Unions vs. Taxpayers

[C L]

Yes but you do not need 1 person to fix for each robot. The total work output is far greater than the same amount of people even taking into account the maintenance.

That depends entirely on the situation and needs. You still have to factor in design, programming, manufacture and maintenance, all done by humans (for now!)

I agree to a point. When unions ask for ridiculous items that is when they loose the credibility in my opinion.

And I agree with you as well. On the other side of the coin, you have CEOs getting huge salaries, massive bonuses and gloden parachutes, often rewarding failure.

These are global companies. We as a society need to realize that we will be competing for job with people from China, India, Korea, etc. That is why we need our education system to be simply the best in the world. We are not there in my opinion. We can not expect to pay the added cost in products just to keep protectionism in place. We need to compete which means work.

It doesn't matter how good our education system is, our cost of living is light years above that of China, India, Korea, etc..

We will always need a certain level of protectionism, all the above mentioned countries do as well as competing countries. Do you know how much tax the Japanese put on a Harley Davidson? We actually discount their imported products.

The biggest beneficiary of welfare are American Corporations. And that often results in moving jobs offshore simply so Corporations (which our tax dollars helped) can be profitable. And where do those profits go? Into the pockets of CEOs who use accounting tricks to avoid taxes.

When you get work done on your house do you seek a fair price (value vs cost) or do you pay for union labor?

I do seek a fair price. I also make sure that my contractor is paying their (legal) employees a fair wage and using quality materials. Since there are generally Independent Contractors, they are not subject to collective bargaining. If you know of a GC or landscaper that has a recognized union contract with their employees I'd be interested in checking them out.

[curt]

I find it easier all around not to maintain my house or yard. No trouble, no out of pocket expenses, and the taxes are lower.

[C L]

I find it easier all around not to maintain my house or yard. No trouble, no out of pocket expenses, and the taxes are lower.

I'm sure your neighbors love that!

[curt]

It didn't stop them from moving in.

[shawn_oneil]

This is what Unions do.
Shawn
*******************************
John Stossel's Take
Commentary from Co-Anchor of ABC News' "20/20"

Here is the link Click Here

The Dance of the Lemons

06/25/2009 11:26 AM

When I did my TV special on education, “Stupid in America,” which showed the damage the unionized government monopoly does to kids, I reported that New York City was spending $20 million to pay teachers to just…sit. These are teachers who are considered incompetent, or are accused of serious misconduct. Union rules are so tough, the city can’t fire them. It took 6 years to fire one teacher who continuously sent sexually-oriented emails to a 16-year-old student. So hundreds of their teachers are banished to so-called “rubber rooms” – off-campus holding sites where they wait years for their disciplinary hearings. While they wait, they get paid full salary and benefits because their union contracts require them to be allowed to continue work “in some fashion.” The teacher who sent the sexual emails was paid more than $300,000 to not teach.

When I confronted teachers union president Randy Weingarten, she said, “They [the NYC school board] just don't want to do the work that's entailed.” But the truth was that the firing process is so byzantine here that even the most conscientious principals give up. They just pass the bad teachers on to other schools. They call that “the Dance of the Lemons.” I thought our reporting on this might embarrass the educrats into improving things. But I was wrong.

It’s gotten worse.

Now the Associated Press reports that the city is spending $65 million per year on rubber rooms, paying 700 public school teachers to practice yoga, write novels, play Scrabble, or stare at a wall all day.

[C L]

This is what Unions do.
Shawn

40 hour work week
End to child labor
Minimum wage
Safe working conditions

among many others

Thanks Unions.

[Rob C]

It took 6 years to fire one teacher who continuously sent sexually-oriented emails to a 16-year-old student.

I find this hard to believe.

Don't forget there are two parties at the negotiating table when these contracts are signed. You can't simply blame unions for making it difficult to fire teachers, NYC had to also agree to their terms of the contract.

[Todd McCormick]

This is what Unions do.
Shawn

40 hour work week
End to child labor
Minimum wage
Safe working conditions

among many others

Thanks Unions.

CL, do those accomplishments then make this ok?

The teacher who sent the sexual emails was paid more than $300,000 to not teach.

[safety frog]

I understand the new health care bill to be voted on this week will tax my health benefits, but exempts union members from paying the same tax on their health benefits? The Democrats are finally paying back the unions and it so blatent if in fact this goes through.

[shawn_oneil]

40 hour work week
End to child labor
Minimum wage
Safe working conditions

among many others

Thanks Unions.

They accomplish that how long ago? Many years ago. Now this is the type of Crap that they bargain for.

I understand the new health care bill to be voted on this week will tax my health benefits, but exempts union members from paying the same tax on their health benefits? The Democrats are finally paying back the unions and it so blatent if in fact this goes through.

Exactly! Wonder how President Obama will live up to his word that anyone making under $250K per year will pay not additional taxes. You know all those nice pretty graphs that Rob & Co. were displaying during the campaign. The shell games of all shell games.

It took 6 years to fire one teacher who continuously sent sexually-oriented emails to a 16-year-old student.

I find this hard to believe.

Don't forget there are two parties at the negotiating table when these contracts are signed. You can't simply blame unions for making it difficult to fire teachers, NYC had to also agree to their terms of the contract.

or face what? A teacher strike. Reward the hacks! This money could be better served paying good teacher more based on merit. You should not find this hard to believe as it was from ABC and not the liberal Satan channel FOX.
Shawn

[C L]

They accomplish that how long ago? Many years ago.

I hope you don't think the same way about all those people that started the Revolutionary war or fought in the Civil War or fought for the Allies in WWI and stormed the beaches of Normandy, it happened sooooooooooooooooo long ago.

We should all thank Unions everyday for our very existence.

[shawn_oneil]

I hope you don't think the same way about all those people that started the Revolutionary war or fought in the Civil War or fought for the Allies in WWI and stormed the beaches of Normandy, it happened sooooooooooooooooo long ago.

We should all thank Unions everyday for our very existence.

Comparing our fine men and women who risked everything and only asked in return is for a place to be buried for their fellow soldiers to a modern day Unions is not just a slap in the face but a kick in the teeth to those men and women. There is no comparison. Try again.

Shawn

[C L]

I hope you don't think the same way about all those people that started the Revolutionary war or fought in the Civil War or fought for the Allies in WWI and stormed the beaches of Normandy, it happened sooooooooooooooooo long ago.

We should all thank Unions everyday for our very existence.

Comparing our fine men and women who risked everything and only asked in return is for a place to be buried for their fellow soldiers to a modern day Unions is not just a slap in the face but a kick in the teeth to those men and women. There is no comparison. Try again.

Shawn

I respectfully disagree

[shawn_oneil]

I respectfully disagree

I agree with this statement.

[SBinRockrimmon]

I hope you don't think the same way about all those people that started the Revolutionary war or fought in the Civil War or fought for the Allies in WWI and stormed the beaches of Normandy, it happened sooooooooooooooooo long ago.

We should all thank Unions everyday for our very existence.

I find it quite disrespectful for you to compare modern day unions to Veterans. My late father was one of the men who served overseas during WWII. His unit took their orders directly from General Patton. My father had not worked a single day at a union shop during my lifetime. He would strongly disagree with today's unions. I have talked with my dad in great depth about how useless I feel unions are in today's workforce.

You are out of line with your comparison.