Union Demagoguery

Over the course of the last few months there has been a lot of coverage surrounding the ongoing collective bargaining situation in Wisconsin. Critics of the Governor say that he has illegally past legislation that has disbanded the ability for public sector unions to exercise collective bargaining, that by doing so he has doomed and assaulted the middle class, and that he does not have the will of the people behind him. Now, these are sentiments that can be found once again on the usual suspect networks such as CSNBC, MSNBC, CNN, and so on, however, the more conservative media outlets such as talk radio and FOX news are projecting a different perspective. The more conservative outlets are heralding the actions of the governor as just, righteous, and necessary for the benefit of the middle class who have been pillaged through the form of taxation. In the private sector it is virtually unheard of to receive the kinds of benefits that are taken for granted by public sector employees. Benefits such as the virtually free healthcare and pension, which overshadows most of those salaries and pensions of those who practically pay for public sector employees’ financial well-being, are considered a payoff for the contribution to society that they have made. Most working class people must work 12 months a year, pay for their own insurance, pay for their own pension, in addition to paying taxes that benefit entitlement programs that they cannot qualify for. Are these individuals rich by any stretch of the imagination, no, they are not. Most of the time they must work several jobs in order to provide an adequate level of living for their families, who more than likely go without healthcare coverage and adequate pensions. So, why is that just because someone who works in the public sector is able to earn an above the average wage, have a paid for healthcare and pension, not to mention the ability to only work 18-20 years before they are eligible for retirement? Regular working class taxpayers must work up to 30-40 years of their life to even think about retirement, let alone healthcare coverage. Now, I understand the intrinsic value that teachers bring to the table, but isn’t it enough when these teachers are making more than their students’ parents in benefits alone? This is not mentioning the 9 month school year, holidays, and spring break. These are but a few of the concerns that are expressed within the conservative media outlets, which seem to be absent from any of the so-called mainstream media moguls. Our nation has gotten to a point in which the people’s voice and concerns are being outweighed and overshadowed by the political agendas, government employees, public sector workers, union leaders, and politically correct policing agents that have placed America’s greatness on a very destructive path towards mediocrity. They say they stand for the everyday working man, but have yet to prove it through action, and there words merely remain rhetoric.

Reviews

[Karolina S.]

But the answer is not to break down unions. The answer isn't that the workers in the public sector should have their benefits decreased, it's that the workers in the private sector should receive better wages and benefits as well. At one point, you say that the private sector workers most likely have to work several jobs and go without health insurance and retirement. It shouldn't be like that.

We should all be able to have healthcare, retirement and vacation time. And anybody who works towards that goal really stands for the everyday working man, and for me.