If you could pass one law..............

[nate]

I agree with Tank.  Add unions too.  Nothing pisses me off more that candidates have to pander to unions to get their vote.  Just gives the already too powerful unions more power.

[mp170.6]

Yes, all public unions must be abolished. 

[arch stanton]

Yes absolutely. Compared to the megamonster corporations the unions are far too powerful.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Yes, all public unions must be abolished. 

 

Absolutely. Nobody working for a government agency should have anyone to speak for them, because they don't deserve anything above a minimum wage job with no benefits. Unlimited hours for a fixed salary would be nice, too.

[nate]

Absolutely. Nobody working for a government agency should have anyone to speak for them, because they don't deserve anything above a minimum wage job with no benefits. Unlimited hours for a fixed salary would be nice, too.

 

They are adults, they can speak for themselves.  Also, wage is competitive.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Also, wage is competitive.

 

It is now - because of the unions. Without a collective voice, government would simply impose their will on all of us. It happens often enough even with the unions. Since we are legally prohibited from striking or taking any other kind of collective action, I shudder to think where we would be without anything at all.

[mp170.6]

It is now - because of the unions. Without a collective voice, government would simply impose their will on all of us. It happens often enough even with the unions. Since we are legally prohibited from striking or taking any other kind of collective action, I shudder to think where we would be without anything at all.

 

What happens in reality is the exact opposite.  The unions impose their will on the public, demanding (and getting) whatever they want. 

[nate]

It is now - because of the unions. Without a collective voice, government would simply impose their will on all of us. It happens often enough even with the unions. Since we are legally prohibited from striking or taking any other kind of collective action, I shudder to think where we would be without anything at all.

 

I am non union and am paid a very nice wage.  Unions were created before really any labor laws existed in this country.  There are tons now.  All unions do is strong arm themselves out of jobs.  See the auto union for an example.

[arch stanton]

Yes I blame the auto unions for developing and marketing the crap they sold there since the '70s.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

What happens in reality is the exact opposite.  The unions impose their will on the public, demanding (and getting) whatever they want. 

 

I can't speak for California, but nothing of the kind happens here. There has been an all-out assault on public sector wages and benefits.

[Lifetime]

Ya that's what happens when the economy is down and companies are trying to find ways to cut overhead and still stay afloat. 

[nate]

Yes I blame the auto unions for developing and marketing the crap they sold there since the '70s.

 

They developed and sold crap because they were way over paying their workforce.  They couldn't afford to compete with foreign auto makers that didn't have to deal with astronomical pensions and benefits for their workers.

[HaloMagic]

Sounds like they shouldn't have agreed to let their workers unionize. Stupid auto companies. But yeah, blame the unions.

[Lifetime]

Companies don't have to agree to allow their employees to unionize.

[HaloMagic]

They can fire them though.

[Lifetime]

No actually, they cant. 

[HaloMagic]

Yes, they could have back when they unionized.

[Lifetime]

You're wrong HM. There are rules/laws to prevent that. And, firing all of them still would not remove the union. Once it's voted in, it's in even if there is 100% turnover. I've been on the corporate management end of a couple of union campaigns. Legally there is very little a company can do or say to dissuade unionization. 

[HaloMagic]

They can't fire them for forming a union. But they can fire them because the agreement with the union is causing them to be unprofitable. Or they an fire them because they don't like their haircut. Or their favorite color. They definitely could have fired them.

[nate]

They can't fire them for forming a union. But they can fire them because the agreement with the union is causing them to be unprofitable. Or they an fire them because they don't like their haircut. Or their favorite color. They definitely could have fired them.

 

Yes and then the union would impose their influence to stop non union workers from joining.

[Lifetime]

You're wrong but again, firing the employees doesn't remove the union. Once the union is voted in, it's a union shop even if all of the employees that voted it in are fired or quit. 

 

The NLRA was enforce before auto workers unionized so the manufacturers were limited in how they could respond to a union campaign and unionization at the onset. 

[Lifetime]

Oh and they can't fire the employees because the CBA is causing them to be unprofitable. The CBA is a binding contract that the company agreed to. You can't fire the workers because you agreed to pay more than you could afford. 

[mp170.6]

I can't speak for California, but nothing of the kind happens here. There has been an all-out assault on public sector wages and benefits.

 

Don't you work in the Nevada Department of Corrections? 

 

I forget if you're a correctional officer or not, but the last time I looked the public safety pensions in Nevada were almost as obscene as California.  Either way, I'd love to hear your definition of an all-out assault on public sector wages and benefits.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Don't you work in the Nevada Department of Corrections? 

 

I forget if you're a correctional officer or not, but the last time I looked the public safety pensions in Nevada were almost as obscene as California.  Either way, I'd love to hear your definition of an all-out assault on public sector wages and benefits.

 

I pay 13.5 percent of my salary into the retirement program. It's hardly free. There is talk of increasing mandatory contributions to more than 15 percent - and reducing the payments we get when we retire. We get nowhere near what California employees get, based upon what I hear from a couple of friends who work for the State of California.

 

Our health care insurance has been gutted. I pay twice what I did four years ago with higher deductibles and less coverage. Dental coverage and vision coverage are now essentially nonexistent. The life insurance the state provided (or said they would, when we were hired) has been reduced by 80 percent. What is left wouldn't even cover funeral expenses.

 

While all this has been going on, we have been under four years of unpaid furloughs and a reduction in the pay table. The only thing that hasn't been cut is our workload. My department handles twice the cases we did four years ago with the same staff - all on reduced pay and reduced hours. Add to that the fact that Nevada already has fewer state employees per capita than any state in the country...

 

Definition enough?

[mp170.6]

I pay 13.5 percent of my salary into the retirement program. It's hardly free. There is talk of increasing mandatory contributions to more than 15 percent - and reducing the payments we get when we retire. We get nowhere near what California employees get, based upon what I hear from a couple of friends who work for the State of California.

 

Our health care insurance has been gutted. I pay twice what I did four years ago with higher deductibles and less coverage. Dental coverage and vision coverage are now essentially nonexistent. The life insurance the state provided (or said they would, when we were hired) has been reduced by 80 percent. What is left wouldn't even cover funeral expenses.

 

While all this has been going on, we have been under four years of unpaid furloughs and a reduction in the pay table. The only thing that hasn't been cut is our workload. My department handles twice the cases we did four years ago with the same staff - all on reduced pay and reduced hours. Add to that the fact that Nevada already has fewer state employees per capita than any state in the country...

 

Definition enough?

 

Some people have lost their health insurance and/or their jobs and you're crying because you have to pay 13.5% toward your retirement and higher medical expenses.  Welcome to the real world, a place you have no concept of.  Unions these days love painting themselves as victims -- totally oblivious to the world around them.

 

You have no clue how good your retirement package is, even if you're forced to pay more into it.  Why not share the details since it's a matter of public record anyway?