Why the Public Union Protests

Let me repeat that for emphasis: Republican attempts to weaken public sector collectively has nothing to do with fiscal policy, has nothing to do with employee benefits and has nothing to do with state budget shortfalls!

It has everything to do with the 2012 election and, generally, Liberal-Progressives, Independents and most Conservative Republicans who have read and considered the issue, agree. Unfortunately, the far, far Right is blind to the facts where those facts do not support the "cause".

Public Employee Federations or Unions are not the usual form of organization. Their alleged power is simply a scare tactic. What exactly is their power? Not much.

The Florida law is typical. Florida Statutes §447.209 makes clear that the government agency is to "set standards of services to be offered to the public and... to direct its employees, take disciplinary action for proper cause, and relieve its employees from duty because of lack of work or for other legitimate reasons."

Section 447.301 sets forth the rights of the employee. He or she may choose to join public employee union or organization, but is not required to do so; the organization may petition the agency to discuss working conditions, salary, etc. but the agency is not required to do other than consider the suggestions. If an employee chooses not to join an organization, he or she receives the same benefits that may accrue to a member. All union activities are conducted on non-work time and without compensation. No public employee may engage in a strike or a work stoppage.

In a commercial private collective bargaining situation, the employees may strike, with certain limitations. The Public Employee cannot strike under any circumstances.

The First Amendment guarantees the rights of everyone to petition the government and that is precisely the function of public unions. Every employee may make suggestions to his or her employer and if those discussions end up with a better and safer work environment benefiting all employees, it is to the better. Rather than a multitude of individual requests for consideration, the union presents a single and unified manner to institute change. The agency employer is obligated to do nothing more than listen and consider, totally ignoring the petition.

The public employee cannot strike and has no real sanctions counting on the reasonableness of the agency and the persuasive nature of the requests.

The existence or strength of public employee collective bargaining organizations has no relation to the fiscal strength of the respective states and a glance at the statistics bears this out. Mississippi has a current budget shortfall of about 16%; about 5% of the state work force belongs to a union. In New York, on the other e years, roughly 25% of the state work force belongs to a union and its' budget deficit is the same as that of Mississippi whereas the "conventional wisdom" would have suggested New York's shortfall to be far greater.

So much for any alleged correlation.

There are two reasons why state budget deficits are high and why state employees' pensions are underfunded. First, the Legislatures of the states had mandated timely, fiscally prudent and responsible contributions to the pension funds. Many states, notable among them Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey and New York, failed to make the contributions, choosing to spend the money elsewhere. Florida did make its required contributions, but its funds were invested in the market and, when the housing boom collapsed, so did the value of the funds invested.

Nor are employee benefits responsible for the economy's collapse. At the very start of the current turmoil, state employees agreed to their contribution to the pension funds; it was never an issue. It is true that, in Florida, salaries have been frozen for five years while insurance premiums have increased, reducing take home pay and creating contributory pensions will reduce pay even more; most employees will accept some pain if is fairly shared.

Conservatives have an agenda, just one unrelated to public budgets or deficits. Generally, Republicans have supported neither unions, generally, nor public employee unions, specifically. Union organizations, again for the most part, have supported Democratic candidates for office, providing campaign contributions and volunteer workers. It is the hope of Republicans that their opponents' financial coffers, making it difficult to purchase television commercials and making Democratic candidates at a serious disadvantage. Meanwhile, Republicans will continue to find support from regulated industries (insurance, banking, investment companies) and business organizations, as Chambers of Commerce.

That is why the newly elected GOP governors are so adamant in pursuing any policy that is designed to favor their opponents - even it engenders class and culture war.