Republicans in Arizona Plan to Nearly Wipe Out Public Unions

Politics • February 2012 • Views: 1,196

The legislation would prohibit government agencies from collectively bargaining with public employees, including firefighters and police officers. It would also prohibit automatic payroll deductions for union dues and ban compensation of public employees for union work.

“Gradually this would cause people to leave the unions as they recognized that unions no longer have an unfair bargaining advantage given to them by collective bargaining laws,” Nick Dranias of the Goldwater Institute, a think tank that helped craft the legislation, told TPM.

“They’ll realize that unions don’t do much for them.”

Laugh once we remove the ability for unions to negotiate with the state people will realize unions don’t do much for them. God these rich people crack me up but the people who vote for them sadden me.

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10 comments

nines09 Wed, Feb 1, 2012 10:11:03am

Onward to the 1920’s.

Political Atheist Wed, Feb 1, 2012 11:48:52am

With respects to Union champions and advocates-It’s fair to claim in many cases Union power got excessive, out of balance. Look at California’s gov worker pension disaster. And more than a few SAG and IATSE (that’s make up and hair stylists that work TV & movie production sets, real middle class working folk) members from my area would agree that Unions need a major reboot.

Overcompensation like the legislation as above becomes inevitable in that atmosphere.

harrylook Wed, Feb 1, 2012 12:39:22pm

Many states never allowed public unions. I’m guessing they are doing okay. I have worked in government for over a decade, have never been in a union, and don’t want to be in a union. Most union members I know would rather keep their $500 a year than be forced to pay for “protection.”

Locker Wed, Feb 1, 2012 1:43:05pm

re: #2 Rightwingconspirator

With respects to Union champions and advocates-It’s fair to claim in many cases Union power got excessive, out of balance. Look at California’s gov worker pension disaster. And more than a few SAG and IATSE (that’s make up and hair stylists that work TV & movie production sets, real middle class working folk) members from my area would agree that Unions need a major reboot.

Overcompensation like the legislation as above becomes inevitable in that atmosphere.

There isn’t any gov worker pension disaster in California it’s complete bullshit. We have the most well funded pension system in the entire country. I also think it’s funny that this “overcompensation” thing is normally from rich white republicans complaining that their taxes are too high.

I make HALF of the salary I’d make in the private industry. We haven’t had a cost of living raise, which we are suppose to get every year, in 13 years. I’ve just put up with 3 years of furloughs and cut pay, then some joker like you comes along who knows nothing about the issue and talks about overcompensation.

The “fiasco” is deliberate lies and misinformation by the Republicans in order to reward their rich friends. Period.

Romantic Heretic Wed, Feb 1, 2012 2:04:55pm

Another thing: Doing away with unions does away with one of the central rights of democracy, that is the right of peaceful assembly. By limiting this right the GOP has shown that it is political beliefs that determine whether an individual has rights or not.

I wonder how long it is going to be before they limit the other rights because of the ‘wrong politics?’

dragonath Wed, Feb 1, 2012 3:13:41pm

re: #3 harrylook

Arizona is already a “right-to-work” state. What this bill does goes beyond that.

Dark_Falcon Wed, Feb 1, 2012 10:11:11pm

re: #5 Romantic Heretic

Another thing: Doing away with unions does away with one of the central rights of democracy, that is the right of peaceful assembly. By limiting this right the GOP has shown that it is political beliefs that determine whether an individual has rights or not.

I wonder how long it is going to be before they limit the other rights because of the ‘wrong politics?’

That right is not being taken away, the bill would simply prohibit state agencies from entering into collective bargaining contracts.

I support this bill, provided it is amended for police officers, firefighters, and others in dangerous jobs. This exception is based on the idea that if working conditions can genuinely pose a danger to life and limb (as is true of jobs like police officer or coal miner), then unions really are needed to give workers a say in those conditions. But office workers do not need such protections, and absent that need it is my firm conviction that public sector unions corrupt the political process and do more harm than good.

Obdicut Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:33:22am

re: #2 Rightwingconspirator

With respects to Union champions and advocates-It’s fair to claim in many cases Union power got excessive, out of balance. Look at California’s gov worker pension disaster.

California government workers were promised pensions in lieu of pay raises. If the state was planning on welching on the deal, they shouldn’t have made those promises. The disaster was poor planning, it was not in the least bit excessive demands by the unions.

Obdicut Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:34:24am

re: #7 Dark_Falcon

Provide your line of logic for public sector unions corrupting the political process in any sort of unique way. For example, provide an example of it that would not also apply to a business that would prefer not to have unions donating money to a political campaign.

harrylook Thu, Feb 2, 2012 6:35:38am

re: #6 dragonath

So? Massachusetts recently restricted union bargaining rights with regard to health care. It was a good, necessary move to preserve both private and public jobs. Just b/c the unions didn’t like Arizona’s move doesn’t make it a bad move.

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