We discuss the failure of the US labor movement and the mess created by collective bargaining.

Note the sign. "Teachers pay taxes too." Really? Actually their tax money comes from the non-union taxpayer. (Pictured left) All of this woman's money comes from the public trust. Every single penny.

A Wisconsin taxpayer puts it this wise: "I give them the money, build their schools and pay their salaries with benefits. On April 15, they say, 'Here is a little bit of that money you paid us, back. Ob, by the way, taxes are too high so you need to pay us more."

What does this mean? Well, for one thing, when public servants pay taxes, they are actually returning some of the money given to them by real taxpayers. We -- non-union folk -- not only give them their incomes, we pay them to campaign against political change and political issues most of embrace.

This is part of the reason why President Franklin D Roosevelt and the first noteworthy AFL-CIO President, George Meany, opposed the creation of public unions.

“It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government” are not the words of some right wing nutcase. Not at all. They are the words of George Meany, President of the AFL-CIO (1955). In fact, the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO in 1959 added to the words of Meany as he spoke out against public sector unions with this statement: “In terms of accepted collective bargaining procedures, government workers have no right beyond the authority to petition Congress — a right available to every citizen.” Again, words from the original leaders of the American labor movement.

FDR was staunchly opposed to collective bargain in the public sector. Part of his reasoning is expressed in a statement given in 1937 to the National Federation of Federal Employees.

"The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. Yes, public workers may demand fair treatment. I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place" in the public sector. "A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government."

Understand there is no "labor movement" in the United States. After decades of effort, unions represent less than 10% of the total workforce in this country. In terms of total membership, the "movement" is a proven failure. Why?

Well, speaking for my brother who died a member of the carpenters union, I can tell you this: I made more money than he did as a non-union carpenter. Oh, he made good money when he worked, but he made nothing during those weeks and months he sat around the union hall, waiting for his name to rise to the top of the list.

They stole his dues and spent the money on things he opposed, even hated. And he lived in a state where he had to join a union in order to work. But I am talking about my brother as a member in a private sector union. Understand that private unions represent only 6% of private sector workers. If that is not the very definition of "failure," there is no such thing.

The union has failed as a movement, but more than this, collective bargaining has been used by public sector unions to secure the continued influence of those unions while padding the pockets of its leadership at the same time. In addition, collective bargaining has institutionalized academic failure within our school systems.

The reader should buy the film, Waiting for Superman or go its .com page. The movie is an indictment of the end game of collective bargaining. We give you a trailer of the film. Know that this film was produced by educators, none of whom could be described as "right wing nuts." We leave you with the following comments and trailer of/for Waiting for Superman.

By John Nolte, Big Hollywood

With what’s happening today in Wisconsin we’re hearing a lot about civil rights and workers rights and all those buzz words the Left uses to make something wicked sound noble. The idea that collective bargaining is some kind of right is beyond absurd.

If you want to see first hand a heartbreaking and absolutely frightening look at the human toll of giving these corrupt teachers unions collective bargaining rights, I urge you again to see what is the most important film of last year, the unfairly Oscar-snubbed (for political reasons) ”Waiting for Superman.” Written and directed by Davis Guggenheim, the proud, union-loving liberal who won an Oscar for his Global Warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” not only is this searing look at the devastation unions have brought down on our children an exceptionally well produced film, but it’s also a very personal work from a filmmaker who probably had a Road to Damascus moment.

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Point of post: to set readers on the right track with regards to many of the nation's unions, their unpopularity and the mess they have perpetuated in our schools.
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