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Why is the public sector so heavily unionized?

Posted: Dec 9, 2010

Why are government employees so heavily unionized? Unions exist to protect their employees from the big bad employer, right? So why would we want to trust the government to provide us with their version of health care when their own employees seem to feel they need protection from them?

;

Excellent point! - nm

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nm

While the politicians set a "minimum wage" - The unions try to set a "living wage"

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The only problem with that is, is that often... - the business they are...

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unionizing then has to raise the cost of its goods or services in order to pay this "living wage," which is again passed back to us, the consumer. A good reason cars cost as much as they do are directly related to the UAW. Part of the reason groceries cost so much, restaraunt costs, etc...UFCW.

The big irony here is the union members end up paying for their own bennies when they buy cars and groceries.

Now who is the real winner here?

I guess there are a few auto companies still here - that could be shipped to Mexico

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I like those cheap deals, don't you? Are union workers not consumers? Sweatshops would be standard if not for unions.

Sorry...but sweatshops statement is incorrect. - There are laws on the books...

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now that prevent "sweatshops." The unions, while they were still noble, made sure that happened. Now they are about money and exhorbitant demands that force employers out of business in many cases, which results in union members without jobs while the union moves on to the next bunch. It is about money and power. It ceased being about the members a long time ago.

I believe we have seen that demonstrated in the last Presidential election cycle, how the SEIU was for Obamacare but want to opt out during the tough part of it...

I think unions WERE noble and NEEDED in the beginning. Not so much anymore.

Another point regarding public sector employment - EK

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My state, like every other in the US, is struggling with the need for massive budget cuts. One thing that seems untouchable is the extremely generous salaries and benefits of the state employees. Case in point: My 21-year-old daughter, who is a senior at a public state university, has a salaried, 20-hour a week job with the university paid for with state funds. She gets more paid time off than I could ever dream of - all of her school breaks (3 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at spring break, and numerous holidays). Within a month of starting her job, she was told to take a 1-week paid vacation. She has been sent away for several-day off-site training "retreats," all the while continuing to draw her salary. This is paid for with our taxes. And this is in an era of massive cutbacks? I just don't get it.

I have never heard of a deal such as this before - sm

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Is there some sort of work/study scholarship thing going on here? I have worked at a university and received what most people would consider "normal vacation" that is prorated by length of time worked, etc. My benefits were better than McDonald's, but not as good as some private sector jobs. I think this is very strange and do not think it is true for the secretaries, snow plow drivers, etc.

Not work study or scholarship - EK

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It is a job through Associated Students, but she is an employee of the state. This is not a job associated with financial aid in any way. Her actual pay/time off is provided by the state payroll. Some of her expenses, such as travel/lodging costs for the training retreat, were paid for out of Associated Students funding, which comes from tuition payments (so still comes out of my pocket and that of every other parent paying tuition to the state). Still, she continued to draw her paycheck while she was on the retreat(remember, this is a salaried job, not an hourly job). I think she has a great deal and I am happy for her, but as a taxpayer and parent struggling to make tuition payments that have risen 14% a year over the last two years, I really don't understand this kind of use of tax and tuition money!

I would have to agree, but this is not an "across the board" thing - nm

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Something is bothering me about this - What union is this with?

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When I was in the union, I think it took an entire year before I was actually accepted and getting benefits. I don't think part time employees were ever allowed in.

This is very unusual.

Answer to your question - EK

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This job is not part of a union. It is a part time, salaried student position working for a state university. She is a state employee, but not part of any union. She does not receive full benefits such as health insurance, but because the position is salaried, she is paid for any time she takes off, which is quite a bit since this includes all school breaks, state holidays, and a week's vacation that she was given shortly after she started. I agree that it seems unusual, but she is not the only student at this university in this type of position. I am in awe over the amount of paid time she gets off, which is presumably on the taxpayer's dollar. My apologies for any misunderstanding, as I posted it under my original posting talking about unions. This has nothing to do with unions, but with how our tax dollars are being spent by state government in a time of supposed cut-backs.

So your union example has nothing to do with the OP about public sector unions? - sm

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That was very misleading.

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