For mechanics, the required training takes only two weeks! Their minimums are a lot lower than most could ever imagine.

 

I disagree with this assertion that public employees are somehow undeserving of the benefits of unionism because they perform tasks which, in your mind, don't rise to the level of skilled labor. My wife has been a public school educator for seventeen years. To watch her take charge of a roomful of kids and get them to learn and to listen, all while navigating the labyrinthine requirements of high-stakes standardized testing, is something which has to be seen to be believed. I often think that, of the two of us, hers is the far more demanding job. She brings skill and integrity to the job every single day and she does it without the benefit of a union. As a reward for her talent and dedication, she's seen her wages stagnate and her benefits whittled away to the point that if I were to lose my job and we had to put the family on her insurance, our monthly premium would be $1,200 for a plan which would continue to gouge us every time we had an interaction with a medical professional.

I also find it interesting that you segregate police and firefighters out from all other public-sector employees. Why is that? Does someone need to put themselves in harm's way in order to qualify for the benefits of unionism?

The true benefits of unionism extend beyond mere job protection and collective bargaining. Unionism in and of itself creates classes of stable jobs which allow a middle class to exist. It's become all the rage to throw stones at public sector employees who still enjoy some semblance of the kinds of benefits which far more Americans used to. Forty years ago, a third of US employees belonged to unions. Today, six percent of do. The decline in unionized jobs tracks closely with the downward spiral of the American middle class. We are now flirting with levels of income inequality and wealth concentration which haven't existed in this country since the age of Getty and Rockefeller.

So rather than bash on the few folks who still have it relatively good, wouldn't it be more productive to ask why so many Americans have it so much worse than their parents and grandparents ever did?

 

What’s keeping her from going to work in a charter or private school? Would she make more money with better benefits? (Legitimately asking).

On another note. Personally, this year has made me want to completely do away with public education and go toward a system like Sweden. In Sweden, the kids parents get a check and they take it to any school they want to get their kid the best education they can. The teachers that can’t teach or teach their politics should get fired. And when the government decides that schools should be shut down the parents should be able to send their kids to private or charter schools like Gavin Newsom did. (School choice)

Also, pensions are dumb. (The point I think the guy was making.) They’re a scheme that doesn’t work accept when backed by the government/ you and me. I met many retired auto workers driving truck to make ends meat because their pensions went away when the company went away. Fully vested 401K all the way. I doubt most people have a problem with certain union protections.

 

Their are still many private companies that have pensions. UPS, Prudential,J&J, Coca Cola. All are profitable and all are not the on the dime of the taxpayers. About 13 million Americans get a private pension check. 401k's were set up to put the burden of retirement to the employees and not the employers. YOU have to put your earned money to get a match from the employer 99% of the time. Throw in the fact that employees pay more of for healthcare than their employers and you can see why Americans have hardly any retirement savings and 400 bucks away from a catastrophe. Greatest labor theft in the last 50 years IMO.

 

Exactly. It was sold to Americans as their chance to dabble in the markets like the rich folk do, but it was a poison pill from the beginning. It also helped transform the stock market into the tail wagging the dog that it is today.

 

Normally I don’t like to quote an entire post, but this post was that good. Amen. Alleluia. Bravo.

 

+1

filler

 

Lebowski, your wife is a rare gem. She deserves far more than she gets but she is dragging the dead weight of the NEA around with her. She is not allowed to rise up. She clearly has integrity and a strong work ethic to produce those results. Likely a strong, moral character but she is one of too few in a field of too many....

 

My wife taught for 13 years before “retiring”. The amount of work wasn’t worth the little amount of pay...especially when I can pick up a 2 day that ales what she did in 2 weeks.

 

Coal miners are union.

Remember unions originated to protect workers from dangerous working conditions. Collective bargaining was a perk. Typically skilled labor doesn’t need to be unionized. (Doctors for example)