PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

The dispute in Wisconsin is over whether unions of government employees should have the right, any right, to negotiate on salaries and benefits. It is a struggle for the future of America because unions represent one of the few forces that can push back against lower wages paid to every worker, including those not in unions. Just about everyone in America has gotten pay increases over the last decades, but here’s the problem: for most people, the hikes haven’t kept up with inflation or the basic costs of living. Those at the very top, and just below, have gotten huge increases, but the rest have been getting much less. Without unions, what would happen?

New York Mayor Bloomberg has an opinion piece the NY Times today that calls  for balance in relations between government and unions. How strange is that in these times? Here is a quote from his op ed piece in the NY Times:

“Organizing around a common interest is a fundamental part of democracy. We should no more try to take away the right of individuals to collectively bargain than we should try to take away the right to a secret ballot. Instead, we should work to modernize government’s relationship with unions...”

Put it plainly: if unions cannot negotiate with government or other employers, there is no reason to have a union. If you have a segment of society that is there but cannot function, what good is it? Having a toothless union around would just cause frustration and wasted motion.

Unions have, on many occasions, abused their power in order to protect people in jobs who shouldn’t be protected and have sometimes negotiated benefits that can’t be supported over the long term. Guess what? How many times does management do the opposite when they have the chance? Do the abuses of unions even begin to compare to management which routinely rewards itself, even in government, with bonuses and other perks, like new expensive SUVs to ride around in? Bloomberg takes the approach of a realists, someone who knows that unions in New York will be around long after he has left government. You can read his views here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/opinion/28mayor.html?_r=1&hp

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