[quote=CONCHO]Bitching about unions while the country is being gang-raped by corporate and financial interests is like complaining about mosquitoes while being eaten by a bear.[/quote]
I agree.
And on the topic of pensions… I’ve never worked public sector except an internship with the Nat’l weather service electronics tech shop one summer, while in college. Non-union. I’ve never been a union employee. That said – I had full, defined benefit pension with my private sector employer until we were acquired by another private sector employer in 2000. The new employer had a cash based pension program – (aka Portable Pension) that continued till 2009. Both pensions are now frozen.
Defined benefit pensions existed for non union private sector employees AS THE NORM until about a decade ago. My father, an engineer, non-union, private sector, retired with a nice pension from Cubic Corp.
My pensions were frozen – but I’ll still get *something* when I retire. Not enough to live on… I wish they hadn’t frozen the pensions… especially the first one – the defined benefit one. But they did. It’s another in a long list of benefits that have been taken away for this private sector employee. It doesn’t make me angry at the folks who still have benefits/pensions… it makes me ENVIOUS for what I used to have.
