UNIIONS, WISCONSIN and beyond

     The first inkling of what is going on in Wisconsin, Ohio, California and several other states was very predictable as far back a 1978. I predicted that Detroit would have a major problem the next time the D.P.O.A. (Detroit Police Officers Association) entered into negations with the city. The fact that the union had NO RIGHT TO STRIKE a clause was written into the contract that if an impasse came into the talks then both sides would present their sides to an arbitration panel. Throughout the years the union usually won all demands for pay increases, thus my pay during the 11 years increased by $1000 dollars per year and an automatic COLA clause also rolled in a COLA increase at the end of the year. It seems that may be a get rich scheme, but considering in 1967 my starting pay was just over $7,000 and in 1979 it was $18,000 at today’s pay scales it would be at poverty levels.

     The next bargaining session my prediction came true, the officers demanded a large pay increase and won in binding arbitration. Immediately the city went belly up and began to lay off officers OUT of the SENIORITY RULES. The seniority rules stated “last hired, first fired”. The city had just gone through a period of hiring blacks and women only in an attempt to equalize racial balance. This presented a problem and that is why the attempt to lay off out of seniority. The union went to court and the city lost again. Now the city had to lay off all the blacks and women they had just hired who also took the city to court, again the city lost under the Affirmative Action Laws. The city had to hire everyone back, pay lost wages and use general funds earmarked for other needs. Because of the failure and greed of the OFFICERS telling the union to keep pushing for more money believing that a city on the brink of bankruptcy has a bottomless supply of money they were in part responsible for the economic demise of Detroit. Having seen the handwriting on the wall I left a hole in the air where I was standing getting out of there.

     Take a close look at these pensions, pay scales and benefit packages that YOU John Q citizen are paying for with your tax money. Why is it that government employees have it so much better than the private sector? It is time to rein in these sweet heart contracts and put some commonsense in what is affordable. I don’t deny a livable wage to anyone but you the people have to reduce your quality of life because of the greed of public employees and their unions. It is time to stand in unison and demand that unions get out of public employees lives and wages and benefits are rolled back to affordable amounts. That should include all the top heavy salaries of all public officials, starting with the POTUS on down. No more lifetime benefits, return to private life as the CONSTITUTION states.