Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and New Hampshire are all trying to invalidate state employees' work agreements and bargaining rights.
While I know nothing about the dynamics of the state employees' unions in these states, I would imagine that, if we had a Republican governor in New York, they would be trying the same thing. And, I would dare say, getting significant public support for the attempt, perhaps even among moderate liberals. For when the news started coming out of Albany that unionized state employees might be asked to make the same sort of job and salary related sacrifices that workers everywhere in New York were being forced to make, their immediate response was to launch a blitz of commercials on TV telling everyone how wonderful unionized state employees are and how it's not right for them even to be asked to consider making even the slightest salary concessions to help close the massive budget hole. To come out with a message full of such incredible hubris at a time when New Yorkers in general are hurting and state programs are going to be slashed massively did not engender much sympathy for the union cause.
When they're done stripping the public employees of their bargaining rights, benefits, and pensions, they won't stop there.
That's very likely the case. But while, on the one hand, this trend could possibly be slowed down or reversed through changes via the ballot box, those in charge of unions, both public sector and private sector, really need to take a path that isn't going to accelerate their slide into destruction. To come out like New York's public union leadership and proclaim that your membership is untouchable and unwilling to sacrifice while those around you are losing their jobs or struggling to make ends meet will only add to the fire and pitchforks mobs outside union headquarters calling for your head on a pike.
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While I know nothing about the dynamics of the state employees' unions in these states, I would imagine that, if we had a Republican governor in New York, they would be trying the same thing. And, I would dare say, getting significant public support for the attempt, perhaps even among moderate liberals. For when the news started coming out of Albany that unionized state employees might be asked to make the same sort of job and salary related sacrifices that workers everywhere in New York were being forced to make, their immediate response was to launch a blitz of commercials on TV telling everyone how wonderful unionized state employees are and how it's not right for them even to be asked to consider making even the slightest salary concessions to help close the massive budget hole. To come out with a message full of such incredible hubris at a time when New Yorkers in general are hurting and state programs are going to be slashed massively did not engender much sympathy for the union cause.
When they're done stripping the public employees of their bargaining rights, benefits, and pensions, they won't stop there.
That's very likely the case. But while, on the one hand, this trend could possibly be slowed down or reversed through changes via the ballot box, those in charge of unions, both public sector and private sector, really need to take a path that isn't going to accelerate their slide into destruction. To come out like New York's public union leadership and proclaim that your membership is untouchable and unwilling to sacrifice while those around you are losing their jobs or struggling to make ends meet will only add to the fire and pitchforks mobs outside union headquarters calling for your head on a pike.