What Public Employee Unions are Doing to Our Country

FirefightnRick · March 12, 2012

As public employees unionize, their dues—often collected for the unions by the government—fund a permanent interest constantly lobbying for bigger government. To pay for this bigger and more expensive government, they advocate for higher taxes on those in the private sector. Only when they are threatened with layoffs are they inclined to compromise, and sometimes not even then. That is what I mean when I say that we work for them.

Rick

Coffee and TV · March 12, 2012

Rick, we already have a thread where we mock you via Arrested Development quotes.

untbowler · March 12, 2012

As a public sector employee, I do not understand why a union is needed, hell it is already hard enough to get fired from a Government job without the union allowing lazy workers to remain on the job.

UNT Five&Dime · March 12, 2012

But Firefighter Unions are okay? :unsure:

FirefightnRick · March 12, 2012

But Firefighter Unions are okay?

Absolutely, as long as they are not taking advantage of the taxpayer. Good luck finding one that isn't.

We just got collective bargaining, and had our first vote in 2010. I may be one of the few members you'll ever meet that voted against giving himself a raise?

Rick

UNT Five&Dime · March 12, 2012

Absolutely, as long as they are not taking advantage of the taxpayer. Good luck finding one that isn't.

We just got collective bargaining, and had our first vote in 2010. I may be one of the few members you'll ever meet that voted against giving himself a raise?

Rick

Color me confused. How are the absolutely okay if they are all taking advantage of the taxpayer?

I appreciate you considering my tax monies on your recent vote.

FirefightnRick · March 12, 2012

Color me confused. How are the absolutely okay if they are all taking advantage of the taxpayer?

I appreciate you considering my tax monies on your recent vote.

You'll have to excuse my attempt at sarcasm. To better answer your original question, no.

Rick

Edited March 12, 2012 by FirefightnRick

UNT Five&Dime · March 12, 2012

You'll have to excuse my attempt at sarcasm. To better answer your original question, no.

Rick

Ah.

I'm not used to sarcasm being used on these forums. Wasn't expecting it.

FirefightnRick · March 12, 2012

I guess I should have said, they are "not" ok.

Rick

GrayEagle · March 13, 2012

It's not just public employee unions; it's all unions. What happens when a union gets its demands? To pay for the wage increase for a select few, the company must raise the price of its goods. Non-union employees may or may not get a raise but if they do that cost is added into the selling price and the rest of the public pays for the union's benefits.

The price increase reduces sales and often profits, especially if a competitor doesn't have the same costs to bear. Union leaders must demand more benefits to justify their enormous salaries and the cycle starts over again. China can produce the same goods that we produce for 1/5th of our cost. Understand why we must outsource so much of our production? We can't afford our own labor.

DeepGreen · March 13, 2012

It's not just public employee unions; it's all unions. What happens when a union gets its demands? To pay for the wage increase for a select few, the company must raise the price of its goods. Non-union employees may or may not get a raise but if they do that cost is added into the selling price and the rest of the public pays for the union's benefits.

The price increase reduces sales and often profits, especially if a competitor doesn't have the same costs to bear. Union leaders must demand more benefits to justify their enormous salaries and the cycle starts over again. China can produce the same goods that we produce for 1/5th of our cost. Understand why we must outsource so much of our production? We can't afford our own labor.

Excellent explanation. Where I live, near that dirty ole "oil industry", the unions are well represented. OCAW, Teamsters,etc. Gets really interesting when the contracts are up for renewal. Years ago in the '70s and '80s, the unions would completely shut down the oil refineries for months, and on a few occasions, a year or more. Don't get me wrong, working in an oil refinery is dangerous. Not only do you worry about explosions and fires, but also the health risk that appear later in the lives of these workers. Cancer, asbestosis, etc. However, if a regular worker spends his entire working life at a refinery, they will end up with, on the average, $1 million to retire on. And that is workers without a college degree.

A kid right out of high school can get a two year "process operator" degree and start out at a refinery at around $70K. It could be more now.

To you point, as wages for employees go up, employers simply do one of two things: go up on the price of products, or cut the work force. A business owner or manufacturer has to bring xx per cent return on his investment or at one time, it wasn't worth staying in business. You could sell out and invest your money for a larger return.

Like you say, it's a vicious cycle that not many understand.