That unions have attempted to equate public unions with private unions is one of the most disingenuous canards ever! They are not equal. Public jobs are supported by tax payers for the benefit of all. They do not create wealth nor is their existence ever to be seen as permanent. If some new public entity or service can do a better job- the old should be abolished in order to streamline for efficiency or necessity. The public union retirements and healthcare benefits are major obstacle in allowing states to effectively run. All Walker wanted was to bring these 2 parts of union benefits into alignment with their private counterparts so that (1) jobs would not be lost and (2) the state could balance its budget. The federal government recognized this same need and in the 70's under then democratic president Jimmy Carter, removed collective bargaining over retirement and healthcare from unions purview.
Why do jobs go overseas?
Unions and government
Everyone loves to blame “corporations” for shipping jobs overseas.
But a corporation—or any business—that ceases to be profitable will soon cease to exist, depriving consumers of whatever goods and/or services it once provided.
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This (from another blog) was so well said, it is worth repeating.
Government employees (on any level) are not employed in a competetive marketplace, and their wages and benefits are paid by the coerced taxpayer, so they should never be allowed to unionize. At one time in our nation's history, there was a legitimate and moral need for "worker rights", and labor unions for certain industries fit the bill. All the legitimate and moral aspects of labor standards (minimum wage, maximum hours, minimum age, workplace safety, etc) FOR THE INDIVIDUAL WORKER are now codified in state and federal labor laws. Unions serve no purpose, today except: to fund political campaigns (from extorted members' dues), to raise the consumer cost of commodities because of an artificial value placed on the labor to produce them, and to force employers to look to foreign labor markets to make profits.