[lbo-talk] Right wing to unions: give in

c b cb31450 at gmail.com
Mon Sep 7 14:44:04 PDT 2009


Editorial: Unions must adapt to the times Michigan's public employee unions must adapt to economic times and stop counterproductive tactics This Labor Day presents a moment of truth for public employee unions in Michigan. They should recognize the state's dire economic situation and adapt. Instead, from the union halls in Detroit to the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, there is the same old fire-and-brimstone talk about keeping what they have and the unfairness of city and university leaders.

In Detroit, at least one city union is talking about walking out because of Mayor Dave Bing's demands for pay cuts and benefit reforms. In Rochester, Oakland University faculty union members showed their disconnect from the fiscal realities afflicting this state by striking and shutting down classes since Thursday for the campus's 18,000 students. The faculty union has been upset with the university's demands for a pay freeze, reductions in health care options, cuts in summer pay and elimination of research leaves. It doesn't like a university request to hire non-tenure-track professors. The union also contends that the administration did not engage in serious bargaining until recently.

But some of the administration's demands shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. The school announced in June that it was imposing a pay freeze on its administrative staff and would be seeking less expensive health insurance packages as well.



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