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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Re: The Wisconsin Lie Exposed ? Taxpayers Actually Contribute Nothing To Public Employee Pensions
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I'm lucky to be in a district that still includes health care (for me and my whole family) but we're fighting so hard to keep it. We're such a big group that the per person cost isn't really that high...2 years ago, we were told that the district pays as much to insure our whole family as one of the smaller districts charges each employee just to insure themselves...so, it doesn't help anything to break up the group.
The really sh!tty part is that the number of people who will read this article is a fraction of those who will listen to the lies spouted by the state govenrment and thus the "general public" will continue to think that they are giving some great gift to state employees....and continue to think that state employees have it so good on their dime.
I especially like this statement
"...but the argument that the taxpayers are providing state workers with some gift is as false as the argument that state workers are paid better than employees with comparable education and skills in private industry."
My pay as a state employee is significantly lower than the private sector for the exact same job....and that was before the pay cuts, furloughs, PLP program days (fancy new name for furlough) and increased contribution to benefits and retirement.
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Ugh, couldn't agree more! This is the part where I get on my soapbox and talk about how much better the world would be if people actually read the newspaper and knew the facts about what was going on in their world.
The sad part is they've agreed to take on the extra burden of paying more for the pension and health care, but still the governor wants to take their right to organize. Intrusive government, anyone? It's totally political. (And I like that the story also notes that hullo! the government and unions agree to contracts! It's not like this was forced down the gov't's throat - they approved it!!!)
I think they're saying (rightfully) that all compensation is paid by the state...pensions as well as salary. Here in CA, I've already taken a hit to my salary with furlough days. I shouldn't lose my pension too.
Also, the article has been updated and the end sort of dulls his arguments.
Totally agree. With everything going on in Wisconsin, I've heard so much BS about unions and public employees in particular that is just untrue and ridiculous. There is an unbelievable amount of intolerance toward organized labor in our country that just baffles me. People have so quickly forgotten that so many of their workplace rights and perks - whether they belong to a union now or not - exist because of the hard work of union members in past decades.
And there is this incredible demonization of unionized public employees (you know, those evil teachers and police officers...) because they've managed to work collectively over the years and slowly gain some decent compensation. What is with this childish attitude that "I don't get that, so they shouldn't either?" We should all strive for better workplace conditions and compensations; instead of trying to tear someone else and what they've built down, how about focusing that energy to build yourself and your company/organization up?
Not everybody has to love unions, agree with everything they do, or belong to one. But trying to take other people's right to organize away is not right, and bad-mouthing hard-working people is unfair.
You don't have to like the decent pay and benefits you get, but you will get them because dues-paying union members have worked hard for them.
The right has successfully demonized unions, unfortunately. What cracks me up is this implication that unions are big bad organizations who force companies and organizations to do things that hurt them. What planet is that on?! Collective bargaining is when the worker representatives and management sit down at a table together and talk and compromise and come up with a contract they agree upon. Both sides have to agree. So if the company/organization is complaining about being stuck with such a horrible deal -- why did they agree to it in the first place?
It's sad that we live in a world where things like a living wage and the idea that you have to have a reason to fire someone are considered bad things.
I believe the unions have their place but they have WAY too much power. Just in our last local election, the SEIU spent 2 million dollars on a smear campaign against an incumbent county supervisor. Despite their best effort, the incumbent won. I just can't believe how much unions spend on political crap. I feel like union dues could be put to better use than spending millions on campaign adds. I also sub in a district where the substitute teachers are union (SEIU) and I had no idea that when I applied subs were union otherwise I wouldn't sub for that district. In fact, I'm thinking about dropping that district because the SEIU keeps sending me stuff about joining their union. I STILL get money taken out of my paycheck that goes to SEIU whether I like it or not. Not as much as union dues but I hate the fact that my part of my paycheck is going to a union that I'm not a part of. The sad part is, it's perfectly legal for them to do that.
My mom works at our county office of education and was in the CSEA for years because she also worked in the office at my high school. She worked her way up in the county office of education to where she is in a position where she's no longer union. She's much happier without a union.
The district that I work in now (for my intervention job) has a wonderful local union. They have given up a lot without a fight because they love what they do and they are more concerned about students than about themselves. I think the unions should look into choices. If you want the Cadillac health insurance then you pay more. If you want to pay less for health insurance then you chose a different plan. Same thing for pensions.
One of the things I'm reading on the other boards that really angers me is the old "teachers are so well paid considering how little they actually work" I just think of how much teaching suffers when teachers have to work nights, weekends, and breaks to make a living wage.
I have a bachelor's in biology, a master's in educational technology. If I had to spend my summers mowing lawns (as teachers used to do before the unions fought for an acceptable wage and teaching was what women did until they got married) I wouldn't be teaching anymore.
I will agree that teachers are severely under paid considering how much schooling and work teachers do. It's one of those professions you do for the love and not the money.
Teachers who chose their profession because they love it and are dedicated to it are to be applauded. However, "love of the job" doesn't pay the bills, and those who work collectively through a union to better their pay and benefits so they can provide for their families should not be demonized as public employees have been for years.
There are tons of organizations and corporations in this country that spend millions every election to support candidates that are aligned with their causes and interests. It's their right to do so and it's part of American politics, whether we like it or not. I don't see the same push to dismantle or limit the powers of oil companies, for example, which I've seen spend a lot of money to defeat local measures that would have cost them money.
I can't speak for every union, but in mine, I have the option to choose that my dues not be used for any political campaigning (it would conflict with my job). Perhaps you should look into that option?
As you said yourself, some unions are better than others. People tend to have strong opinions about them, good or bad, based on personal experiences. I believe the positives definitely outweigh the negatives even in a weak union or one where you don't agree with everything that's done. I know plenty of people who hated unions until they needed one and got some representation/support.
You have the option to send your dues to charity that you pick from a list the union gives you. The district I sub for that takes money out for the union (even though I'm not a member) doesn't give me that choice. I wish they did.