The VOTERS determine who takes political office, not the unions. I can assure you that there are a number of politicians who do not feel at all like they are “on the same side of the table” as the rank-and-file union members.
I’ve said it over and over before, but unions have been making concessions for YEARS now (decades) because they were NOT “on the same side of the table” as those with whom they are negotiating. Most public employees no longer get retirement healthcare. Most of them pay more for their healthcare plans than their counterparts did 20+ years ago. In recent years, many of them have taken pay cuts and increased employee contribution amounts to their healthcare and pension plans. And all of this was happening even before all the anti-union hysteria the MSM is shoving down our throats.
The politicians might not like to tick off the unions, but they certainly don’t want to tick off the voters, either. They have to walk a fine line. Needless to say, if enough voters determine that they don’t like what the politicians are doing, they will be voted out. That’s not at all being “on the same side of the table” as the unions.[/quote]
CAR: I’m sorry, but in California that simply isn’t true. The unions, from CCPOA (California Correctional Peace Officers Assn) to CTA (California Teacher’s Assn), wield tremendous influence and control large voting blocs. They are vocal, as Dave pointed out, plus tremendously well-organized and well-financed.
To say that the unions have been making concessions is simply not true in California. To the contrary, they are seeing ever larger increases in salaries and benefits packages, as well as engaging in neat little tricks like pension “spiking”, whereby they boost their pensions by padding their salaries in their final year or few final few years.
Below are references to this practice, along with the $500Bn pension “time bomb” (unfunded liability), along with the practice of pension spiking and the average cost of a California corrections officer.
In this state, the politicians are absolutely sitting on the same side of the table as the unions and we can clearly see the result. To argue that concessions have been made is demonstrably false. The taxpayers of this state are getting hosed. Now, and in the future (through unaffordable and unsustainable guarantees).
