bear,
I might agree with your attitude if workers weren't organized. Meaning, if they individually felt they weren't being paid enough, they could threaten to leave. If their employer missed them enough, they'd get what they want. This is how negotiations work in at at will setting. However, essential public sector employees can hold society hostage whether their demands are reasonable or not. What if policemen struck because the city wouldn't pay them each $1,000,000 holiday bonuses? Would we then have to fire all of them and be without police protection until replacements were trained? THAT doesn't seem right to me. Your argument only makes sense to me if you assume that everything a union asks for is within the realm of reason. Do you think all policemen should get holiday bonuses of $1,000,000?
Further complicating the issue is the fact that workers don't really decide to strike - union leadership does. Worse still is the fact that this union leadership makes decisions for everyone when individuals are not allowed to
not belong to the union! It is simplistic opinions like these that cause my doubts about the validity of a few people (union leaders) bringing NY to its knees (from a
NY Times article):
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Joseph J. Hein, 23, a Triboro garage worker
"The union wants us to do this," he said. "We elected them to make decisions for us, and hopefully they're doing the right thing by us. As a union, we all need to stand together behind Toussaint right now."
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and
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jose Lopez, 53, a cleaner at the Broadway-Lafayette station
"I don't like it. Co-pays are going up, and salaries should go up, too."
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Also, I can see that you are exasperated, but I hope you'll stick around. Your ideas are important and you may yet convince me of something...
