Spread the misery to public-sector jobs too
The Times’ article “State’s expense is hardest to cut” [page one, Feb. 7] says “wages and benefits for teachers and state workers make up 60 percent of the budget.” Negotiations of public employees’ labor contracts have a flaw.
Private-sector union negotiators face businesses protecting their stockholders’ — or their own — financial interests, providing a stiff backbone against union demands. Those negotiating public workers’ labor agreements have no such direct pocketbook reason to resist unions’ demands.
Instead they have a great desire to meet union demands since they not only receive election-campaign support but also receive votes from union members. There is really nobody looking out for us citizens in such negotiations.
In these dire times — with governments facing huge deficits and citizens everywhere facing grim losses — there is no reason why union workers in public-sector jobs should not share in the ordeal.
— Spencer Higley, Edmonds
Decrease ‘manager’ positions
While I agree with The Times that the more than friendly relationship between the public-sector unions and the Democrats who control state government contributes to the current budget problems, I think that you’ve entirely missed another — equally significant — factor.
During my time as an employee of two different state agencies, I witnessed an almost “aphid-like” growth in the population of so-called “managers” within state government. Each new manager not only added larger payroll costs, but it was also my experience that each addition led to a measurable reduction on the productivity of the agency.
From the beginning of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s administration to the time I left state employment, the number of levels of management above me nearly doubled. Based on my observations, such choices as deciding to increase taxes or sacrifice our children’s education are false dilemmas. Quality services can be delivered with a reduced budget if the number of nonproductive — and non-unionized — “managers” are cut back, at least to pre-Gregoire levels.
— Mike Farley, DuPont