Collective Bargaining

Recently, former Monona City Administrator Dave Berner, a \"guest editorial\" regarding the evils of collective bargaining. While working on my response to this one sided editorial, I came across this story direclt from the extreme right \"think\" tank Heritage Foundation. Had Mr. Berner went to Beloit College(where I attended) he would probably have been kicked out for blatant plagiarism. I am curious as to his motivation to pass a far right organizations work off as his own(wonder if there was money involved?) Be that as it may, here is my response:

I was very disappointed in Mr. Berner’s recent guest “editorial” which was lifted right from the pages of the extreme “think tank” Heritage Foundation. Unfortunately there is much disinformation out there about the effect of unions. Wisconsin is not alone in facing serious fiscal challenges, ending collective bargaining rights for public sector employees will not change that. Forcing a pay cut on the teachers of Monona Grove will not create jobs here or elsewhere. Taking the right to collectively bargain from public sector employees is a political maneuver not a fiscal necessity.

The taking of the rights of individuals is not debatable. Collective bargaining is a right that our Founders foretold in the first line of the Preamble “In order to form a more perfect union…” They realized that gathering together and speaking with one voice brings strength that an individual voice does not have. So the original 13 colonies got together and formed a “more perfect union” and thus America was born. Since that day we see unions all around us, from two people uniting in marriage, to workers banding together and having a voice in the workplace, to manufacturers joining together and forming such unions as Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce(WMC) and everything in between.

Many Americans have paid the price for the right to collectively bargain throughout the years from the Haymarket Affair to the Homestead and Pullman strikes to the current day battles with Massey Mines. Labor has spilt actual blood, sweat and tears to make sure they have a seat at the table much to the dismay of big business.

Mr. Berner correctly points out that Government operates differently than the private sector. Unfortunately the facts end there.

1) “unions have little reason to restrain their demands” Yet the average teacher’s salary in Wisconsin is $52,644/yr. Fifty years of collective bargaining and this is the best the “unrestrained” teachers can do? For a point of reference, Freshman Congressman Sean Duffy makes $174/yr.
2) “Government employees need not fear exploitative bosses”. While we do have laws to protect employees, does anyone really think that an individual fighting the full force of government can get grievances addressed? Ask Lieutenant Dan Choi.

One last fabrication that must be addressed is the myth that public sector workers make more than their private sector counterparts. A recent study by the Economic Policy Institute found out that, Wisconsin’s public employees make on average 5-8% less than their public sector counterparts. This percentage rises as the education of the worker rises and college educated public employees can make up to 25% less than their private sector counterparts.

It is time to stop demonizing public workers and start analyzing the actual problems of our economy. It is also time to start placing blame where it belongs. We as taxpayers spent $700 Billion dollars to Bail out Wall St. after the economy crashed a few short years ago, yet to this day, they are still allowed to continue on with business as usual.

In Wisconsin, where the Governor keeps telling us that “we are broke”, the collective bargaining power of WMC, has already been given (using taxpayer money) $2.3 billion in tax breaks and loopholes. Balancing the budget after give-away’s such as this on the backs of teachers, nurses, plow drivers, prison guards, etc… is not only ineffective but also immoral.

You can track almost directly on a graph that the decline of unions in America runs parallel with the decline of middle class wages in this country. Yet in that same graph the rise of corporate power and the wages of CEO’s are on the exact opposite line. In 1980 CEOs in America made approximately 35% more than the average workers at their companies, today that number is approximately 300 times more and growing. Taking the collective bargaining rights away from Police officers, Firefighters, teachers, nurses, social workers, prison guards, plow drivers, etc… does not address any of these problems.

Collective bargaining, allowing labor a seat at the table to discuss such things as working conditions, health and safety policy, hours, and pay, is not too costly. It is essential!