Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Republicans & Public Employee Unions

As Republicans look out at the election in 2014, when 20 Socialists Senators and 13 Republican Senators will be running for reelection, along with the entire House of Representatives, Republicans across the country should adopt Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin's positioning on Public Employee Unions, which is very simple.  Public employees, that are contributing to the bankruptcy of local, state and the federal governments should not be paid more than what is common in the private sector for like jobs.  

Today, government employees are earning 40% more on average in total compensation and benefits than what is paid in the private sector.   The only question is why?   Why should any government employee be paid more than what is common among Mid Sized companies.   And, why should government employees get pensions that are often equal to their last year's annual salary, when the rest of us are on Social Security and the maximum we can receive no matter how much we pay in is around $2,500 a month. 

It has to stop.  This is a matter of fairness to the American taxpayer that is paying for all of this.   Look, we all love teachers, fireman and cops for sure.   And, they should be well paid.   But should they earn more than a high level Manager or Director at a Mid Sized company, after working many years, that today is getting some where between $70,000 and $120,000 a year.   Old style pension plans in the private sector went away two Recessions ago.  Nearly all Mid Sized companies today provide contributory 401K Plans instead, which should be the means of providing supplemental pension benefits, in addition to normal Social Security to government employees, as well.  

In Wisconsin, Public Employees rioted because Scott Walker was asking government employees to pay a small share of their medical benefits.   Employees in the private sector have been paying 20 - 30% or more of their medical premiums for years.   Public employees should be bench marked against a basket of Mid Sized companies related to total compensation and benefits.  This is about fairness.  The American people showed in the recall election in Wisconsin that they get it as even other industry union members voted to keep Scott Walker in office. 

This issue has nothing to do with unions in the private sector.  Though unions in general are job killers,  if they push too hard in industry and businesses are stupid enough to pay more than is logical, the company will go out of business and or jobs will be moved overseas.   Unions in industry have caused this exact scenario.   So in a sense, this situation is self regulating in the private sector and therefore is not an issue for the American taxpayer. 

It is Public Employee Unions that are the big problem because they have a monopoly on these jobs.   Even Socialist President Franklin Roosevelt opposed collective bargaining for public employees and he was right.   There should be no collective bargaining for public employees.   Instead, total compensation and benefits should be determined by Civil Service Commissions in all states and the federal government cognizant of this market basket of what is paid in Mid Sized companies.  

And,  though public employees should be free to form unions to express their opinions about working conditions and other matters important to them, government employees should not be forced to join and Public Employee Unions should be prohibited from making political contributions, or being involved in elections in any way.   The current system is fraught with corruption as Public Employee Unions support Socialists to extract more compensation and benefits from government, at taxpayer expense.   That does not mean that public employees themselves should be prohibited from participating in campaigns, or elections in any other way they choose. 

The Republican Party should be clear in opposing Public Employee Unions because they are contributing to the bankruptcy of our country.    We have to get spending under control to prevent our country's economic collapse and a loss of our national sovereignty.   Dealing with Public Employee Unions is critical to this process. 

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