Unions are part of the problem!

Kim; I've really enjoyed reading your posts. In the union business, as I wrote in your other post, I see the public unions growing and the other unions fading away. To me, and it is only my opinion, public unions act like the mob in many cases. We have people here in Mtn Home in the school system in their 30's making more than professional people in my family (engineers, scientists, clinicians) and the one glairing difference is the school administrators are paid by the tax payer and in a union, and those in my family are not. Teacher's unions across the country are going to get a wake up in my opinion.

I have two points to make in response to your blog. First and most importantly, a country without unions would be like a congress operating under only one party. As much as you would like for everyone to think and act like you, I assure you that if you were given what you want, you and everyone else in the country would soon regret it. Sure some unions and the powers that control them are greedy and ultimately cause their own self destruction, that is always going to happen because it is not a perfect world. However unions do not only benefit the people included in them. They also have an influence in raising wages and improving working conditions for all workers. If unions were to be outlawed or crippled in one way or another everyone would suffer, not just the union workers themselves. Secondly, your jounalistic and writting skills are an embarrassment to your trade and to the citizens of Elmore County. I know this is a personal blog but it is housed under your publication's website and thus represents it as well. If you want to call yourself a journalist then please try to master the art of sentence and paragraph structure. Of equal importance is the ability of a quality news reporting agency to report all the facts and angles of a story and let the reader decide. If you are or want to be know as a conservitive publication with only those points of view in mind then call yourself a magazine and not a newspaper.

United we Stand Divided we Fall !!

Public unions have raised the working conditions and salaries of other state workers who are not unionized? I don't think so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhgUatSXAQo

It says it all. A classic.

I research, write and then give my strong opinion. That is what this blog is about. Once again, I repeat. Union had a place and did great things for the American workers. The beginning was for the greater good. However, Unions are a fine example of what happens when people give their power to another. People like to hand it over. Just like government, we want others to take care of the important things so that we can focus on everyday things like making a living, paying bills, feeding our families etc... Unions did a great job in the beginning, but since then, they have abused power, abused the system, and given other people's money for their own gain. Sounds alot like the government as it is becoming today. A right to work state gives the power back to the people. If people feel that they are being oppressed in any way, all it takes is a complaint and/or a call from your attorney. Problem solved. People have the power to change things. We have got to stop handing our power off to others!

Thanks so much to Mtn Homer. Your research was wonderful. I wrote this blog in the early morning hours and had no energy for a really long-drawn out research. You helped me make my point beautifully!

Can't just watch: I knight thee! Sir CJW! Go forth and defend the innocences, educate the idiots and kiss babies. I am proud to call you my honorable knight.

Skeeter: I have talked about this problem of the school system being administrative heavy for years. It shows an unbalance that breeds discontent. Of course, the postal service is another example. More managers than postal workers. Not a good plan. Thanks for your level headed comments.

Oh and by the way, Obamaman. There is room in my court for another jester. Get with my other newly appointed court jester. He'll brief you. The job is yours. Thanks.

I have to admit Kim I agree with you on this one. :) Now what do you all think of Wal Mart ? Isn't Wal Mart Non Union ? I know they get their share of law suits, without union involvement

Exactly, MsMarilyn. I worked for Walmart. And left years ago. Since then, many of the people I worked with participated in a class-action lawsuit (I didn't jump on board, since I never felt abused by the company) and they won about $200 each. Walmart employees have always had plenty of ways to sue and get what they want without the Unions. There are multiple avenues for people to protest working conditions and many many laws that take care of it. People have overly abused it and made lots of money from their "preceived" abuse. Nowadays, all you have to do is come up with "story" and get an attorney to back you up and you are taken care of. Of course, we all pay for that when the cost of products are increased. Lawsuits have also gotten out of control but that is a whole other blog subject.

To obamaman, your comment "If you want to call yourself a journalist then please try to master the art of sentence and paragraph structure." is the second topic in one paragraph. Should,nt each topic be a seperate paragraph? If your going to criticize someones writing skills, perhaps you should perfect the art first.

Unions, in my opinion, have no place in public sector jobs. I think that if unions are allowed to negotiate the wages and benefits of public sector employees, then as a taxpayer, I should be in on these negotiations to decide how my tax dollars are spent. Just my opinion.

There are laws in place now to protect workers from unsafe conditions, have you ever heard of OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They have a website if you want to look them up. www.osha.gov Protections are in place for workers, I'm not going to say if unions had anything to do with getting these laws in place or not, if they did, then good on them. None the less, the laws are there and any employee of any company has the right to file a complaint for unsafe conditions. OSHA does investigate ALL complaints files, and companies are fined for not complying with the laws. Some of these are even published on their webite.

Perhaps it can be attributed to your liberal thoughts to think the way you do. Feel free to bash me for my sentance structure. I can take it, I have my big boy pants on.

OSHA may investigate hazards is most work places but they don't cover everything. They won't look into safety hazards if you rent equipment from a rental place and its unsafe to be using. I know I tryed on power equipment that I rented years back and the safetly feature had been replaced with hardware that won't keep an accident from happening.

Obamaman: You shouldn't live in a glass house and throw stones you have been doing a very good job of digging a hole for yourself by telling other how to write and you make the same mistakes.

Well said B-Man. When the tax payers are paying their salaries.

I just heard on the nightly news that the school board in Providence RI fired all the teachers....... All 1,900.00 of them and will only rehire the ones they want

To all who feel that public employees should not be able to use unions to negotiate their wages and working conditions, then the converse is also true. All public employees should have to negotiate their wages with their employers, the taxpayers. They would have to go door to door to every taxpayer in the tax base and get their personal signiture on a contract. This would save the taxing district from having to hire personel department employees to negotiate the districts contracts. A union is just a management tool for the work force, just like a personel department is a management tool for an employer.

THANKYOU....PLUMBER

With the negative attitude so many people have towards teachers, maybe the unions are needed more than ever. I qualified for food stamps and medicaid as a full time teacher. Doesn't sound like the unions are increasing pay too much.

Normie,

I don't think that anyone here is expressing a negative attitude toward teachers. The point that is being made is toward the union that represents teachers.

Just as a side note, a large number of the young men and women who are deployed around the world, putting their lives on the line daily, also qualify for food stamps.

Do we really have to be educated and perfect in our blogs? I think Kim got the point across quite nicely.

What we have here is a situation where you have too many puppies for one mama dog and someone is bound to do without mother's milk. I applaud the Governor for standing his ground. He is in effect saving the entire litter and providing nourishment for all.

We can no longer live big and large in this economy. Everyone has to make sacrifices, or in this case, pay a little toward their own retirement and insurance.

Teachers are hard-working individuals who put in hours of time for their students. However, there are people out there who work 2-3 jobs just to get by and don't have a cushion of health insurance or retirement.

Wow...unions are the cause of our budget woes?...amazing. People need to get educated for real and stop talking like they did their research when, judging by what they wrote, they didn't do any research at all. I wouldn't be surprised if people who are union bashing are just unsatisfied workers who don't earn much if anything at all, because they failed to get a good education and are now unsatisfied with their personal situation, or they support this simply because it's the republican thing to do. Since this argument seems to be focusing on our great under paid educators at this time, here is some food for thought. Does anyone really know how much is the teacher's "average" salary? Look it up. The average Idaho Teacher earns a little over $41K a year. That is not for a new teacher fresh out of college (who only earns a meager $27K). That is for a teacher with 7 or 8 years of experience, plus a Masters Degree. I know teachers that have 8 plus years experience and a Masters Degree that earn less than $43k a year. How many other professional fields pay that little for that amount of education and job experience? I know other folks will say the average pay is higher ($57K plus) and that would be true if you include principal/administrators and professor pay scales. Those positions do pay more but they are the top tier professionals for the education field. I would think most people would expect them to get paid more although it still pales in comparison to what people get paid in the private sector for the same education level and years experience. How much do you think a teacher has to pay medical benefits? Try almost $300 a month for ONE dependent. Yeah, their pay and benefits are outstanding...that's sarcasm in case you didn't recognize it. As far as "bad" teachers keeping their jobs regardless of how they perform, there is a process in place to get rid of teachers who's students don't perform to state standards. The pay figures I use are for the Boise school district. Mountain Home School District teachers get paid even less. Stop taking from the very people who do nothing but try to give the best education possible to our children. Wake up, educate yourself on the facts and stop letting others tell you what the facts are. Only then will you see who will benefit from all this so called "education reform".

Signalman: I do my research. This blog is about Unions not teacher pay. I have never said that teachers are paid too much. NEVER! My point is about unions. Where did teachers salaries come into this? If you read more of what I write you would have seen where I stated that it was wrong that UNIONS have caused employers to pay unreasonably larger wages for people who don't have the education to warrent it. Teachers, doctors etc. those who went into serious debt to get that education should be paid better than an autoworker who screws in a bolt!

Thanks KH Gal. I appreciate your comment.

Outstanding!!!!! I see that you are back in true form again Queen...are you reading Sarah Palin's book on governing?

I have idea, let's go back to the days without organized labor, back to the days when big fat cat industrialist ruled our country with a iron fist...when their was no such thing as a middle class, just the super rich and the super poor and better yet, when we would send our children to work in dirty, dangerous working conditions...

Let's go back to the days when workers had NO health care, dangerous working conditions, NO days off, NO pay raises, NO platform to ask for a meger pay increase, NO assurances of future employment, NO rights at all...living in slums to the mercy of the wealthy few...

Now I get it, that's the new Republican platform for 2012...The GOP, "we ensure the wealth of the super wealthy"...I kinda like the sound of that!

WAKE UP...Do any of you tea bagger right wing radicals have a mind of your own??? I get it, if Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck told you to jump off a cliff...you would blindly go and jump....I've heard of that kinda mind malnipulation, it was called "Jonestown"...

Nice job Queen...once again, just when I thought you couldn't get any worse, you can ahead and prove me wrong...I bow to your queeness...lol

I've got one word for ya..."simpletons" You make me laugh...

"Power to the People"

Ah Dumbfounded, you always deliver when I need a boost! Thanks so much. Hey, have you met my court jesters? You would get along so well with them. Go ahead, guys. Speak up and introduce yourselves.

Unions had a time and a place where they were the heros for the workers. I applaud them and the history of their good works. What I don't like is what they have become. Mobsters who take the workers money, donate it to whomever they please, over-inflate wages causing a direct negative impact on us all. The people can take their lives into their own hands and negociate wages and benefits. Why give your power to the unions? There was a time and a place for unions. Back in the day when it was a positive voice. Not anymore! They have run without a leash for far too long.

WHY ARE WE PAINTING ALL UNIONS AS A BAD THING?????? they are all not corrupt or dishonest. Unions are like any other entity,some good some bad.I dont think anyone would want to be painted with same brush as say a criminal who happened to grow up in your community.It is disheartning to think we destroy because of a few.

Ok Dumb,

Here is what FDR had to say on public unions...

"The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service," Roosevelt wrote in 1937 to the National Federation of Federal Employees. Yes, public workers may demand fair treatment, wrote Roosevelt. But, he wrote, "I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place" in the public sector. "A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government."

I am not saying all unions are bad, but I honsestly believe they do not belong in the public sector.

Kim

If you read my post carefully I wrote, "Since this argument seems to be focusing on our great under paid educators at this time, here is some food for thought". The argument I was refering to is about Luna's so called "education reform". May be I should have made that more clear. I just figured since we live in Idaho, with educators and their collective bargaining rights being under attack, most people reading this would have known what I was talking about. My mistake.

So my queen, what do you prefer....non regulated fat cat industralist who care nothing for any of us commoners, are the unions who are by far not without wrong, but stand by the masses!!!

Decide...wait you already did...your Republican...

As even FDR, may he rest in peace, said so truthfully, collective bargaining has no place in the public sector! As public servants, we are employed by our peers. It is true that the people should have a say in what they pay us, not Unions! I have beat this enough. Unions are a problem. Over-spending, bribery, strong-arming and inflated power are what most of the Unions represent, not their people. Money is handed to them and they hand it to the Dems even though most of the people in their union aren't Dems. How is that right?

Unions have spent $292,639,657 over 20 years, and the vast majority went to Democrats. You must wonder... is this a good representation of what the workers themselves actually think?

God... you are the most mis-informed human on this planet bazookaman...why do you blog?

Unions had their purpose many years ago. Usually it comes down to a monopsony situation. One where there are few buyers but many sellers. In the past, workers had relatively few options and little information to rely upon. A miner in Wyoming who was getting paid what they thought was too low usually had no idea what the going national average was. This lack of information distorted the picture. Today, information is everywhere and so that excuse is mostly null and void.

Teachers are usually only employed by school districts. There are some other potential opportunities but those are somewhat rare. I see the purpose of unions in their case but for different reasons.

In a typical job environment, a person's productivity is easy to judge. They make more food, they make better food, they fix cars that do not come back tomorrow, etc. In a teaching situation, the result takes years to show. Test results are not the whole story. That being said, giving principals and school boards the ability to fire at will is counterproductive. School administrators and school board members are usually types that have never been in a classroom. They know next to nothing about what it takes to be successful in that situation. Giving them the power to ruin one's career is ignorant.

I do feel that teacher salaries are beyond what they should be. Public unions (not just teachers) are a roadblock to any meaningful change. I would vote for some measure that would state that public employees should have to take pay cuts in lean economic times.

I know its not on topic but i love all the smack talk, especially how fast obamaman was shut down! lol!

IN THE UNION FIGHT THAT TOOK PLACE THE UNIONS TOOK PAY CUTS,THAT WAS NEVER AND ISSUE.The govenor wanted to break the union,he won but he didnt.

The issue was unions back democrates so this was political and nothing to do with helping you and i.When your senators admit that that was the goal something is wrong.The key here is to keep a part of the society from the democratic process.Middle class America is under attack corporate AMERICA WILL MAKE SLAVES OF US ALL.

We talk right to work but we make 5,000.00 less a year in right to work states,and things do not cost less here.look at the whole picture.We seem to act out if we think someone is getting more than we are,that is not reality in this case.Yes budgets are real and cuts will be made but dont blame your neighbor blame our administrators.DID THE GOVENOR TAKE A PAY CUT ????????? DID BUTCH ?

Please go to factcheck.org .It will talk about the IRS agents.........havnt seen anything that singles out illegals but i have not looked yet.

Did all of these agencies just start and under what department do the exist???????.

Dont states make the laws for who qualifies for aid??????????? AND THEN RECIEVE MATCHING FUNDS????

so if that is the case states need to enforce THERE rules.

I dont have a problem with what your saying because you have stated infaticlly before this president.Now with that said I think we should remember

what he confronted without laying blame.So then the question becomes what should we have done?? we can consider and we can contemplate.I consider that we could have had a deeper recession,and most economist say if nothing was done it would have been. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I think that would been DESASTEROUS.We did not get to that point in 2 yrs why do we feel it can be solved in that time.Blame lets look at every sitting congressman and senator there.THEY HAD CONTROL AND THEY SHOULD HAVE MINDED THE STORE THEY DIDNT.THEN WE GET THE PARTISAN FIGHTING...AND WE THE PEOPLE BECOME SPECTATORS TO OUR DESTINEY.BLAME THIS PRESIDENT I THINK NOT....BOTH SIDES NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR....IM TELLING YOU SOLUTIONS ARE THERE, BUT BOTH SIDES ARE TO INTRESTED IN WHICH SIDES REP IS SITTING IN THE WHITE HOUSE,AND THEY DONT GIVE A HOOT WHO'S IN THE POOR HOUSE.We coild go tit for tat but you get my point.......both sides own this and the more research you do the more exsasperated you get.......well gotta go for now ......see ya........oh there is some intresting reading on illegal alliens rights......I think you will be surprised start with cair.com......latter

I dont know what you read the cair i was talking about dealt with illegal alliens.IT STOOD FOR COLORADO IMMERGATION SOMETHING. IT DEALT WITH THE RIGHTS.I was using it as and example of states and there resposibilities in this debate.The states do say who qualifys for assistance and who doesnt so they need to do there checking and get of the fed.They do not have to provide anything there laws dont allow.I tried to find the requirments in idaho and havnt yet.I dont have a clue why shari law keeps comming up ,that is a non starter why does it come up nobody is advocating or even considering it.IT IS A TALKING POINT WITHOUT SUBSTANCE.

i have been saying two terms for years,do your duty and go home.WHAT IS THIS PROFESSIONAL POLETICIAN GARBAGE.They use our apathy against us we dont pay attention.If there rigging the system to take care of there district then they are hurting the country as a whole,they are there for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA if they want to push there state then they should stay in the state legislature.

THE CALL CENTERS ARE NERVE RACKING,some are still here but not the big guns there outsourced.There taking care of the bottom line the heck with american workers.

We need to get of the muslims they are being used to distract us from the real problems of the country that they are not working on and that is for real.ME im getting tired of the PETER KINGS...who use people in a context that foster violence based on misguided emotions to further his political ends.And then when some one gets hurt his I DIDNT DO ANYTHING.HOW COME HE DIDNT GO AFTER HIS BUDDYS IN THE IRA? WE must look at these peoples motvation and quite taking them for granted,a lot of them do not have our best intrest at heart............beautifull day hope it stays this way......see ya

I TYPED IN BENIFITES FOR ILLEGAL ALLIENS...I COULD HAVE STAYED THERE ALL DAY READING.TAKE YOUR PICK AND HAVE A BALL SOME GOOD INFO.......DONT JUST READ WHAT SUPPORTS YOUR THOUGHT..(SMILE)

EVERY NOW AND THEN I LOSE A POST I CANT FIGURE OUT HOW THAT HAPPENS....ANY HOW......IF SOMEONE DID THAT TO US I WOULD INVITE THEM TO LEAVE...NOW I WOULD NOT CARE WHO THEY WERE......I HAVE ALWAYS SUBSCRIBED TO WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS DO.I can appreciate your sentements,Here is another side how about us not assuming people understand that they need to become a part of and INSIST that they do.I say if something is unacceptable then we state that.IF YOU do something unacceptable to me I will tell you like right now not tomorrow but NOW. WE WAIT TO SEE IF PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND ,WHY?????????? WE need to help ourselves,and them.THERE are solutions.

To be completely honest, the real issue is all the educrats. These mostly overpaid desk jockeys that are purely administrative in nature. Too many chiefs and not enough indians.

Also, at the state board level there are too many chiefs. These types make 60K + and could stand to take a pay cut or be forced to change careers.

Some will rationalize their existence by saying that a third party has a way of seeing problems and therefore solutions that those in deep can not. When one is fully immersed in a situation, it is hard to see the bigger picture. However, the bigger picture in this case is not the issue. The small stuff that happens in the classroom is what should be focused on.

Went to the site .got a lot of personal ,lets say feelings not facts.We want the 1 st amendment but were not sure how much of it we can stand.I know that as long as its not happening to me ...we tend to ignore ,turn a blind eye,make excuses.RACIST MUSIC HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY OUR GOVERNMENT FROM THE BEGINNING AND STILL IS ,UNDER THE 1ST AMENDENMENT.I hate it and dont like my money being spent like that.With that said every group out there from the klan to la raza game the American people.Those same types of groups got money from the government to pursue discrimination

and most americans didnt even know it.The largest Scam was SEPERATE BUT EQUAL.government funded.

anyhow a lot questions asked at the site and some insightfull answeres.some good some bad.it is what it is .......latter