This seems to me to be a very well balanced piece from today's NY Times on the impact on Indiana's  public employees of the end of collective bargaining there a few years ago.  The state has benefitted, but there are some flaws for workers.  Because Wisconsin has other laws to protect workers from some of the negatives in Indiana,  the  outcome  might be less poor for Wisconsin's public employees.

How can a state pass laws prohibiting people to assemble and bargain. Isn't is fundamental right in a so called democracy. What are we moving towards, a one party autocracy, or are we becoming a nation ruled by autocrats?

Suppose, we have become selfish and lethargic when it comes to our rights. What next? Is there going to be law forcing everyone go to Church on Sunday?

"How can a state pass laws prohibiting people to assemble and bargain"


How can a state pass laws, allowing my  PRIVATE company, too be taken over against my will by a Union?
I believe in merit pay for my best workers,not collective bargaining protecting the worst.

"If your private company is yours, and you don't like your workers collectively bargaining, then fire them all, and do all the work yourself."

They came to me under their own free will. I wasn't a Union Company when they were hired.
I will close up shop if I am unionized, take a year off and start over.
So far the Union hasn't come close enough to influence a majority. Union representatives are not allowed on the property. My supervisors do well explaining to our employess how the Union will cost them money.
Our workers make an average of three dollars a hour more than Union workers in the same city .
Our workers don't have to pay anyone for the right to work.
We do fire workers that are not productive .

Collective bargaining benefits the lowest common denominator in the work force. That person/s benefits from the same wage scale that the most productive workers enjoy, while doing the  minimum amount of labor possible to avoid being terminated. Ever watched longshoreman at work? Or State highway maintenance crews? I once watched 15 state workers at a site to install a dry well along Route 70 East in Pemberton Township, NJ. 14 of them were drinking coffee and smoking, while #15 dug the hole. What a sham.  

-- Modified on 3/1/2011 10:26:26 PM

-- Modified on 3/1/2011 6:48:32 PM