Jun 23 2008
Labor Commissioner Dem Candidates Support Public Employee Unionization
Unlike the Republican incumbent, Brooks agrees with the employee groups who have been lobbying the legislature to end a ban on bargaining.
“I think these workers ought to have the freedom that other workers have to participate in collective bargaining,” said Brooks, a former commissioner.
Public workers can join unions, but salaries and benefits depend on their success in lobbying the governor, the General Assembly or local officials.
Donnan is receptive to ending the ban but points out it would be the legislature’s decision, not hers.
“At the same time … I think the fact that North Carolina and Virginia are the only two states that still have a ban on collective bargaining for public sector workers begs the question of, why is that, and a good discussion of, is it something that makes sense?”
If voters re-elect Berry to a third term, she’ll answer an adamant “no” to that question.
“I would never support giving a tool to labor unions that would allow them to hold the taxpayers of N.C. hostage,” Berry said via an e-mail from a spokeswoman.
Berry has the right answer. That is precisely what public sector unions do and if you look at cities that are in heavily unionized parts of the country their costs of government are through the roof compared to cities that aren’t. And it’s not just financially that they can hold taxpayers hostage. Look what happened last year in New York City when the transit workers went on strike. It created massive chaos throughout the city and what’s more striking about that incident is that their strike was illegal. It’s in their contracts that they aren’t permitted to strike and they still went and did it anyway.
Brook and Donnan would be aiding the opening of Pandora’s Box in this state if elected to this post. Voters should stick with Berry in November regardless of which Democrat gets the nomination.
