"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. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations. The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress. Accordingly, administrative officials and employees alike are governed and guided, and in many instances restricted, by laws which establish policies, procedures, or rules in personnel matters."
Tribalism rules the day, even in the face of more or less objective facts.
Collectively bargaining to ensure you are being treated fairly is not holding anyone hostage. Your melodramatic language doesn't do your argument any favors. Folks like our mail carriers deserve to be treated well, to have decent pay and functional equipment. Yet legislators time and time again do what they can to cut funding and decrease worker compensation.
Tribalism rules the day, even in the face of more or less objective facts."
It's charming that you think unions try to achieve a fair outcome. Aren't they a tribe fighting for a they can get? I've seen businesses go under due to never ending demands.
"Collectively bargaining to ensure you are being treated fairly is not holding anyone hostage. Your melodramatic language doesn't do your argument any favors."
And your condescending language doesn't do your argument any favors. The ability of the workers to hold the services hostage from the people until thier demands are met, is very much true. This can be extremely inconvenient, in cases such as teacher strikes, even forcing some people to miss work to stay home with the kids.
"Yet legislators time and time again do what they can to cut funding and decrease worker compensation."
This isn't always bad. Do you really think the government should be giving everyone a pension? It would make sense to move people from defined benefits plans to defined contribution plans. This brings them in line with the vast majority of industry.
* The jobs are largely undesirable, so threatening to quit is viable
* The jobs are public facing (for the major unions like police and teachers) so they can rally the public on their behalf
* These professions have extreme leeway for "work to rule" (doing the minimum requiremed) that applies pressure on employer without violating employment agreements.
* note: When most people debate unions, they mean collective bargaining obligations, not free association "minority" unions. A minority union can still speak up for its membership and provide financial support for victims of management.
unlike private sector unions there is no accountability, the contracts are actually written to forbid any real means to hold members or the union as a whole accountable for actions.
So unless they are reigned in nothing is ever going to change. More likely you will be told and you will buy into the idea that more money and more staffing is needed.
and nothing will change except the public will be on the hook for even larger and more outlandish suits and worse pensions