Bankrupting America: The Public Sector Workers Union

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It is almost commonplace these days for an industry to have a Workers Union representing the employees. Workers organize and hire union representatives in order to create better working conditions and pay practices. The unions also negotiate and speak for the workers during negotiations for benefits such as retirement. While a union uses its collective bargaining strength and flexes its muscle during negotiations, it gives opportunity to workers to have control of their financial future. A collective voice allows employees to fight for healthcare and pension benefits and the possibility of profit sharing. The union also makes sure there are improved health and safety policy and procedures in the workplace. An article in the weblog on City-data.com says that “since the Nation’s first labor union in 1724 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Carpenter’s Company Union, a group of shoemakers (n.d.) became organized, it let to the United Steelworkers and and in most recent years, the Public Sector Workers Union, organizing labor with the thought of Government leaders at state and local government levels are feeling financial strains and forwarding those pains onto the tax payer. While wages, benefits and pensions continue to rise in the public sector, the Federal Government will go bankrupt.

Prior to unionization, Public sector jobs were attractive due to job security and benefits. For these reasons alone, it was acceptable for government wages to be lower than private sector wages of comparable positions. A public worker expected to be paid less because he or she realized the value of the career choice as a public worker with the balance of benefits and pension. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s when public sector workers legally had t...

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...ter. "Unions Are Good for the American Economy." www.americanprogressaction.org. Center for American Progress Action Fund, 02182009. Web. Retrieved, 17 Oct 2010.
Munnell, Alicia H., Jean-Pierre Aubry, and Laura Quinby. "The Impact of Public Pensions on State and Local Budgets." State and Local Pension PLans SlP.13 (2010): n. pag. Web. Retrieved, 17 Oct 2010.
"Pennsylvania - Labor." city-data.com. Advameg, Inc., n.d. Web. Retrieved, 17 Oct 2010. .

Rasmussen, Kristina. "The Christie Way vs. The Quinn Way." biggovernment.com (2010): n. pag. Web. Retrieved 10 Oct 2010. .

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