With their prodigious tendency to waste taxpayer dollars, public sector unions are better off in the junk heap of history. Would that they'd hasten thither.
Strong unions are necessary to keep the stratifying effects of capitalism in check. And since private sector unions have already historically expired, if public sector unions followed then that would be the end of it altogether.
The reactionism of public sector unions also wastes money on useless stuff that benefits the union members & hurts everyone else. When the prison guards in California don't want to let people take money out of the prisons, it seems to me that their interests are juxtaposed to those of everyone else, who would rather the state not liquidate.
One of things that has hurt the public sector unions in IL is that Gov Blago encouraged heavy unionization of the state workforce. The number is quoted to be in the 98-99% range. It's at the point where the governor's political liaisons to the legislature are in a union. The Dems are trying to walk that one back now that the conflict is obvious, but the impression left with the public is very poor.
