We must submit collective bargaining for government worker unions to public scrutiny

American Thinker ^ | 03/27/2015 | Noel S. Williams

[SeekAndFind]

There are several egregious exhibits that clamor for more scrutiny of union contract negotiations with governments: vacant jails awaiting unionized staffing; ill-timed, even illegal teacher strikes; funding for salaries of union officers and bogus bonuses, to name a few. Here’s another: illusionary job inequities that elicit extra pay for some state workers and extra taxes for everyone else.

In Washington State, collective bargaining between the Governor’s office and public unions is exempt from the state’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). When public unions enter the breach of accountability they conjure secret covenants, secretly arrived at, and this is true in many other states. By the time taxpayers discover that they’re saddled with exorbitant bills it’s already a fait accompli. I smell a rat in their dark negotiating cellars: recent union claims of pay inequities may be contrived.

Gov. Inslee’s bargaining team and the unions negotiated a pay raise of 3% for most state workers this year and about 1.8 % in 2016. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) estimates it will add about $250 million in general fund obligations over the next two years, presuming the deal is extended, which is likely under the “me too” clause, to all unionized workers in general government agencies.

That’s convenient -- in private they are quite generous with the public’s money, especially considering the OFM predicts a 2015-17 budget shortfall. Inslee’s instinctive reaction is to raise taxes, breaking a campaign pledge. An astute citizen might whiff the noxious stench of collusion between elected officials and public unions.

[CMAC51]

It wouldn’t work at the federal level, but at the state level and below, it could be established that all union contracts for government employees must be ratified by a popular vote at the level of the entity (state, county municipal, school district, etc) entering into the contract.

[apoliticalone]

Politicians of both Parties D/R thrive on spending other peoples money especially if it gets them votes and more importantly payoffs from cronies and beneficiaries.

The danger that public sector unions create is allowing these crooked politicians to be generous with our money while they get rewarded with votes. Party makes no difference. In PA Gov Ridge-R sank the state finances by giving away major pension increases to “public servants”.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Isn’t a large part of collective bargaining at the federal level based on a Kennedy executive order? Hmmm.

[bravo whiskey]

How about eliminate public sector unions.

[Rusty0604]

I agree. The taxpayers are the ones that have to pay for the workers, yet they are left out of the contract negotiations. Then when there is a budget shortfall, they are told that they are bonded by the labor contracts and have to pay more taxes.