Great state of union (bashing) for workers around the country
Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 02:55 PM
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When Michael Mulgrew became head of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) this year, he was entering some uncharted territory. As Harold Myserson noted in an August 2009 article about the waning influence of the Irish in the labor movement, the ascension of the Irish American Mulgrew ended “a 50-year succession of Jewish UFT presidents.”This Wednesday, June 16, Mulgrew turned up the heat in the UFT’s ongoing battle with New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg by spearheading a rally against education cuts at City Hall.
Mulgrew’s rise to the top of the UFT came around the same time Mary Kay Henry was named leader of the West Coast-based Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents over two million workers.
Henry, 52, was described by the Los Angeles Times as “the eldest girl among 10 siblings in an Irish-Catholic family in suburban Detroit.”
So if, as Harold Myerson suggested, Irish influence in organized labor is dwindling, it’s not going away anytime soon.
There’s one catch, however. These jobs might as well come with a bull’s eye, because unions have become a handy target for angry people and politicians in recent months.
Full disclosure -- I am a member of the UFT. So naturally, I am a little sensitive about some of the criticism aimed at New York City teachers by Bloomberg and schools chancellor Joel Klein.
I should add, though, that no one is more frustrated by ineffective teachers than teachers themselves. So it’s not that the UFT is above criticism.
The bigger problem is that, in tough economic times, members of nearly any union have come to be viewed as members of an elite class who are paid lavishly while doing little work.
An article in this past Sunday’s New York Post explored the “long lines” of applicant’s seeking the “cushiest gigs” at a number of local unions. These jobs included spots at Local 246 of the aforementioned SEIU, which represents auto mechanics. There were also applicants seeking jobs with Ironworkers Local 361.
Boy, talk about cushy gigs! What could be easier than learning how an automobile functions from top to bottom and getting the thing fixed.
Or how about those ironworkers! All they have to do from time to time is slice steel with a flaming torch, often several thousand feet above the bustling streets.
I remember less than a month after 9/11 talking to Jack Doyle, head of the heavily-Irish Ironworkers Local 40. Doyle had actually helped build the Twin Towers in the early 1970s, and was vowing to help build again at Ground Zero.
But only after the ironworkers completed the very dangerous task of clearing out the debris. What a cushy gig!
The king of union bashing these days is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. His stump speech for a long time was that New Jersey has “two classes” of citizens, -- “those who enjoy rich public benefits and those who pay for them."
Wow. We’ve certainly come a long way.
In the past, thundering populists and brainy prophets have warned that America was indeed split into two societies -- black vs. white, or the obscenely rich vs. the desperately poor.
Now, according to Christie, the only thing we have to worry about are the folks who dare to have a pension and a little stability. It seems to me we might want to work to get that for more people, not fewer.
Look, I understand that state governments are going broke. Taxpayers have a right to know their money is being invested in sound, productive employees. Unions should roll up their sleeves and help produce solutions.
But there is an ugly side to this. As much as anyone else, the Irish built the American labor movement with blood, sweat and tears. This was no “cushy” task.
Politicians know there is a deep insecurity in America right now. So rather than devise bold ways to alleviate that insecurity, they target “elite” union members and their “cushy” jobs.
Meanwhile, children need to be educated. Cars need to be repaired. Steel must be sliced.
The vast majority of people doing these jobs now do them happily and effectively. Smearing these workers may make the next generation think twice about entering the profession.
But it doesn’t make the work itself any less vital or necessary.
(Contact tomdeignan@earthlink.net or facebook.com/tomdeignan)
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Monsoonman | Jun 20, 2010, 12:34 PM EDT
Aren't we forgetting where the revenue comes from in the first place that pays government workers? Yes the private sector. The original intent of "public service" was that it was steady work at a modest pay and modest pension, that was the trade off, there was no risk of getting laid off. Now, thanks to corrupt labor unions, there is little risk of being laid off, salaries much higher than the private sector and pensions that are almost equal to the salaries. Many states and municipalities are going bk because they are paying for 3 sets of "workers". One actually doing work, and two retired.
Sorry if you don't like the truth but for the ones in the private sector: We are not going to take it anymore and there will be cuts. Like the governor of New jersey said to protesting teachers: If you don't like it quit and get a job somewhere else.
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SmilingIrishEye | Jun 19, 2010, 09:27 PM EDT
Aren't we forgetting that our pensions are invested on Wall street and with the bankers bilking the system and the market shares going under - is it hard working civil servants fault that the pensions are costing the taxpayers an inordinate amount?
Financial literacy for all. I could have earned much more money in the private sector but I decided to go the route of public service - I love working and what better way but to work and steadily and eventually earn a decent income. In addition I knew that with a defined pension plan plus investing my savings on wall street I would have a decent retirement. However, it looks like the politicians and the wall street crowd were tinkering in unsound waters - Once the government bailed out the banks now it seems is hunting season for the city workers. It is not fair that the municipal workers will suffer. Let managers do their job and fire slackers but leave the hardworking civil servants alone!! And if managers can't manage fire them.
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Monsoonman | Jun 19, 2010, 04:18 PM EDT
Come here and live in california dennis my boy. Witness the growing scandals of pensions and benefits for unionized government workers, eating us out of house and home. San Franciscos unfunded pensions and health bennies for retired workers is now 1.2 billion per year...That is 56 times more than what is being spent on street repair...We can't afford it anymore. The govt. and its public employee unions are the 10 lb. tick on the 5 lb. dog....Of course dennis we could take your idea and let illegal aliens take over all of those govt. jobs. They would do the work for a 1/4 of the price....Just like they are doing to wages in the private sector, eh dennis, that's true compassion.
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DennisQ | Jun 19, 2010, 02:49 PM EDT
One sure sign of ideology is the willingness to use phony statistics. The Russians used to make up stuff all the time, remember? Monsoonman is including overtime figures as though everyone in that pay grade were guaranteed that as a minimum. It's a lie, and he knows it. But he doesn't care because he wants to believe that unionized civil service workers are grossly overpaid.
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Monsoonman | Jun 18, 2010, 10:26 AM EDT
You unionized public workers need to come to California, the land of fruits and nuts and end up your careers here. We know you have sacrificed long and hard for the public good, that's why you can retire on almost full salary with full health benefits at 50. Then you are free to get another unionized public employe job and get that full pension also. Firemen in sf 150-300K Police in SF 200K. Bus drivers 150K...Yes we love our employees here. The private sector can't wait for November & vouchers for private schools.
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DennisQ | Jun 16, 2010, 07:21 PM EDT
What's the difference between a political philosophy and an ideology? An ideology such as Gov. Christie's "conservatism" isn't monitored for effectiveness. Today's right wingers remind me of Communists - everybody's wrong except them. There's never anything wrong with their analysis; they even use Marxist concepts like "false consciousness." Warning - right wingers and Commies are nasty when cornered. They bite.
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