"All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management." -- FDR
What's interesting about your anti public union stance, juris, is that it takes away power from the individual in terms of government's power over them. It actually feeds "Big" government, no?
The actual employer is us, right? If you look at it that way, people that are public sector employees are their own boss...assuming they live under that particular government in which they work.
Of course, this would also mean that these same people have the power to change the government anytime they like...organizing people to elect representatives that are in favor of public sector unions.
Well, that's why I put up the Times piece about WI. It's a very gray issue. There are problems with public sector unions as you correctly note...people acting self serving. But there are problems when public employees are treated like shit by their employers (us and the governments we elect) and paid crap wages. I often wonder if that isn't part of the overall plan by folks like Scott Walker...make government work so unattractive that no one wants to work there anymore...which means there will be less government somehow.
But there are problems when public employees are treated like shit by their employers
And that is why the civil service system exists - to account for that. There is no corollary in the private sector and thus the right to associate (1st amdt) as a union makes sense.
8 comments:
"All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management." -- FDR
What's interesting about your anti public union stance, juris, is that it takes away power from the individual in terms of government's power over them. It actually feeds "Big" government, no?
No.
No individual is ever forced to take up govt employment.
I'm sure you don't understand.
Who is the employer and who is the employee in a public service job?
Refined; who is the actual employer and who acts as the employer?
The actual employer is us, right? If you look at it that way, people that are public sector employees are their own boss...assuming they live under that particular government in which they work.
Of course, this would also mean that these same people have the power to change the government anytime they like...organizing people to elect representatives that are in favor of public sector unions.
Well, yes and no.
I own stock in the company I work for - but that doesn't mean I can give myself a raise.
And other people can organize to change government to disfavor public sector unions - but you would demonize them doing so.
But this is telling:
organizing people to elect representatives that are in favor of public sector unions.
So, they can organize to elect people who are in favor of the unions, so that the unions can negotiate contracts with them?
See the problem in that from the view of the people that are actually footing the bills?
Well, that's why I put up the Times piece about WI. It's a very gray issue. There are problems with public sector unions as you correctly note...people acting self serving. But there are problems when public employees are treated like shit by their employers (us and the governments we elect) and paid crap wages. I often wonder if that isn't part of the overall plan by folks like Scott Walker...make government work so unattractive that no one wants to work there anymore...which means there will be less government somehow.
But there are problems when public employees are treated like shit by their employers
And that is why the civil service system exists - to account for that. There is no corollary in the private sector and thus the right to associate (1st amdt) as a union makes sense.
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