Article

2010-05-11 Economy

Trickle-Down Misery in L.A.- Former SEIU organizer has to deal with SEIU demands

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Posted by Joaquin Murrieta 2010-05-11 13:01|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 Karma.

Posted by Mike 2010-05-11 17:57|| 2010-05-11 17:57|| Front Page Top

#2 For 15 years Villaraigosa was an organizer for the Service Employees International Union and the city's teachers' union. Now he is trying to cope with, and partially undo, largesse for unionized public employees: "I have to sign the checks on the front, not just the back."

It's easy when you are using someone else's money. Unions have become a large part of our financial problems. See Greece 2010.

Posted by JohnQC 2010-05-11 18:03|| 2010-05-11 18:03|| Front Page Top

#3 Unions have a place. Without them, management/ownership abuses their power. When management is shackled or unions get too strong, the unions abuse their power. Let them both go to keep each other in check. Messy, but better than giving either unrestrained power.

Posted by Glenmore 2010-05-11 19:02|| 2010-05-11 19:02|| Front Page Top

#4 But that only applies when the management has an interest in balancing union demands, that is, maintaining their profitability. Government has no such interest, so accedes far too easily to union demands.

It is the paradox of the teachers' union that, while teachers should be "white collar", the States that pay them want them to be "blue collar", collectivized instead of professionalized.

Properly, teachers should be like doctors, in which their reputation and results determine their pay. But this would mean that teachers would have to be able to restrict membership in the teachers professional organization, so their pay could not be undercut by the market force of too many teachers. Again, the way that doctors do it.

Teachers could only teach if the professional organization licensed them. States definitely do not want this.

Posted by Anonymoose 2010-05-11 19:33|| 2010-05-11 19:33|| Front Page Top

#5 I have a nephew in a state that does not have a right to work law. My nephew could not get a job at a company without joining the union.

Posted by JohnQC 2010-05-11 19:59|| 2010-05-11 19:59|| Front Page Top

#6 Move your kid to AZ.

Posted by 49 Pan 2010-05-11 21:13|| 2010-05-11 21:13|| Front Page Top

#7 JohnQC - in Washington State - if you are a teacher you *will* join the union in order to ply your trade. You can opt out of the union but you still have to pay the dues.

Also you *will* contribute to the Democratic Party (via your dues) or you will *not* work as a teacher.

And they talk about Microsoft having a monopoly....

Personally I think that if unions are going to demand a seat at the table then they should assume some of the risk as well. A teacher molests a student - the UNION gets sued and of its found that the union knew the teacher was a pervert - their leadership can be held responsible - even serve time. Johnny can't read? Or a bad teacher or Principal the UNION forced the SD to take or keep hits a student - the UNION is liable.

As it is - the unions have all the power to dictate terms - but none of the liability.

Unions have their place - but not in the public sector where the public 'owns' the 'company'. And none of these giant interstate union organizations like SEIU or the AFL-CIO.

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-05-11 21:20|| 2010-05-11 21:20|| Front Page Top

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