David R. Osborne
Senior Fellow
David R. Osborne is the Senior Fellow for Labor Policy with the Commonwealth Foundation.
David is an attorney with on-the-ground experience advocating for teachers, firefighters, and other public employees mistreated by union officials. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, David was the CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment, a nonprofit organization that supports, educates, and empowers public employees to exercise their First Amendment rights.
He also served as President & General Counsel of the Fairness Center, a nonprofit, public-interest law firm providing free legal representation to those hurt by public sector union officials, and as a Presidential appointee to the Federal Service Impasses Panel, which resolves labor impasses between federal agencies and federal employee unions.
David earned his Juris Doctor (JD) at Florida State University College of Law and holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and radio/television communications from the University of Central Florida.
David has been happily married since 2004 and they are proud parents to four beautiful children.
Public Union Democracy
Amendment One: Union Power, Politics, and the Future of Illinois Labor
Disunion: The Government Union Report’s David R. Osborne hosts Miley Smith, Senior Director of Labor Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute to discuss the impact of Illinois’ Amendment One –…
Podcast
Read More: Amendment One: Union Power, Politics, and the Future of Illinois LaborPublic Union Democracy
If Elected, Harris Will Carry Biden’s Torch as ‘Most Pro-Union President’
Originally published at Daily Signal Remember when then-candidate Joe Biden promised to be “the most pro-union president you’ve ever seen”? It’s been a go-to…
Media Hit
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Unions are planning a nationwide takeover — it’s already begun in Illinois
Originally published in The Hill In 2022, Illinois voters approved what they likely thought was an innocuous ballot measure, the Illinois Workers’ Rights Amendment, also called …
Media Hit
Read More: Unions are planning a nationwide takeover — it’s already begun in IllinoisRegulation
How the Shapiro Administration Doubled the Cost of Broadband
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania The digital divide – the gap between communities with and without access to high-speed internet – is a prominent issue in Pennsylvania. More than …
Media Hit
Read More: How the Shapiro Administration Doubled the Cost of BroadbandPublic Union Democracy
Unraveling Union Dynamics: Michigan’s Reversal, Florida’s Reforms, and the Fallout of the Janus Decision
In this episode, host David Osborne is joined by Commonwealth Foundation Policy Analyst Andrew Holman. Together they co-authored co-author the most up to date report on public sector labor laws:…
Podcast
Read More: Unraveling Union Dynamics: Michigan’s Reversal, Florida’s Reforms, and the Fallout of the Janus DecisionPublic Union Democracy
Government Unions are Down — But Not Out
Originally published at The American Spectator In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court humbled public sector union officials accustomed to taking advantage of the public employees they were supposed to…
Media Hit
Read More: Government Unions are Down — But Not OutPublic Union Democracy
The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws
Key Findings The four largest government unions—American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Education Association (NEA), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU)—lost…
Executive Summary
Read More: The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor LawsPublic Union Democracy
Unions and the Federal Workforce: Challenges and Reforms
In this insightful episode of Disunion: The Government Union Report, host David Osborne is joined by James Sherk, the Director of the Center for American Freedom, to delve into public…
Podcast
Read More: Unions and the Federal Workforce: Challenges and ReformsPublic Union Democracy
Teachers’ Unions Influence and the Politics of Education
Get ready for a riveting episode of Disunion: The Government Union Report! Host David Osborne is joined by The Daily Signal Investigative Columnist and WIBC radio host Tony Kennett for…
Podcast
Read More: Teachers’ Unions Influence and the Politics of EducationPublic Union Democracy
Debating Public Sector Freedom Post-Janus
In this episode, host David R. Osborne and Vice President and Legal Director of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation Bill Messenger delve into the complexities of public…
Podcast
Read More: Debating Public Sector Freedom Post-JanusPublic Union Democracy
New Yorkers are Moving to Florida—and Government Unions are to Blame
Originally published at RealClearPolicy What do former President Donald Trump, Derek Jeter, Jennifer Lopez, and millions of New Yorkers have in common? They all packed their bags and moved…
Media Hit
Read More: New Yorkers are Moving to Florida—and Government Unions are to BlamePublic Union Democracy
Union democracy? Not so much
Originally published at The Mercury Another rowdy student group recently took over an Ivy League school, driven by outside agitators who neither attend nor care about the university’s success.
Media Hit
Read More: Union democracy? Not so muchPublic Union Democracy
Why have teacher salaries become stagnant?
Join host David Osborne and guest Christian Barnard (Assistant Director of Education Reform at Reason Foundation) as they delve into the intricate dynamics behind the stagnant teacher salaries despite soaring…
Podcast
Read More: Why have teacher salaries become stagnant?Public Union Democracy
Demand more from CT public sector union officials
Originally published at the Hartford Courant In Connecticut, getting a job in state government comes with strings attached. As soon as you’re hired, the state sends your contact information,…
Media Hit
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What happened when a teacher spoke out?
In this episode of Disunion: The Government Union Report, host David Osborne interviews physical education teacher John Grande. Mr. Grande has been a teacher for 36 years. After expressing frustration…
Podcast
Read More: What happened when a teacher spoke out?Public Union Democracy
State of the Unions: Examining Union Membership in State Government
Key Findings Public sector labor unions in 33 states represent state government employees, a segment of overall public sector employment, for purposes of collective bargaining. For this research, 27 of…
Executive Summary
Read More: State of the Unions: Examining Union Membership in State GovernmentPublic Union Democracy
Season 1 Premier Featuring Professor Michael Hartney
How did teachers unions morph from representing teachers’ needs to some of the largest special interest and politically active organizations in our country? In the series premier of Disunion: The…
Podcast
Read More: Season 1 Premier Featuring Professor Michael HartneyPublic Union Democracy
With Unions, the Numbers Tell the Story
Originally published at Townhall Newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows union membership rates fell nationwide last year, continuing a yearslong trend. BLS’s union…
Media Hit
Read More: With Unions, the Numbers Tell the StoryPublic Union Democracy
When Unions Play Politics
Originally published at Townhall Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud recently observed, “Basketball players want to be football players, and football players want to be basketball players.”…
Media Hit
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PA House Democrats Want You to Pay Striking Workers
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Publicly funding people not to work is too radical a policy even for California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Though he has every reason to curry favor…
Media Hit
Read More: PA House Democrats Want You to Pay Striking WorkersPublic Union Democracy
The Battle for Worker Freedom: How Government Unions Fund Politics Across the Country
Key Findings The four largest government unions, the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Service Employees International…
Executive Summary
Read More: The Battle for Worker Freedom: How Government Unions Fund Politics Across the Country