From the Economist:

“THE past 30 years have been dismal ones for the labour movement. In the American private sector trade-union density (ie, the proportion of workers who belong to unions) has fallen from a third in 1979 to just 7% today. In Britain it has dropped from 44% to 15%. Nor is this just an Anglo-Saxon oddity: less than a fifth of workers in the OECD belong to unions.

There is one big exception to this story of decline, however: the public sector. In the Canadian public sector union density has increased from 12% in 1960 to more than 70% today. In America it has increased over the same period from 11% to 36% (see chart). There are now more American workers in unions in the public sector (7.6m) than in the private sector (7.1m), although the private sector employs five times as many people. Union density is now higher in the public sector than it was in the private sector in its glory days, in the 1950s. “

The article than goes on point by point, the power and benefits of public sector unions.

At the end of the article, “It would be a mistake to write off the public-sector unions. They are masters of diverting attention from strategic to tactical questions. Undoubtedly the unions will lose some of their privileges over the coming years; the scale of the debt crisis makes this inevitable. But will governments have the courage to tackle the root causes of the problem (such as pensions) rather than dealing with secondary problems (such as wages)? And will they dare to tackle questions of power rather than just pay and perks? If they are to claim victory in the coming fight, they need not just to restore the public finances to health. They also need to breathe the spirit of innovation into Leviathan.”
http://www.economist.com/node/17849199

Yes, will the politicians have the guts to do what they should be doing or will the ordinary taxpayers be force to used civil disobedience, to force both hands?

I believe the fact that the Teachers Unions do use the political energy with the political numbers the have. the votes the generate by use of students as carriers.

They really do not appreiciate that the tax payers pay for more than half their pension, and have a huge capital to invest where ever they wish.  The hour of work are lower than ever and there pay @ benefits
do not reflect the fact the work in reality about 9 months of the year.  One would expect since the youth must be well educated for the future and are the most important aerson in our society.. and the future of our nation.

I found recently that no student fails in the elementary system ?  No wonder the large drop out of students in secondary school .How do they catch up on their failed subjects?  I realize that todays parent does not on the average work to raise children t be polite, respect others, respect others materials.  and no “please and ‘thank ”  Perhaps I am “old Fashion”  But after 55 years as a public school trustee in Sudbury i can not understand why the system does not change to reflect the changes and cost of two separate publicly funded systems. The millions of $$$$  spent on duplications could help many students a remove that competition and mustuple staff at the top of every board in administration that boils ove money and time.

Thanks for the chance to vent!  At 86 years I sure don’y have the chance to see it all be better for the kids or society.

Respectfuly yours   Ernie Checkeris