Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2015 3:44:44 GMT -6
Settle and be happy you're still employed.
A reporter once asked the 20th Century’s most influential labor leader, John L. Lewis, what does organized labor want?
His response: “More.”
It’s a great rejoinder, but it’s a lousy premise to go into all negotiations, since sometimes there isn’t “more” to give.
For example, Illinois is the fiscal basket case of the nation. We have racked up more than $111 billion in pension debt, spending is outpacing revenues, basic state services are being cut and we’ve gone 13 weeks without a budget.
So what does state government’s largest union want? More. Lots more. Even though their contract with the state expired July 1, they want pay hikes.
Pardon me, but vendors to the state’s veterans homes say they are going to stop delivering food because they aren’t getting paid. The state lacks a budget and can’t pay hospital bills for its employees on time. Landlords are threatening state offices with eviction for unpaid rent. And Secretary of State Jesse White publicly stated recently he’s concerned about electricity being cut off at the Capitol because the power bill hasn’t been paid.
Now that’s broke. And yet, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court seeking “step pay raises” and automatic promotions for employees.
Even though their contract has expired, a new one hasn’t been reached and the state is flat-out broke, they believe should get a pay hike and they are asking a cherry-picked, union-friendly judge to order just that.
By the way, state workers traditionally have received step increases, automatic promotions and across-the-board raises. Most folks in the private sector don’t receive “automatic” promotions. Their promotions are earned, not given based on seniority.
And for most folks working in the private sector, pay increases are based on individual performance — not how long you’ve held on to a particular job and received “satisfactory” reviews.
Union bigwigs want the sacrifice to be borne by taxpayers — not their organizations. Many Illinois taxpayers are simply tapped out. They have seen a steady exodus of jobs and neighbors to more prosperous states.
And yet, union chiefs want your taxes to pay for benefits most of us can never hope to receive.
Worse yet, union bosses are imperiling the very state their members are supposed to serve by demanding more while many taxpayers are making do with less.
His response: “More.”
It’s a great rejoinder, but it’s a lousy premise to go into all negotiations, since sometimes there isn’t “more” to give.
For example, Illinois is the fiscal basket case of the nation. We have racked up more than $111 billion in pension debt, spending is outpacing revenues, basic state services are being cut and we’ve gone 13 weeks without a budget.
So what does state government’s largest union want? More. Lots more. Even though their contract with the state expired July 1, they want pay hikes.
Pardon me, but vendors to the state’s veterans homes say they are going to stop delivering food because they aren’t getting paid. The state lacks a budget and can’t pay hospital bills for its employees on time. Landlords are threatening state offices with eviction for unpaid rent. And Secretary of State Jesse White publicly stated recently he’s concerned about electricity being cut off at the Capitol because the power bill hasn’t been paid.
Now that’s broke. And yet, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court seeking “step pay raises” and automatic promotions for employees.
Even though their contract has expired, a new one hasn’t been reached and the state is flat-out broke, they believe should get a pay hike and they are asking a cherry-picked, union-friendly judge to order just that.
By the way, state workers traditionally have received step increases, automatic promotions and across-the-board raises. Most folks in the private sector don’t receive “automatic” promotions. Their promotions are earned, not given based on seniority.
And for most folks working in the private sector, pay increases are based on individual performance — not how long you’ve held on to a particular job and received “satisfactory” reviews.
Union bigwigs want the sacrifice to be borne by taxpayers — not their organizations. Many Illinois taxpayers are simply tapped out. They have seen a steady exodus of jobs and neighbors to more prosperous states.
And yet, union chiefs want your taxes to pay for benefits most of us can never hope to receive.
Worse yet, union bosses are imperiling the very state their members are supposed to serve by demanding more while many taxpayers are making do with less.
