So what is wrong with collective bargaining? In most states, it denies none union workers the right to work for the state.

Understand that if "collective bargaining" is the rule of the day, as it is in 35 states, folks who want to work for a school district or any other taxpayer funded position must join a particular union or, at least, pay union dues. Their right to work is superseded by state law and the greed of the public union. In such cases, the union determines the individual member's worth and spends member dues as the union sees fits, often in opposition to the individual member. In other words, public unions rob its members of their individuality as a worker and violates their political preferences on those occasions when the union supports politicians or legislative agendas that differ from the preferences of the union member.

I live in California. Public unions are the only agencies with which school districts or municipalities have the right to negotiate terms, schedule work assignments, define the perimeters of individual jobs, determine wage scales, secure legacy programs at differing levels [fringe benefits], and determine grievance procedures . . . . . . among other things. California state statute 3543.3 reads, "A public school employer . . . shall meet and negotiate with and only with representative of employee organizations."

Collective bargaining gives the "collective" an unfair bargaining position. That is why collective bargaining in most states, has secured benefit and retirement packages that are anywhere from 3 to 6 times the size of non-union workers. Wisconsin is trying to end collective bargaining. Understand that such is a "right" only as the state bestows that "right." It is not a human right nor is it a Constitutional right. The state giveth and the state can certainly taketh away.

Understand that collective bargaining, in Wisconsin and other states, prevents the possibility of merit pay for teachers, the end of tenure and even the firing of staff and/or teachers. It stands in the way of county autonomy as relates to the management of county and state funds and is responsible for increasing debt that has gotten to the breaking point.

It is a fact that unions do not care about debt, they only care about their own well being whether the particular government can afford it or not. Unions benefiting from collective bargaining are the kingpin in government versus union affairs on the one hand and [the kingpin] in the union versus union member relationship. The union can and does spend its dues on candidates of their choosing without the permission of the individual member. I -- the taxpayer -- pay all public union salaries and supply all monies spent in union campaigns supporting folks of which I do not approve. "They" take my tax money and use it to defeat me in the political arena. It is time for this kind of nonsense to stop. Maybe, just maybe, that time is now.

End notes:

Some of our information came from the teacher oriented site here.