Monday, January 17, 2011

'Public Sector' v. 'Private Sector' Union War?

We observed that AFSCME is playing fast and loose with its Walker-bashing. Their slur/slander piece includes one very noticeable problem: they equate trade unions with public-employee unions.

(Evidently the piece was written before "comity" and "civil discourse" became the mantra of the Left. Comparing Walker to Hitler and Mussolini isn't exactly making nice-nice.)

But never mind that.

There is no comparison between public-sector and private-sector unions aside from the 'union-label' trappings, and private-sector unions have figured it out, at least in New York State.

Gary LaBarbera, the president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of New York recently signed on to the Committee to Save New York, a coalition of business and real estate executives that seek to raise $10 million to raise a campaign in support of incoming New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan to take on government employees in New York State by cutting wages and pensions.

Several New York City labor activists who spoke off the record said that LaBarbera is willing to take on public employees over pay and wages in order to free up money from the state budgets to go toward construction projects. --LaborPains quoting McGurn/WSJ

Well. There are only so many taxpayer dollars to be thrown around, and if GummintUnion folks suck up too many of them, there will be none left for anybody else. And the presumption that taxpayers, present or future, will roll over for more taxes and fees is........well.......presumptuous.

This will be fun to watch.

1 comment:

neomom said...

The public at large has woken up to the reality that their tax dollars are paying for far better salaries and bennies for the government workers than they receive themselves. I don't see AFSCME's ad campaign changing that in the world of 15+% real unemployment.

Short story, a younger extended family member just received a job with the State Dept of Public Health. Now this youth has a BS degree in the relavent field of study and had been making some pretty good hourly wages in the private sector - but was only part time. So they took the security of the gummint job and bennies.

Here's where they don't really become an advocate for their cause.... They have only been working there for 60 days. Are making $42+K, have accrued almost a full week of vacay, get state-ubsidized car-pooling money with an authorized "car" to work... no driving their own vehicle, no parking fees, no paying for gasoline. The yungun has gone native already, complaining that in taking a pay "cut" to work for the State, they cannot possibly, nor should they be required to, pay co-pays for their healthcare. No matter that the taxpayers that fund their salaries and benefits mostly makes less and have to pay their own co-pays.

I hope Scott Walker cuts the Department of Public Health and many positions. Said young extended family member needs a good slap upside the head from life.