I am in a quandary about the current Wisconsin union battles with their state government. I can see both sides of the issue and they each have their points. The unions don’t want to release their hold on what few participants they have left these days; the people don’t want or need more to be lost from their paychecks. The state budget is lacking so what should happen now?
Unions came to be for a good reason which was to protect laborers from bosses making slaves of them and not paying them fair wages. That idea seems to have gotten lost as the unions demanded and got higher and higher money and benefits from employers.
They upped the ante so much that we lost our steel mills and many factories to other countries because companies couldn’t afford the unnaturally high wages and benefits being demanded in this country any longer.
Now those people who urged the unions to get more money and struck to get them are out of a job completely. So what did they in essence win? My personal opinion is that unions have lost their way and are leading their people to a downfall which very well may be right now. If the unions lose this battle their power will be considerably diminished in the whole country.
They need to continue to be an advocate for workers against employers who rarely listen to workers without the big stick of the union behind them so the workers get taken advantage of against their will. But for any worker in this economy to go out on strike or threaten to do so is ridiculous. They all need to be glad they even have jobs.
I did hear they were willing to compromise but the governor would not bend but I cannot confirm that. As I said I think unions have a purpose and they need to get back to basics and get realistic. This economy is breaking the backs of most states and many people
I know people have taken cuts in pay, mandatory leave days each month, upped the amount they pay towards their benefits to ensure they continue to have a paycheck. As long as companies will reward that when times get better the sacrifices will not have been for nothing.
I myself have always paid something towards my 401K and health benefits. I don’t see why that is such an issue for these Wisconsin workers.
They should not get everything free when most people who are not state workers are paying part of their benefits with lower wages. Rush Limbaugh has called these firefighters, teachers, nurses freeloaders. He is wrong.
I think we should stop paying the basketball and football players millions of dollars to throw a ball around while many of these people who save our homes from burning down, are molding our children’s young minds and tending to our sick and elderly are struggling to put food on the table and pay their mortgages to the point that some even have had to apply for food stamps and other assistance.
Even many of our military are in this same boat and that is a darn shame. They fight and die for this country and are rewarded with low pay and food stamps. I will be watching closely to see the outcome of this battle.
One outcome could be disastrous for workers, one for the state budget. A compromise will hopefully help both sides. Someone has to make the union leaders see what is really happening here. I can only hope they see the light soon.