Public sector collective bargaining and secrete corporate political campaign contributions
Jonathan Zasloff asks at The Reality-based Community blog New Directions in GOP Political Economy
Quite subtle, actually:
Public-sector collective bargaining is unhealthy and distorts democracy because it enables workers to influence the government which negotiates with them; but
Unlimited and secret corporate political campaign contributions are necessary to democracy because they enable corporations to influence the government which regulates them.
Discuss.
And don’t forget the fat, no-bid government contracts that a lot of corporations live off of. Pete Peterson and Blackstone have grown rich in part by administering public pension funds. And what about Halliburton?
did someone actually say this or is it just a figment of zasloff’s mind just to keep the base stirred up? something tells me it’s the latter.
This appropriate and just too funny not to post. From Kevin Williamson:
“Here are the ten largest donors in U.S. politics as of February 7, according to OpenSecrets.Org:
ActBlue: $51 million
AT&T: $46 million
AFSCME: $43 million
National Association of Realtors: $38 million
Goldman Sachs: $33 million
American Association for Justice: $33 million
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: $33 million
National Education Association: $32 million
Laborers Union: $30 million
Teamsters Union: $30 million
That’s five unions to two businesses and three other groups. Five out of ten is half, by my always-suspect English-major math. And who are those other groups? ActBlue is a Democratic clearinghouse, the trial lawyers are super-lopsidedly Democratic, and four out of five of the Realtors’ top campaign-cash recipients are Democrats.
Put another way, the list reads:
Democratic/Union Goon proxy: $51 million
Death Star, Inc.: $46 million
Union Goons (public sector): $43 million
The Committee to Re-Inflate the Bubble by Electing Democrats: $38 million
The Bankers Who Elected Barack Obama: $33 million
Democratic trial lawyers: $33 million
Union Goons: $33 million
Union Goons (public sector): $32 million
Union Goons: $30 million
Union Goons: $30 million”
Link: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/260943/union-power-numbers-kevin-d-williamson
BTW, exactly how do these huge fat-cat campaign donations actually get into the hands of the Democrats so secretly?
Islam will change
I would add:
… they enable corporations to influence the government which regulates them, *and negotiates with them about those regulations.*
i was with an uncle yesterday and we were discussing politics (always dangerous around family). he retired from gm a few years ago after 36 years, draws a pension and ss. i have to admit, as was he, that i was taken aback to find that he’s still paying those union dues. taken directly from his pension check. cradle to grave…what a racket.
the other thing that shocked me; he’d support donald trump if he ran. i hope the scrapes on the bottom of my jaw heal soon.
“It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government.”
–A.F.L.-C.I.O President George Meany
“All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service.”
–Franklin D. Roosevelt
As for corporate campaign contributions: amend the constitution if you want it changed.
Teachers, Nurses and Janitors employed by the state of WI: Union Goons
Kansas Billionaires who fund issue ads under the cover of Americans For Prosperity: Hardworking Entrepreneurs.
Got it.
There is no question that on the federal level at least, the allowing of public employee unions was a political act. Wisconsin, of course, had unions long before that. At this point it is crystal clear that Walker’s purpose is to try and destroy one remaining source of Democratic monetary support, a political move. The argument that unions cause memebers to pay dues even when they do not want to be memebers and did not vote for a union is the same “free rider” issue which has tea partiers up in arms about the mandate in the BFD. They have a point and if you could deny those who want to opt out union negotiated benefits or health care under the BFD, I would be all for their position, but given the impracticality of that they are just wanna be freeloaders. As to the notion that public employees elect Democrats who then give away the store to the unions who helped elect them, I guess Walker winning the governorship in Wisconsin did not really happen. The point is there are a lot more taxpaying voters who are not members of public employee unions and they are able to vote out of office those who spend their taxes needlessly for their supporters in public employee unions. I mean does this argument mean that Koch Industries can not sell any of its products to the State of Wisconsin? If Walker had simply insisted that all public employees recieve a defined contribution pension instead of a defined benefit pension, he would have eliminated 90% of the public antipathy toward public employee unions. Of course, that was not his goal.
To be clear, the numbers Buff cites are cummulative from 1989 through 2010.
In the 2010 election 7 of the top 10 contributing outside organizations were strongly right leaning. The other three were unions. Both Rachel Maddow and Sheppard Smith reported this – data from opensecrets.org. I can’t figure out how to search their site for that data.
The most interesting aspect of the data Buff shows is how it has changed over time.
Over the span from 89 on, total contributions from the top 140 contributors listed at open secrets is (math by me)
Dems $1.29 billion
Reps $0.86 billion
Seems pretty paltry for over two decades, but whatever.
Interestingly, 28% of the Dem donations came from donors who gave greater than 50% to Republicans. National Assn of Realtors is about 50/50. Mostly hedge betting corps, though in this group.
Those that gave 50% or more to dems totalled $0.91 billion of their total, and on avg gave to dems over reps by 4.5 to 1.
My take away is that historically dem donations were more ideologically motivated, while businesses played both sides of the fence.
Now, that has all changed. Karl Rove’s SuperPac rules.
JzB
“Public-sector collective bargaining is unhealthy and distorts democracy because it enables workers to influence the government which negotiates with them.”
Suppose that you had a private sector company where the workers elected the CEO and other top officers. What would we call that? Democracy, right? Not a distortion of democracy. Democracy. 🙂
Buff,
You missed all the unwarranted influence from the military industrial complex’ Trillion dollars in risky transactions the DoD plans to make in the five years starting in FY 2011. You can get that from GAO-11-394T report on high risk activities of the US government issued last week.
How much money goes out to overpaid for ‘make work’ for retired military officers walking though the revolving door?
And how much is brought in through K St not reported?
And how much is Northrop threatening lay offs in Newport News keeping the unneeded Ford class carriers going?
Just a few examples of unwarranted influence…………
At the DoD tossing around 20% odd of US government outlays, and half the entire worlds spending on military thingies.
Kevin,
I along with CoRev (he and I disagree, mostly) am a retired federal employee under the old defined benefit system.
‘
We needed no bargaining, our unions run to congress and the Pendalton Act established “merit systems” and title 5 United States Code defining conditions of employment and prohibited personnel acts which are better bases for employee employer negotiations and protections than any collective bargaining agreement.
Pay may not have been the best, but 26 days annual leave, unlimited accumulation of sick time, 10 holidays, and entertainment of watching the military guys who thought they had a clue……………
Pendalton act in 1888 is better than anything UAW or USW had, ever.
I am pretty sure that FDR knew the Pendalton Act and was thinking along those line.
They do not have unions for military either, but I am a life member of reserve officers’ association, Air Force guys like buff can get help from Air Force Associations, Army guys have Association of the US Army, and I think Navy has a similar lobbying group, all with many years experience, a good war chest and links to the unwarranted influence of the military industrial complex.
So…………………
Who needs no unions nor collective bargaining agreements, when DoD tosses a trillion bucks a year out the door?
But in the corporatists mind some are more equal than others.
Wage slaves just show you love a declining standard of living, and hope we don’t get rid of you……………………………
Coool buff. Maybe we can chart that. Any one.? I am sure part of the deal was prodding and such …seems to happen a lot lately. But then….maybe a couple posts can result.
Ah….where is juan when you need a great link.
It is illegal for a federal employee or a D.C. employee to strike. That’s also the case for members of the military. Removing this ability from a collective bargaining unit removes a main weapon in labor negotiations. It’s how President Obama and Congress can propose cuts to the federal workforce and not have to worry about a public relations disaster.
In a labor dispute between a public sector union and a governor/mayor, who represents the interests of future taxpayers? The guy serving a 4 year term? Who represents the student? The union? Please.
What we all want is higher pay for excellent teachers (yea, even most Republicans). What we get instead are larger administrative staffs, higher pay for non-teachers in the education sector, and waste in areas outside the classroom. That’s why Milwaukee public schools can spend $16,400 per student and the individual teaching 28 of those students only makes $56,000. Where’s the rest of the money going?
Dan,
You may want to also consider using the following 501(c)(3) organization as well as open secrets. They use their data, but provide some rather remarkable breakdowns.
Follow The Money
http://www.followthemoney.org/index.phtml
In the private sector unions protect workers from extreme or detrimental management actions. In most public sector organizations that function is performed by a merit protection system.
In both systems in non-manufacturing environments salary increases are most often negotiated by individuals via promotions/job changes. Wage increases are more often based upon COLAs.
In the public environment what does a union add? In the public environment what is the role of the taxpayer? In the public environment what role does the politician play, and does it conflict with their official role?
Tell us again the benefits to workers and tax payers that unions provide.
Unions bring a measure of democracy and due process into the workplace. Most workers understand that role as beneficial to them and realize without the countervailing influence of union organization they are at the mercy of managers of varying competence and diligence.
When I was organizing for the machinists ca 1980 it was an easy sell once I explained how the union protected due process in promotions and layoffs. A lot of my coworkers didn’t realize that those due processes depended critically on union organization. Once they learned about it they usually signed up.
When government officials presume to limit the organizing rights of their workers, my rights as a worker are endangered. I attended a rally last weekend here in Austin in support for the workers in WI and I am helping to organize another. I am wearing red and white every day (WI colors) until this strike is settled.
And just in case CoRev missed the point, it’s called Solidarity.
Tell me again why the Koch brothers are afraid of popular movements that emphasize the common interests of wealthy athletes, movie stars, teachers, nurses, truck drivers and janitors.
AS, you reinforced my comment re: private sector union performance/needs. What you missed with your enecdote was rhat the public sector also haves Merit Protection regulations that perform the same functions as unions.
AS, you reinforced my comment re: private sector union performance/needs. What you missed with your enecdote was rhat the public sector also has Merit Protection regulations that perform the same functions as unions.
What you missed was that if my public sector brothers and sisters think they need union representation in addition to the regulations you cited then I support their struggle without reservation or hesitation. I’ll explain it again: If public sector workers rights of free association and union representation are threatened so are mine. It’s not that difficult to understand unless you’re a highly regarded billionaire.
For all your condescension regarding the need for unions in the public sector maybe you can riddle this one: Why has the most obvious impact of Governor Walker’s planned innovation in public sector labor relations been an overall increase in successful organizing of those same workers? If things are as you say, why for example has the faculty of UW-LaCrosse voted overwhelmingly in favor of union representation by AFT-Wisconsin? Just this week?
Help me out, here. Try to imagine an answer that doesn’t presuppose the majority of the faculty of this fine institution are either fools, knaves or both.
If you’re not crazy about the first question try this one: Why have recent opinion polls regarding Governor Walker’s plans shown WI voters rejecting those ideas? Why have other republican governors backed away from assaults on the rights of public sector workers to organize?
I brought data to this what do you have?
AS, why did you claim consescension? “Condescension is a show of disdain and superiority in which the condescending person patronizes, or considers him/herself superior and “descends” to the to the level of, the disdained person”
I agreed in part with you. Granted you are passionate, but are you so insecure in your own beliefs to think I was condescending?
To answer your question re: the UW-LaCrosse, your own word: solidarity with their brother and sisters in education.
AS, why did you claim condescension? “Condescension is a show of disdain and superiority in which the condescending person patronizes, or considers him/herself superior and “descends” to the to the level of, the disdained person”
I agreed in part with you. Granted you are passionate, but are you so insecure in your own beliefs to think I was condescending?
To answer your question re: the UW-LaCrosse, your own word: solidarity with their brother and sisters in education.
I don’t need insecurity to note the way you presume to know better than the employees of the state of wisconsin whether or not they need union representation and organization.
AS said: “note the way you presume to know better than the employees of the state of wisconsin whether or not they need union representation and organization. ” Sshow me where I referenced WI.
AS said: “note the way you presume to know better than the employees of the state of wisconsin whether or not they need union representation and organization. ” Show me where I referenced WI. Show me where I said I know better than the public employess of WI. I admit to showing that they are also protected by Merit Protection regulations which replace or are redundant with union functions.
I then asked several question to highlight the underlying reasons there is an issue in WI which you failed to address.
To all,
I just thought it was funny. Hit my funnybone at the time and thought I would share. Thanks to Jazz and MG for adding more data.
BUt I truely wasn’t trying to start anything – just hit me right!
Islam will change
CoRev,
I used to be a dedicated, very conscientious managers, fair in my mind anti labor labor in the NAGE guys’ minds…………….
As a federal civil service manager I “enjoyed” arguing with the union reps, and even being grilled by the union attorney at a grievance which management and I fought through mediation or arbitration I cannot recall.
A little dispute in the realm of the grievance procedure.
Of course, you never had an employee who thought you should have been more “fair” inflating their performance appraisal……………………
Civil service managers, and especially political appointees can violate “merit” or FLSA and get away with it “even in the magnanimous federal sector.
In any place federal, state or local you have managers who go out with misfeasance and malfeasance, and the system especially run by the neocons for the billionaires needs a countervaling force.
But, it just may have been my shining personality that got the union guys to come to help their members……………
See above, merit does not work.
In DoD weapon system acquisition I have seen engineers sidelined for protesting when they were prevented from doing their job and management wanted to accept shoddy performance.
During the peace dividend times the engineering slots eliminated are the missing ones an underlying reason why GAO finds what they write the reports about major systems acquisition not performing and being open to waste fraud and abuse.
Merit, FLSA, whatever, like shoddy performance for something to work requires people, policy and process. It is too easy without counter forces for management to ignore policy and process.
See above, merit does not work.
In DoD weapon system acquisition I have seen engineers sidelined for protesting when they were prevented from doing their job and management wanted to accept shoddy performance.
This is why GAO sees more and more contractors in weapon systems acquisition, because they are not covered by merit and their employers are getting a good job at little effort for great profits, they only keep the workers whho make it easy to receive defective work, so the military guys can go to work after they retire…….
During the peace dividend times the engineering slots eliminated are the missing ones an underlying reason why GAO finds what they write the reports about major systems acquisition not performing and being open to waste fraud and abuse.
Merit, FLSA, whatever, like shoddy performance for something to work requires people, policy and process. It is too easy without counter forces for management to ignore policy and process.
amateur socialist,
In addition to a lot of years as a civil service, and military manager in DoD, I spent a sabbatical as a manager in another federal agency.
In both DoD and DoT I recognized the usefulness of the unions.
Aside from salary and striking, unions counterbalance the power of bad managers, and serve the employee to help work through the numerous rules, regulations and precedents.
I observed the unions generally protected the rights of the worker, while keeping the bad managers from getting senior management in trouble.
If anything the federal employees’ unions should be more active.
buff
not too secretly, apparently.
but you have to remember that the Dems have been voting for the Wall St interests for some time now. Don’t be fooled by the labels.
I can’t speak for the whole party, but my local Democrats are sold out entirely. The party management keeps the party faithful busy with do gooder programs, and completely clueless about the economy, including SS.
CoRev
no. the rules are routinely violated by the bosses without a union looking over their shoulder. even the union is usually pretty weak since most of its members are hoping to become bosses.
Dale, that may be your history, but my own is that the only job that I ever lost was with a big international union headquarters.
OTH, the only other incident I experienced was won in appeal and the manager written up. He and his boss, both ended up in one of those set aside rooms with no responsibility. Both eventually left government service.
So let’s see how Americans for Prosperity has fared with their investment:
Public sector union members more popular with public than ever – FAIL
Union organizing efforts continue to be successful among state employees – FAIL
Governor Walker’s efforts in WI reduce his approval ratings including among GOPers – FAIL
And just to put salt on it, the state democratic party has now initiated formal recall petition drives against 8 GOP state senators. Since some of them barely won their blueish districts this may turn the legislature back to the democrats even before the next election. Bonus! Thanks Koch Brothers for waking up middle class voters in WI!