How do you feel about the public sector compensation in your state? Here in Wisconsin, a huge battle is brewing between the public sector unions and the newly elected state legislators, namely Scott Walker our extremely fiscally conservative governor. Here in Wisconsin, the teacher's salary is average. It is their benefits package that makes it so expensive. We also as a state tend to use state workers for everything. For example, state unionized janitors cleaning most or all state owned buildings. There is no way a janitor in this day in age that we need to pay a janitor $45,000/year and a full benefit package, with free health care and retire at age 55. You would never find that in the private sector. Privatizing some of the services would save a lot of tax payer money. Money the state needs to close the budget deficit. I support the important job Teachers do. I do not support their whining, complaining, and calling in sick to work, so they can protest that they somehow have a right to collective bargaining. If their unions would not have demanded such an excessive benefit package (Cadillac health care for free, lucrative pension, retire in their mid 50’s, etc.) we would not have to take such drastic steps. I support Governor Walker in bringing the public sector employees back to earth. We have to understand as a country that the current government expenditures are not sustainable and cuts are going to have to occur somewhere. Our current battle in Wisconsin: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116301539.html
it bothers me, in total, that the average govt worker salary is nearing $70k while the private sector jobs are averaging about $45k... that is a significant disparity and as a govt worker it is virtually impossible to get fired... that is a troubling trend
NY is in the same position. I live in Albany which is the capital, and we have roughly 1.2 million state and local government employees in NY, with a huge chunk of them in the Capital District. I just looked at some census data from 2009, and the average state employee salary is $62k. To compare, the average per capita income in NY is $46k. There are so many state workers in the area I live, and when you talk with them........the work ethic just isn't there, no one is hungry to work hard and advance their careers, etc. They are just hanging on there to make it till 55, and then get out the door on a lifelong state retirement check and benefits. With 10+ years of service they get 6 weeks vacation, etc. Now I'm sure there are some that work very hard, but perception from living around a lot of these folks for an extended period of time is that most are just there for the ride. I remember in a previous job, we had probably 4-5 different state departments that had prepaid us for services in the ballpark of $50k each. At the end of the year, they had used probably 25-50% of the retainer they had paid us, and then we ended up doing ridiculous things at the end of the year just to burn the $$$, if they didn't use it they would lose the funding for their budget the following year. They were literally throwing it away so they could get more the next year. While the commission check was nice, I felt awfully dirty at the end of the day, and that was the biggest reason I chose to move into another division selling only to private non government organizations the following year. The general feeling in NY is that we can't cut the massive number of state employees because it would cause unemployment to rise. Fact is though, the state employees are in place to serve us, the taxpayers aren't here to employ the state workers. They seem to have it backwards. I think they need to go through the entire budget and each individual program with an axe and start cutting. Just my opinion, and I realize that I'm on the extreme right side when it comes to fiscal responsibility of our governements.
Good question. Would like to know this myself. I would think this would be hard to find out since it is not public money.
That is exactly what Scott Walker is trying to do in Wisconsin. He is willing to go to battle with the unions. He is getting slammed by the unions and media. It will be interesting. I think many people want to cut the size of government, but everyone wants something cut that doesn't effect them. As soon as you try and cut something they like, they scream bloody murder. Therefore, nothing gets cut. We are in for a war here.
Get this.... The unions have stated that if this bill passes that their workers will go on a public sector strike. Guess what Walker's response was? He called the Wisconsin national guard and told them to be on alert that they may need to relieve state workers in critical goverment jobs till non unionized employees can be hired. Now that takes balls!!!
Average salary comparisons are always misleading and basically useless. A comparison between like jobs is much more accurate. When comparing gov salaries and pensions you need to compare apples to apples. The "average" salary includes fast food workers (for example) and, last I looked, the gov didn't employ any fast food workers. As far as lazy workers let me give you another perspective. I work in IT for the Fed Gov and there are times when Ineed to purchase a product, lets say software to doa specific job. I have sent multiple emails to multiple people at the same company asking for quotes on a product and never received a reply to my request. I did get a lot of auto replies from different accounts thanking me for trialing their software and to please contact them LOL. I want to give them money and they won't reply. It is always easy to say government workers are overpaid and lazy but the truth is they are no more overpaid or lazy than the people you work with every day.
Bruce, I have no problem with the salary teachers make. I DO have a major problem with providing them with a ridiculous benefit package that you would never find anything close to in the private sector. That is for a teacher that only works 9 months out of the year. And then they still ***** and complain when you try and bring them into line. I'm sorry, we just cannot afford to take every public sector employee and give them free health insurance and free pensions to retire on at 55. The teachers here in the state called in sick in masses where they had to shut down some schools so they could drive to Madison and protest. How would that fly in the real world? It wouldn't; they would be fired.
this is true... they just happen to be protected by a union and are virtually impossible to fire... minor difference.
Great point, as for teacher I get a kick how they have become the punching bag for issues at home. The issue Wis is facing is the same across the nation, here is my issue. The state signed a contract with these unions. They made the deal and if a state can say, well screw it we cannot pay you. We are not going to honor a signed contract. What does that mean for the private sector? Are contracts just null and void yet? If you cannot pay the money for a contract one can just scrap it? Wisconsin state just like others agreed to these contracts, I find it funny greed by the private sector is what caused this mess and everyone praises the private sector. When the Goveners' and congress slash their own healthcare and retirement plans first I will get on board with across the board cuts. A congressmen here in MI got in trouble for using his goverment issued car. Well it was a cadillac escalade. Try this when you get pulled over by a state cop "You get paid to much, can retire to early, and are lazy" Let me know how it works out I find it funny how others are so willing to cut other peoples pay
If you individually negotiated with your company for a retirement package and everyone signed an agreement stating what you would receive and when you would receive it and then, later, the company says, "We aren't making enough money, we're going to tear up our agreement." your good with that? The people you should be mad at are the ones that signed that agreement to begin with. What good are agreements with anyone, unions, individuals, etc. if they can be torn up. Would you be OK with the teacher's union if, when things were good and they were saddled with low wages that they agreed on, they tore up the agreement and said pay us more?
Germ, They are not talking about nulling any contract. This is a bill to give the state more power to rectify future negotiations with the union so they can’t make the unrealistic demands that have for the last 20 years. Teachers are the punching bags in Wisconsin due to the fact the teachers union complains the most and is the most vocal. Not sure what industry you work in but most jobs in the private sector have already taken their cut in pay and benefits if they still have a job at all. Why should the public employees be exempt? Sure there is blame to go around. We can deal with legislators spending too much money on themselves as well. No gripes here. But let’s face it, what is going to fix our financial woes quicker? FTW, Walker used to be the Milwaukee County Executive. He cut his own pay and benefits early on when he held that position. I think the number he costed himself was $300,000 of his own money.
