Strike Public Unions

November 24, 2002

by Brian W. Peterson

Since the days when labor unions were first legally allowed to strike in the 1860’s, the standard of living for American and European workers has increased dramatically. Gone are the days of forced child labor, 80-hour workweeks with little pay, and frequent work-related deaths.

Labor unions were the catalyst that saved Europe from Karl Marx’s predictions. Marx believed that the workers would unite in a revolution to overthrow those who profited from the fruit of their labor. Instead, labor unions brought incremental change to both the public and private sectors, thereby easing nineteenth century life into the twentieth century.

The original purposes of unions, first in Europe then in the United States, were threefold:

First, conditions made working a lot like crossing the freeway while blindfolded- maybe you make it, maybe you don’t. Second, wages were woefully low, so the bargaining power of the employees increased with collective bargaining. Third, unions were able to shorten the workweek down from 14- or 16-hour days, seven days a week.

Constitutionally speaking, the government does not have the authority to prohibit unions in the private sector. Even though the need for unions has long since passed when compared with 100 years ago, private-sector employees should not be coerced into nor prohibited from unionizing.

The public sector is a different matter. When President Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers for striking in 1981, he did so in the name of public safety. Legally he was on terra firma, but his case was also strong philosophically. Government services are generally those that the private sector cannot provide, such as law enforcement, firefighting, utilities, etc. When firefighters, the police, and air traffic controllers strike, we are all at risk.

When bureaucrats strike, the execution of governmental services ceases. Though the services provided vary in degrees of importance, nevertheless government employees work for “the people.”

The inefficiency of government is so well understood that defenders of big government never claim otherwise. The incentive to produce excellence is lacking simply because governmental agencies do not have to turn a profit, and because citizens cannot “shop around.” If one does not like the service at the DMV one cannot go to the Post Office to renew a driver’s license. Some state agencies have implemented various service-oriented programs, but these innovations do not reach the heart of the problem.

The three purposes of unions have been fulfilled. Most government employees do not engage in life-threatening activities. Wages may be relatively low in some sectors of government, but no one is forced to work for a quarter a day. In fact, no one is forced to work in the public sector at all. In most cases, wages and benefits exceed that which the private sector offers for comparable work. The third purpose, extremely long hours, are history as well.

Therefore, none of the criteria for unionization of government workers exist. Government employees may have the desire to band together for collective power, but the right is non-existent. They are servants of the people, not a part of private industry. Exceptions to non-unionization- or at least, some form of representation- should be considered for those who have hazardous jobs, such as police officers, firefighters, and highway construction workers. But this representation should be for the advocacy of safe conditions, not for the ability to bargain collectively or to strike.

If government service and efficiency is to improve, employees must be judged on individual work performance, not as groups or by position titles. Only then can government deal with merit like the rest of the American work force.

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Brian W. Peterson writes a political column for the Antelope Valley Press (circulation approximately 60,000) in Palmdale, California. He is a graduate of Oral Roberts University, where he majored in TV/Film. Brian’s weekly commentary and newspaper columns can be found at www.LifeAndLiberty.com.

Send the author an E mail at Peterson@ConservativeTruth.org.

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