more leisure and less greed, more justice and less1681revenge.'' Mr. Chairman, I yield back.1682    Chairman Allen. I thank the Ranking Member. With that I1683will issue a closing statement as well. We are living in1684different times today. I appreciate the history of all the1685great history of our country, but unfortunately, our country is1686very divided today.1687    From a standpoint of history, as I said earlier, this goes1688back thousands of years. The battle rages on, and you know, God1689will deal with this. I want to thank our witnesses for sharing1690their experiences and perspectives on unions fomenting1691antisemitism. Today's hearing makes it clear that our labor1692laws must respect the choices of Jewish workers, and workers1693who do not support their union's actions and political1694priorities.1695    Unions are no longer a bastion of fighting discrimination.1696That is clear by this testimony today. No worker in America1697should have to pay dues to a union that celebrates violence1698against Jews or any other group and seeks the destruction of1699Israel to get or keep their job.1700    You have to be kidding me. Really? As witnesses testified1701today, NLRB should implement policies that allow employers to1702protect their Jewish employees at work and that free graduate1703students from the tyranny of antisemitic unions. Unions should1704not be allowed to play additional burdens on employees seeking1705exemption from funding the union's political or hateful1706activities.1707    My State of Georgia is a right to work State. That means1708that you do not have to pay union jobs to hold your dues--pay1709union dues to hold your job. Unions should be required to1710represent all their members fairly, even those who have1711different political or religious views.1712    I look forward to working with the members of the1713Subcommittee and the administration to advance the freedom of1714dignity of workers in America, and shield Jewish workers from1715hate and harassment at work. I will say this, this1716administration is the pro-worker administration. Again, that1717has changed drastically, and we will continue to fight for1718workers and against antisemitic or any other hateful activity.1719    Thank you and I yield to--thank you to our witnesses, and1720again, for your time and testimony in the Subcommittee today.1721Without objection, there being no further business, the1722Subcommittee stands adjourned. Thank you.1723    [Whereupon, at 11:48 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]17241725    [Additional submissions from Chairman Allen follows:]1726   [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]17271728                          [all]