Posted on 11/05/2005 9:41:22 AM PST by DogByte6RER
Who do unions benefit?
By: RAY HAYNES
Just why do we have government employee unions? We all know the story of the rise of unionism in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Our country was being run by robber barons, the capitalist exploiters who would abuse children for profit and allow people to die in substandard working conditions while they sat in the lap of luxury.
Unions fought the evil employers, pushed for labor reforms, minimum wages, safe workplaces and, through their tireless effort, made sure that people received a fair day's wage for a fair day's work in a safe work environment. Government employees were hired to enforce these rules and, faced with the prospect of jail time, the evil capitalist reluctantly acceded to the government control.
At least that is how it is taught in the government schools, which are run by the government employee unions.
Even assuming that life was as bad as the unions say it was in the private sector before forced unionism, why did we ever have government employee unions? Was it because the government was an evil employer, putting people to work in an unsafe work environment for unfair wages, or was it just a way for union bosses to extract money from unwilling employees in order for those bosses to corrupt the political system?
I think most people would agree that something is seriously wrong with our current government employee unions here in California. In the Gray Davis years, they overreached, grabbing for exorbitant wage increases and excessive pension benefits, using their forced union dues to give millions of dollars to Gray Davis and the legislative Democrats, in order to force the state, school districts, cities and local governments of all types to unionize and pay their unionized employees wages beyond what the taxpayers could afford.
In 1998, the California government pension system, CalPERS, was $60 billion overfunded. By 2003, the Democrats had increased government pensions so much that taxpayers had to borrow $2.5 billion a year to keep the pension system solvent. During that same time, those unions contributed over $30 million to those Democrat politicians.
The number of state employees, paying these forced union dues, increased 47,000 in these two years. The government employee unions have corrupted the whole system. Now they are spending the money they forcibly extract from their members to trash the governor, spending almost $100 million of the money they steal from these government employees.
But why do they exist? Is a government job so unsafe, so underpaid, that only a union can protect the government employee? Or is the system a sophisticated extortion scheme designed to keep left-wing politicians in power in Sacramento?
This much we know: Government employees make about 25 percent more than their private sector counterparts, and get benefits that are without equal in the private sector. They have ideal working conditions, and legally protected job security. They don't need a union to protect them from an unscrupulous employer.
So, why do these unions really exist?
Ray Haynes represents the 66th Assembly District, which includes portions of Western Riverside County and Northern San Diego County.
I know it is poltically incorrect to say this, but police and fire are ultimately among the most over-paid out there. In the town where I was involved with politics back in CT, for every police opening there were well over 100 applicatant who met the basic criteria. That does not suggest that the police are under-paid.
The fire unions are the worst. Did you know that residential fires are down like 75% in the last 30 years? (do to better construction materials, etc) Yet, there are more firemen than ever.
The so called "conservatives" that use the word freedom to justify insane trade policies, insane immigration policies and asset bubbles are in my opinion, useful idiots, who will because of a decline of living standards turn the US into a full on social democracy. Long term, a Wal-Mart style economy will not be politically viable.
In many countries where police is underpaid, the policemen derive their income from bribes and extortion. Police will get paid and government will feed itself one way or another. ("Rzad sie wyzywi", as Jerzy Urban once said)
Majority of people will decide that it is better to live in socialist Sweden than in capitalist El Salvador. But do not worry free marketeers, El Salvador will be there waiting you. You can move there even tomorrow.
And who does not?
Not Me!
Brahms. Everything he wrote was a hit.
Huh?
The unions were forced into existence when Gummint work became not a life-long profession but cronyism. At one time civil service was a low paying career, but sure and honorable. But, political machines came in and jobs were handed out to favorites. The unions brought stability and security, but the price was the usual union stuff, including wage contracts. Win some lose some. For Gummint managers, the union rep can be their best friend or their worst enemy. The situation was forced on the workers by the corruption of the system. We all end up paying, but you will find that the civil servants are a very capable group, very professional as a whole, and that kind of corruption is limited to only a few top-level positions these days. The average worker is fairly secure again.
And there were a lot of cozy buddy-buddy relationships between the union and management, no matter how bad the rhetoric got sometimes from the union side.
Yes, the union protected jobs, but they also made deals with management that certain jobs could be cut without the union protesting, if another set of jobs could be protected. We knew this was going on, but hey, we were underlings and basically helpless.
True, there is a lot of the typical union shenanigans going on. Comes with the territory, I suppose. But, there are a lot of dedicated and professional acting clerks that are union whether they really care or not about union things aside from job protection. It's tough on a clerk to lose his job just because the Big Guy just elected is of the other Party. Good clerks are not all that common, and the damage to the records can be considerable.
I appreciate your response.
No problem.
There's a lot of ill feeling against union members, almost a jealousy that union members get benefits that others don't. It's something you have to ignore when you're a union member. Goes with the territory.
That's a fact. Opinions are sharply divided, but if you want to work, there it is, like it or not.
If a worker is given the choice of whether to join a union or not, in most cases it would be a benefit to join the union. I joined the day I was hired. Management had to allow the union reps access to the workers during their New Employee Orientation, and the union rep signed us up right then and there. As long as I was in the craft, I stayed a union member and paid my dues. I didn't always like everything I saw and not everything was fair in dealings between union and management, but it was still better to have a union, and if you benefitted from union negotiations on wages and working conditions, then I always believed that you should pay your union dues and support them.
I am TEAMSTER. IE Locomotive Engineer. I work for a very large company. I beleive this is Union Domain. Small companies should not be burdened by Union. If it were not for Union in the very large company I work in you would never look a boss in the eye. We have many of them. Half the time you don't even know who they are. I know this. We are closed shop. Damned if I will pay your negotiating way in the world of labor. You join or go flip burgers at McDonalds. I would assume that most of you would make great burger flippers and would be delighted doing it. Hold my fries please. I am not rich. I work hours that would make most of you shit. I have insurance that I have to pay a co-pay. I drive a ten year old jeep and my wife is who is a non-union CPA drives a eight year old vehicle. We are both conservative and Republican. She comes here with me and laughs at the jealousy exhibited by the non-union (extremely anti-types). In truth we could care less what you think except that it proves that Union is right. If it were not for Union we would all be serfs. Many non-union folks enjoy union benefits. Weekends and holidays off. Insurance. Eight hour work days. Overtime. You know what I again have to say I could give a crap what you anti union pukes think. Come on down to my neighborhood bar and I will buy you a drink. Especially if you let me know how much you hate union. (sarc).
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