Public Employees Unions

Franklin Roosevelt questioned public employee unions, voicing the opinion that they had a special relationship with the government and the public.

McGurn: Labor's Coming Class War - WSJ.com: "Labor's Coming Class War

Private-sector union workers begin to notice that their job prospects are at risk from public-employee union contracts."

States Seek Laws to Curb Power of Unions - NYTimes.com:

"State officials from both parties are wrestling with ways to curb the salaries and pensions of government employees, which typically make up a significant percentage of state budgets. On Wednesday, for example, New York’s new Democratic governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, is expected to call for a one-year salary freeze for state workers, a move that would save $200 million to $400 million and challenge labor’s traditional clout in Albany.

But in some cases — mostly in states with Republican governors and Republican statehouse majorities — officials are seeking more far-reaching, structural changes that would weaken the bargaining power and political influence of unions, including private sector ones."

And it's not just in America

The public sector unions: The battle ahead | The Economist: (link to leader with links to articles)

"Look around the world and the forces are massing. On one side are Californian prison guards, British policemen, French railworkers, Greek civil servants, and teachers just about everywhere. On the other stand the cash-strapped governments of the rich world. Even the mere mention of cuts has brought public-sector workers onto the streets across Europe. When those plans are put into action, expect much worse."