Feb 07 2010
A Back Door to Unionization?
Some of the more pro-business and conservative groups in North Carolina have gotten their feathers ruffled over Governor Perdue’s decision to expand talks with the SEANC and other union advocacy groups of state employees. Currently, North Carolina, along with Virginia, has a ban on public employees unionizing and some interest groups throughout the state want it to stay that way. They feel this move by Perdue is a way to slowly sneak this in the back door and pave the way for public sector unionization in North Carolina. There is nothing wrong with groups like Civitas and others being vigiliant, but I’m not sure this is as alarming as they make it out to be. The law is still the law and it still has to be changed.
When it comes to the private sector, I am not opposed to unionization. I think if a group of employees want to be represented by a union then that is their right as an American. I do not support compulsory unionization, however, which was the way of things back in my native northeast, because nobody should be forced to join one. Up north if 50% plus one of the employees in your shop vote to unionize, everyone has to unionize, including the 49.9% of those who voted no. I think most sensible people would agree that is just plain wrong, but many union folks are not all that sensible and the leaders of these unions see more dollar signs by forcing it on those who don’t want it. Hence, I prefer Right to Work states, like most here in the south, where people have the right to unionize, but can’t be forced to.
Regarding the public sector, however, I am vehemently opposed to unionization. When dealing with employees who are paid for with tax dollars and have their wages and benefits negotiated by politicians you are opening yourself up for a total economic disaster. California is sadly an excellent example of this. Public sector unions in California are bankrupting the state. Steven Greenhut of the City Journal wrote an article just a few months ago revealing how firefighters in Orange County, California make an average of $175,000 a year with a gold plated pension package that provides them with 90% of their salary for the rest of their lives during retirement and that of their spouse. This is typical compensation for a public employee in California. This is a stark reversal of the past in which public employees would typically make less than private sector employees, but would be balanced out by more job security and better retirement benefits. Today, they are instead turning into a special elite class of citizens in the state. California is on the verge of true, blue bankruptcy and the state unions have so far successfully done their damndest to keep from having to make the same sacrifices that everyone else in the state has.
This is what North Carolina needs to be mindful of. Public sector unions and the politicians that pander to them think that the taxpayers can provide an endless flow of cash to meet every demand they want and they hold the taxpayers and city government hostage in order to get it. Need I remind you of the Air Traffic Controllers Strike of 1981? Fortunately, President Reagan was prepared for that, but it still caused plenty of chaos.
Evidently public employees in North Carolina are feeling a bit disenfranchised right now.
“If you are anti-union this waves a red flag at you,” he said. “But from another perspective, state employees are feeling downtrodden. They have not had raises in two years and salaries are falling behind the private sector and there is no indication of any improvement in the near future.”
Oh waaaaaaahhh!!!! The poor babies. A lot of private sector employees haven’t gotten raises in the past two years. I work with people who haven’t gotten raises in the past two years. A lot of people haven’t had a job in the past two years. We’re in a recession people!
Now imagine if they had the power of a California public sector union. Scary, huh?
Share
Kearney does not speak for state employees.
I don’t know of any state employees who even think of unionizning (and I know quite a few). It is never brought up in discussions – what is brought up is their happiness in having a job and fairly decent insurance.
Much ado about nothing, at least from the frontline employee.
That says nothing, however, for the few politically motivated employees who may be thinking otherwise.
[Reply]