"The Biggest Forced-Dues Political Spending Blitz In History"

Let me get right to the point.

The union bosses' over-reaching power grabs in 2011 are draining the National Right to Work Foundation's resources in what can only be described as an intense year.

That means you and I face some difficult decisions going forward.

First, the good news.

I'm increasingly encouraged that America's waking up to just how dangerous Big Labor's $20 billion (BILLION!) empire is; how it corrupts our politics, strangles businesses, penalizes taxpayers, and extorts the precious wages of hard-working men and women as a condition of employment.

The battles over the union monopoly power in Wisconsin and Ohio, as well as the Obama administration's attack on Boeing and all 22 Right to Work states, has exposed just how powerful Big Labor is.

But the union bosses keep coming after us with everything they have, and we are battling like never before to stop them on numerous fronts.

Absolutely critical to our counterattack is bolstering our grassroots defenses and communications network.

But so are the strategic legal cases to block and rollback all these union power grabs.

Here's the rub. Like nearly everyone these days, the Foundation is operating on a tight budget margin right now, and the resources simply aren't yet there to cover all these bases.

That's why I will soon sit down with the five-member Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees to decide whether changes must be made in the Foundation's program budget.

But before I do, I need your help and guidance.

With nearly 200 cases underway right now, here's just a glimpse of what we are working on:

-- Several cases defending workers against the union bosses' Card Check Forced Unionism strategy. The Foundation's Card Check Litigation Task Force directly attacks union organizing abuses as the Obama Administration works overtime to expand the union bosses' government-granted privileges by bureaucratic fiat and backroom maneuvers at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and other federal agencies.

-- Scores of cases going after Big Labor's use of forced dues to fund its nationwide political machine -- vitally important now as union operatives gear up to defend their allies in the White House and Congress, and hold on to key power positions at the state and local levels.

-- Critical cases defending state Right to Work laws, including the Right to Work provisions in Wisconsin's new public sector bargaining reform law, as union officials mount an increasingly brazen campaign to undermine Right to Work protections nationwide.

-- Several cases taking on the destructive power of teacher unions like the National Education Association, making use of Foundation victories at the U.S. Supreme Court such as Davenport v. WEA.

-- Intervention for Boeing employees in the Obama Labor Board's outrageous attack on Right to Work laws and the creation of jobs in states where union bosses cannot force workers to hand over union dues.

That's why now would be the worst possible time to throttle back our efforts. In fact, the Foundation's strong and aggressive counterattack is needed more than ever.

The fact is, over the next several months Big Labor will unleash the biggest forced-dues political spending blitz in history.

Big Labor bosses spent nearly two and a half billion dollars to help their pet candidates in the last two presidential election years and the union bosses have vowed to use their forced-dues war chest to keep control of the Presidency and the Senate, and take back the House in 2012.

But the Foundation is hitting back hard -- in state courts and agencies, in federal courts, and at the NLRB. With the union bosses using their forced-dues power to launch still more power grabs, we can't let up now.

That's why I am rushing you the enclosed Confidential Supporter's Directive.

You see, choices must be made among certain priorities in our program. I want your advice before we act.

I'd rather scale back in a few fights (even though we believe we could win!) than get stretched too thin.

Here's an in-depth view of some of the most important fights the Foundation is waging right now:

** Working systematically to force union officials to abide by the law and to comply with Foundation-won prohibitions on collecting and using forced dues for politics and supporting Big Labor's candidates.

** Defeating Big Labor's aggressive Card Check Forced Unionism strategy. In an attempt to further increase their forced-dues power, union bosses stage high-pressure campaigns that force employers to hand their employees over to forced unionism. Only the Foundation defends workers from these bully boy tactics.

** Protection of state Right to Work laws. The Right to Work movement is close to passing new laws in several states. But the Foundation must guard against union boss legal challenges that could jeopardize Right to Work laws nationwide.

** Exposing union boss apologists nominated by President Obama to key executive branch positions or for lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary. All too often, a nominee slips through the cracks because vital background information does not come to light until it's too late.

Frankly, the union bosses have been surprised that ferocious opposition by Right to Work supporters nationwide has derailed some of their more extreme plans like Card Check Instant Organizing.

But they haven't given up yet.

Rich Trumka, the militant firebrand who now runs the AFL-CIO, called on Congress to tack Card Check provisions on to more popular legislation when he said, "There are multitudes of things we can get it attached to, and we will."

And, if the union bosses can't get it done in Congress, their allies at the National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor have proposed changes to rules and regulations that grease union organizing efforts.

This strategy is combined with Big Labor's usual policy of threatening political retaliation against anyone in either party who stands in their way.

I hope you understand what a profound threat we face this year.

You and other friends loyally stood with the Right to Work Foundation time after time as we have fought pivotal battles.

After all you and I have achieved, it would be devastating to have the momentum turn against us -- especially now when our achievements are attracting new supporters to our cause.

In fact, national leaders including U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) are helping in a nationwide campaign to build new support for Right to Work. But identifying and recruiting new supporters takes resources, too.

Because we have been winning major legal victories against Big Labor, union officials are pressing harder and in more sophisticated ways to expand their forced-dues empire.

Already, we've launched important strategic cases in 2011 that have the potential to blow a hole in Big Labor's coercive organizing strategy.

For example, Foundation attorneys are defending the Wisconsin bargaining reform law for brave Wisconsin non-union public employees who want to protect their right under that law not to pay forced union dues.

And later this year, Foundation staff attorneys will make their 15th trip to the U.S. Supreme Court in a critical case that could shatter a scheme by the radical Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that forces independent-minded California government workers to pay special dues increases designed solely to support union politics.

Your Foundation is the leader in these battles, and Americans rely on us to stand guard to defend our liberties from union attack.

There is no time to spare.

That's why we must keep up the fight on all fronts... and why your Confidential Supporter's Directive is so important.

>> Foundation attorneys are in the midst of literally scores of cases to right the wrongs done by union bosses to rank-and-file workers. At this moment, Foundation attorneys are representing tens of thousands of employees in nearly 200 legal aid cases.

These cases are each unique, and vital precedents are at stake. It is difficult to consider abandoning any of them.

Fighting these battles will cost an estimated $1.5 million through the end of the year.

If the Foundation is not in a strong position, there is no doubt Big Labor will be all the more eager to launch vicious new attacks on America's workers or on the Foundation itself.

More than anything, your investment is a testament to just how critical the Foundation's ongoing projects are.

If I can count on generous donors like you to give such a contribution now, I could put aside any thoughts of scaling back our program and focus on the business of challenging Big Labor's abuses.

I hope you understand how much is at stake.

>> With the resources provided by your contribution, the Foundation can maintain and perhaps even increase its aggressive attack on Big Labor's compulsory unionism schemes. Your support could not come at a better time than now, given the challenges we face.

Please submit your Supporter's Directive giving me your advice and be as generous as you are able.

Please, help today. Your support will make a real difference.

Sincerely,

Mark Mix