Unions

Unions are in the news these days. A few quick observations:

i) It’s important to distinguish between private sector unions and public sector unions.

ii) It’s important to distinguish between open shop unions and closed shop unions.

iii) In the past, unions have been beneficial to some degree. The problem, though, is that if you keep demanding more and more benefits, you don’t get more. You don’t even get less. You get nothing.

When unions bankrupt companies, the laid-off employees wind up empty-handed.

Likewise, when unions demand so much from state government that it results in unfunded pension plans, the pensions plans which retirees were counting on go belly up.

This is a predictable outcome which Republican politicians need to drill into the thick skulls of some voters and voting blocks. Sometimes more isn’t more. Or even less. If you demand too much, you end up with nothing at all. Zilch.

Look at Detroit. Look at California.