Unions at crossroads in states’ budget wars--Public employees are taking big hits

The Washington Times ^ | March 22, 2011 | Patrice Hill

[jazusamo]

Public employee unions, the last bastion of an American labor movement in decline, are facing the fight of their lives this year as strapped state and local governments seek to permanently downsize their pensions, pay, benefits and bargaining rights.

Powerful unions such as the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have been bruised in battles with Republican governors and legislators in Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana and other states that are grappling with record budget shortfalls and fighting to stave off insolvency.

Even where state governments are controlled by Democrats, public employees such as teachers, firefighters, police and janitors are facing unprecedented layoffs, furloughs and cutbacks as a result of hemorrhaging revenues and burgeoning demand for services caused by the Great Recession.

After Republicans took control of state governments in fall elections, Democrats from the Oval Office on down came to the defense of unions, which have been among the party's most ardent and generous backers for decades.

Even with powerful political figures such as President Obama in labor's corner, analysts expect the sheer size of record budget gaps at all levels of government to force unions this year to produce even more major concessions. They point to the significant curbs in labor costs accepted by Detroit's autoworkers in 2009 in the wake of the industry's bankruptcy and national financial crisis.

"A lot can be learned from the auto industry in the last three years. For the survival of GM and Chrysler, the unions had to change a lot of the formulas for retirement. They had to do it because the cost of benefits is way too high," said George Walper, president of the Spectrum investment group.

[jazusamo]

Here In Washington state their are cities that have or are working on outsourcing and contracting jobs to replace public employees.

[headstamp 2]

That’s why the Wisconsin insanity is nothing but political theater in the long run.

When there ain’t no money, there ain’t no money.

[BobP]

I'm glad the entire country can see how the Democrat party operates.

Public Sector Workers Union Dues = Democratic Campaign Contributions.

In effect every taxpayer is forced to fund the Democratic Party.

Conservative Americans are starting to catch on to the 'us vs. them' attitude of the unions.

Libs can't get elected in this country without the spoils. Union dues are funneled to Dems as political campaign contributions (Can you say 'kickbacks'?). Union officials fight tooth and nail against 'paycheck protection' laws that give members a choice about how their money is spent.

View these leftist union leaders as thieves in the night. They won't stop until the money stops.

Union-bought judge blocks Wisconsin union law.

[mamelukesabre]

This is good news. The more problems we can create for democrats at the state and local level, the better.

STARVE THE BEAST

[fightinJAG]

Good!

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, famously replied, “Because that’s where the money is.”

The individual states, unlike the federal government, can’t print money, and must, by law, balance the budget. They can do that by raising taxes and/or lowering expenditures. Since raising taxes has the effect of making entrepreneurs look to a different state to set up their business, it has proven to be a very destructive policy, as most rust-belt states have learned. So, that leaves cutting expenses. Since the vast majority of these expenses involve government union workers and their salaries, pensions, health care, vacations, tenure, early retirement, and a host of other benefits extorted from the taxpayers through collusion with democrats, it becomes the inevitable avenue to cut expenses. Just like Willie Sutton said.

[jazusamo]

It’s past time to eliminate public sector unions. There’s no reason for public employees to pay huge union dues to feed the Dem beast.

An association can handle employees grievances if they want to pay a small amount to fund it but being affiliated with any kind of national union is ridiculous.

[Navy Patriot]

The general public is finally learning from their real world contact with “public servants” rather than the media portrayal of ‘em.

[Tzimisce]

Well I hope you greedy, thieving taxpayers are happy!

/sarc

[arrogantsob]

Illinois’ brilliant and wise governor has figured out what this state needs now. High speed rail from Chicago to St. Louis. The state can’t pay its bills but we will be able to fly on the ground to watch the Cubs lose to the Cardinals. Yowser that’s the ticket.

[kearnyirish2]

Here in NJ Governor Christie did a great job exposing them by shedding light on their compensation; his own election was helped by the fact that the Asbury Park Press published salary information for all public school teachers in NJ (as public information). That teacher next door that complained about how they were underpaid? Turned out she was pulling down $80K for 180 days of work, six hours a day, and had better benefits than anyone else you knew...

The left is the enemy of the truth; the more people (especially working, taxpaying people) learn, the more public sentiment will send the union-busters to elected office. These parasites insist on automatic pay increases (outpacing inflation) while their employers (us) deal with wage freezes or cuts, and they’ll give no concessions on benefits packages that haven’t been available to us in decades.

[AdaGray]

Most importantly, they have lost the good will of the people who pays their salaries. This is the real weapon that will bring them down for good. Continued word of mouth through every available means about the abuses of the system these workers have enjoyed. (i.e. 90 sick days per year in one school system!). They will never survive if we just keep passing the word.