I've periodically engaged in the debate about who actually owns your newsletter.  The assertion that newsletter sent from your corporate e mail address is owned by the company is a difficult one for me to deal with, particularly since e mail has become a ubiquitous means for communication.  As a outcome I find the entire thing tiresome - but urgent. 

I'm a big believer in private property rights.  I plus know the risk of the government granting a property right inappropriately (for example, the evils of software patents.)  Today, the New York Times reported that The National Labor Relations Board Restricts Union Use of E-Mail.

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that employers have the right to prohibit workers from using the company’s e-mail system to send out union-related messages, a decision that could hamper communications amidst labor unions and their membership.

In a 3-to-2 ruling released on Friday, the board held that it was legal for employers to prohibit union-related e-mail so faraway as employers had a policy barring employees from sending e-mail for “non-job-related solicitations” for outside organizations.

The ruling is a significant setback to the nation’s labor unions, which argued that e-mail systems have become a

modern-day gathering place where employees should be able to communicate freely with co-workers to discuss work-related matters of mutual concern.

I'm not a fan of unions, but that is silly.  Solution #1: Union members all get a Google Apps detail (member@unionname.com) and use that for union communications.  Since it's a union mail history, shouldn't that be ok even thought it's being sent via a web browser on a work computer?  I don't know union rules well ample, but do they prohibit interaction with other union members on work facilities during work hours?  whether not, soon after that should work.

Stupid Company Trick #1: whether the company believes it owns the newsletter, doesn’t it actually want the e mail on the company's e-mail system?  whether the company has made every employee sign a little thing saying "we own your email", that would give the company the right to read all the union-related e mail which seems to give the company a big advantage here!

Stupid Government Trick #1: Why is our government wasting tax payer dollars on that? (Hint - that is a rhetorical question.)

Orginal post by (author unknown)