perfidy

As if "securing better wages" for teachers is an unassailable goal. The point of government is to improve the lives of those governed. The point of the federal workers'' jobs is to do the same; otherwise they shouldn''t be there.

We have set up a poor system of equations in this country, where the members of the big government unions (in particular the federal unions) simply don''t feel any of the pain that the governed are going through.

Salaries in the real world may have dropped by 10%, and employment risen to 10%, and those in the federal payroll are still pushing for more money, and more benefits, to be paid for by those who have less and less (their fellow taxpayers).

When will there be a responsible federal union that simply says, "well, the rest of the economy is screwed right now, so how about we hold off on those raises for a while, until it recovers?"

The best reason a union can give for pay raises is often that some OTHER union makes more than they do.

Mike, just because the teachers'' unions are doing good by you right now doesn''t eliminate the objection that they might be too big, too powerful, totally misguided, and too far removed from the teachers they purport to represent.

Here in my fair state, the public school teachers I know labor under ridiculous mandates and ridiculous hours (in at 6 AM, no lunch, no free periods, stay after for detention ''til 5, every day) for next to no money while simultaneously being the targets for all the blame, lawsuits, and anger anyone may care to level at the school in general. Every instance of discipline comes with the possibility of a new lawsuit or even a beating for the teacher by a student the teacher cannot touch for fear of jail time, more lawsuits, and never working again.This despite the fact that a "union" represents them and their interests. Feh.

I would contend that, powerful or not, the damn teachers'' unions have taken on a life of their own, and except in lucky cases like yours, do very little good very expensively.

I also have first-hand evidence that the Federal Workers'' union is waaaaaaay too powerful. I can''t share any specific stories for privacy''s sake, but let me put it this way: when you''re on the job and the kids can SEE the bottle, SMELL your breath, and can''t UNDERSTAND what you''re slurring, and when your job is to liase with these kids, yet you CANNOT be fired, there''s a problem.

Posted By: Johnny Two-cents

Listen. I make $4.15 an hour as an adjunct professor at a city college. That''s beneath minimum wage. Are you saying I''m not even entitled to minimum wage? How much do you make, Mr. Judson?

I will totally duck by saying that I don''t feel comfortable discussing what I make. More than most, less then many. $4.15 is a crime. I totally agree with you. I don''t think the problem is solved with unions, though. I think the problem needs to be addressed by altering society''s blind following of ruling class''s massive addiction to bombs and executive compensation. There''s plenty of money out there -- it''s just going to the wrong things.

Well, okay. But at present, the union that represents me is the only body actively advocating better wages for adjunct professors. In the long-term, altering local and federal government budgets will provide more for educational institutions, but at present, I have no objection to someone working on my behalf while I teach and concern myself with my students.