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imbroglio
Guest
A very nasty and uncalled for comparison.Addicts are always upset and vocal when opiates are withheld. Loud and messy doesn’t equal consensus.
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SamH
Guest
Because unionized labor has priced itself out of the market. When the market disappears the jobs disappear. With government being a monopoly the public employees union thinks there is no way to price themselves out of that market, but they may learn differently in the next couple days.
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Rich_Olszewski
Guest
That they could, depending on what statea they live in, and what jobs you are talking about.
Who cares, as long as you are one of those who has one of those great union jobs?
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Orogeny
Guest
Why don’t the unions offer to voluntarily impose those changes on themselves?
Peace
Tim
Peace
Tim
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
I sometimes wonder what it is about working people that gets Republicans so exorcised.
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imbroglio
Guest
They love corporations more than the American people, I guess.
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a_priori
Guest
Dear imbroglio and LCMS_No_More,
I am a retired public employee union member with a pension and health benefits. I served as a union officer and was a member of the union negotiating committee. I testified at arbitration hearings on behalf of my union. I still pay union dues. I want you to pay very close attention so there is no confusion or ambiguity: A-D-D-I-C-T-S. If you have a problem with that, go join a union, rise to leadership and then come back and talk to me. If you are a union leader and still think unions are not the problem, you have been “assimilated by the Borg” and further discussion is meaningless.
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Ridgerunner
Guest
I doubt Republicans (or many of them) are exorcised. There aren’t enough exorcists to have done them all.
But I think some working people (and not just Repubs) get exercised when other working and nonworking people have political advantages that get them overpaid or benefitted more than the work is “worth” in a non-monopolistic context.
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imbroglio
Guest
You might get some insight from the articles some are posting. It’s a misinformation campaign.
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
Somehow, I think that economic globalization was a major factor in this. Americans have to compete with Chinese and Indian workers who will work for pennies a day.
Once again, I ask you this question.
You stated previously that no public servant should be paid more or have better benefits than the taxpayers. Are you saying that public servants should be paid less than minimum wage and have no benefits?
Schwarzenegger, an icon of Republican economic ideology and the worst governor in the history of the Universe (yes, he makes Pontius Pilate look good!), would have done this if the courts didn’t stop him.
C
ChadS
Guest
I don’t know either but union members only make up about 6% of non-agricultural labor in this country. If you included farm labor the percentage would probably be even lower. The way some folks talk about union members you’d think they have a stranglehold on every job listing that comes up in this country.
ChadS
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AdvanceAlways
Guest
When in the hell did Arnold become an icon of Republican economic idealogy?
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
Yep. People in California whinge and whine about the “all powerful” public employee unions that are “sucking the California budget dry.”
Of course, the facts show how false this is. First, in California the ratio of state employee to non-state employee is the second lowest in the country. The amount of California’s state employees compensation consists of less than 15% of the total General Fund budget and most employees aren’t even paid out of the General Fund. State professionals (engineers, doctors, attorneys, etc.) all make far, far less than their counterparts in the private sector. Finally, Schwarzenegger imposed furloughs illegally for over two years and was trampled in a paid-off California Supreme Court.
But, by golly, those eeeeeeeeevil public worker unions are just sucking the country dry.
Get a grip.
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ChadS
Guest
It’s nothing but a race to the bottom. Nobody asks the question why can’t I have what they do, they just want to know why somebody has it a little better. Heck corporations don’t have to run misinformation campaigns anymore when they have other workers that do it for them without charging a dime from their advertising budget.
ChadS
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
When the Republicans decided to demand a “do-over” election in California back in the early 2000s. Schwarzenegger became their point man and the Republicans lost me forever and ever.
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gnjsdad
Guest
The fact is that organized labor in this country is at death’s door. One can only wonder how much improved the labor situation of ordinary Americans would be if we still had vigorous unions.
It’s no accident that the greatest advancement in living standards of middle class American workers occurred during the period when the unions were strongest.
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Orogeny
Guest
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
YES!
You got it nailed right down. What’s funny is that it’s the exact same type of envy that Limbaugh and other Republican voices whinge about, except it’s for other working people instead of the rich.
I don’t know of a single public employee who wants to see anyone worse off so we can live. In fact, I want to see everyone have a good job, good pay, good benefits and a pension.
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
Negotiation is about give and take. If you have a party no willing to bargain in good faith, then you cannot negotiate. Schwarzenegger is a prime example of this. SEIU Local 1000 was willing to negotiate some giveaways to the state, but Schwarzenegger and his Republican allies in the legislature demonstrated that there is no good-faith bargaining with Republicans.
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SamH
Guest
You might want to read what I posted, because I did not make that statement.
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