We have all heard how corporations should pay their fair-share of taxes, and I agree. However, have trade unions and professional associations like TSTA received a free pass? I believe they have! I do not believe that organizations who depend on taxpayer money for their salaries should unionized or, in the case of professional associations, receive representation from a non-governmental entity to avoid censure.
Unions Have no Place in Government
Many people quote Franklin D. Roosevelt's statement,"“If I went to work in a factory the
first thing I'd do is join a union.” While many like to use the quote to add credibility to their perspective, many fail to realize two key ideas which explicitly state unions' importance in private industry at the time and not government. First, people do not read that Roosevelt said "factory" and not "government". I do not believe there were union members in the government at that time or in his administration. Second, the era the declaration was made. During Roosevelts Presidency, many of the labor laws today did not exist, and workers only had the recourse of unions to address their concerns and be protected from the unscrupulous owners. So what does this mena for us today?
Unions Protect Inferior Employees and All Employees' Reputations Suffer
While there are many facets of government employees, my rant will focus mainly upon municipal employees, cops and firefighters. Unions work in the private sector because of competition. If a union shop wants to stay in business, they must provide a superior product at a highly competitive price. If they fail to do so, they will be out of a job; replaced by a better worker. The problem with unionized municipal employees, like the police, is they have no competition! Who replaces them if we are dissatisfied with their performance? Try to discipline them or fire them and their unions come to their defense. Coupled with this, unions then encourage an "us" versus "them" mentality. This mentality then results in good cops, teachers, firefighters, and other public servants protecting the unqualified, lazy, and malingerers from dismissal, probations, and demotions. In other words, the sterling employees are lumped in with the inferior employees. Like the saying goes," Until good cops stop protecting bad cops, all cops will be suspect."
In Government, From Who Do The Union Employees Need Protection?
I am not going to make any friends with this piece, so I will speak my mind. I firmly believe that unions for government/municipal employees are parasites. Exactly who are the unions protecting government employees from? The taxpayer? In other words, municipal employees are paid by the taxpayer, the municipal employee pays dues to a union, and the union encourages enmity between taxpayer and employee. For example, the City of Laredo has recently spent over $58k on attorney fees negotiating a firefighter contract. I am not sure what all it contained, but I will tell you the police have a reciprocal "me too" clause in their contract as well. So, anything given to firefighters must be conceded to police and vice versa. Why do these two municipal entities warrant such privileged treatment when regualr city employees are "at will" employees, meaning they can be hired and fired "at will". I thought these two factions represent the best of our citizens. Isn't their word good enough? Apparently not, because the fire and police budgets commanded $0.63 of every dollar in general fund for Fiscal years 2013-2014. I have no idea how what that dollar amount is for the current fiscal year, and I throw up a little in my mouth as I think about it; but I digress. The truth is: they do not need protection from anyone, they are just leveraging their power to create Super PAC's and justifying their own bloated salaries and benefit packages. I mean, why do firefighters and police unions endorse certain politicians? Not because these politicians have the taxpayers best interests in mind, but because these politicians promise to advance an agenda which favors the union and its employees. It would seem taxpayers need a union to protect them from municipal employees.
Firefighters Protest Responding to Fires Outside Laredo City Limits
Does anyone remember how firefighters were oppossed to responding to fires outside the city limits? Chiefs and union officials claimed that responding to these emergencies they were leaving city residents vulnerable in the event an emergency would arise while preoccupied outside the city limits. They only held our best interests at heart. Well, that is partly true. They wanted moe money in the form of wages if they were to respond to such events. However, I notice they are not worried about such contingencies when they send fire engines and other emergency vehicles to the funerals of deceased members of their force, and I do not mean the ones who died in the line of duty. Because of the complaint and a strong union, a Webb County volunteer fire department was formed. I think this is brilliant, why don't we comprise a city fire department that is comprised of a 50% volunteer force, and since the cops have a "me too" clause do the same for their organization? Think the unions would allow that to happen?! Of course not, unions do not profit and politicians cannot run on the support of volunteer cops and firefighters.
But These men and Women Are Heroes
While I have heard this before, usually from the source or the family member of the source, I will say we do need people to do these jobs; however, no more than we need garbage men, road workers, or bus drivers. The starting salary for a police officer in Laredo is above $49k per year, not to mention over-time pay, and a benefit package that is second to none. People very angrily tell me that these men warrant this level of compensation. They chide me that,"while you are at home asleep, they are out there protecting you." I agree that they are, and I further agree that I did not assign them this role, they fought, competed for, and agreed to do the job. If at any time they no longer want to perform their duties they are free to leave. As a veteran, I never tell people I deserve anything because of my service. I enlisted of my own free will and because I did people could sleep at night while I stood a post. I had no union, no big salary or compensation package, no sick leave, no workers comp, and no protection from the chain of command when I violated regulations, or was in any other manner derelict of my duties. If a cop's salary is woth $49k annually, what salary should the men and women in our Uniformed Services warrant? Perhaps only a union could answer that question.
If anyone has comments, questions, or corrections, I can be emailed at darrell.mills@yahoo.com
