So How Much Do Public Union Workers Really Make?

Fox News ^ | March 01, 2011 | John R. Lott Jr.

[JohnRLott]

President Obama lashed out at Republicans Monday for having "denigrated or vilified" public union employees. Without collective bargaining and the ability to go on strike, he said we wouldn't be able to attract "the best and the brightest to public service." Are public employees simply the best and the brightest? Or are we simply lavishing them with much better employment deals than their private counterparts?

To measure how attractive a job is, economists study how employees vote with their feet -- that is, comparing the rate at which different categories of employees voluntarily quit their jobs.

Over the last six months, private workers have been 3.4 times more likely to quit their jobs than either state and local or federal workers. Indeed, no private industry comes close to the low "quit rate" for government employees. Manufacturing, which has the lowest rate, still faces twice the quit rate as the government. . . .

[mountainlion]

Air traffic controllers can make over $150,000 and the top ones make more than Department Secretaries.

[mountn man]

" he said we wouldn't be able to attract "the best and the brightest to public service."

Ever been to the unemployment office? The people who "work" there couldn't get or hold on to a job anywhere else.

What a bunch of mutts.

[chickadee]

The really great things about burrowing into one of these bureaucracies are the diversity of jobs available and the opportunity to transfer to different departments without the muss and fuss and trouble of going out to seek another job at a different employer. You keep your sick time, your pension, your vacation time. Once in, most wouldn’t leave on their own.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

” he said we wouldn't be able to attract “the best and the brightest to public service.”

That makes me absolutely ill. From the Presidency on down, there is absolutely no question that the ‘best and brightest’ do not generally wind up in public office/service. More like the ‘bs’ed and lightest’ (and we're not talking body weight here).

[rlmorel]

"...A couple of weeks ago, Obama told leaders of private companies at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that they had an obligation to hire more workers regardless of whether it meant they would lose money on hiring them..."

*GASP*! And that is not a fake gasp...I missed this. He ACTUALLY said this????? He SAID IT?

Oh. My. God.

[kcvl]

Ever been to the unemployment office?

Have you ever talked to the IRS?!

[Max in Utah]

Ideology is everything to this ‘resident.

[kcvl]

had an obligation to hire more workers regardless of whether it meant they would lose money on hiring them..."

That proves Obama is an IDIOT! Not that any of us had any questions about it!

[WOBBLY BOB]

Job Growth Lacking in the Private Sector (over the last decade)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/economy/08charts.html

FOR the first time since the Depression, the American economy has added virtually no jobs in the private sector over a 10-year period. The total number of jobs has grown a bit, but that is only because of government hiring.
The accompanying charts show the job performance from July 1999, when the economy was booming and companies were complaining about how hard it was to find workers, through July of this year, when the economy was mired in the deepest and longest recession since World War II. For the decade, there was a net gain of 121,000 private sector jobs, according to the survey of employers conducted each month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In an economy with 109 million such jobs, that indicated an annual growth rate for the 10 years of 0.01 percent.

Reform advocates are spotlighting those with extravagant pensions
— $100,000 or more — as a way to get the public’s attention and
emphasize that the current system is unsustainable.
http://www.modbee.com/editorials/story/803636.html

Perhaps the real reason why public-sector pension costs have not been tackled is that the full bill has never been revealed to taxpayers.
“The great public-sector pension rip-off”

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13988606

[CaliforniaCon]

RE: “That makes me absolutely ill. From the Presidency on down, there is absolutely no question that the ‘best and brightest’ do not generally wind up in public office/service. More like the ‘bs’ed and lightest’ (and we’re not talking body weight here).”

********************

Correct. I worked some 40+ years in the private sector, never belonged to a union, and all that time it was a ‘given’ that few people in public sector jobs would ever be considered qualified for a job in private industry.

Public service ‘work’ was considered to be a joke, an embarrassment, and to be avoided at all cost by those with half a brain.

[lado]

The reality is that a large amount of public sector workers would never survive in the private sector. Many of them are incompetent, whiny idiots, which is why they went to the public jobs in the first place. In the private sector, you don’t perform, you’re out on your keister. They’re lucky they could hold a job flipping burgers.

They get their buddies to get them jobs from the government and you’d have to practically rape or murder someone to lose it.

This is not to say that all public workers are idiots or are undeserving, far from it. But when our nation is in the largest hole ever, and we keep feeding many of these ungrateful SOBs more of our taxes against our will, this is when we have to say enough is enough.

[jda]

Have you ever talked to the IRS?!

Or tried to get your driver's license renewed?

Or tried to pay your taxes?

Or tried to find out who to call for a pothole on your street?

Or watched a pothole on your street being fixed (three months after you finally found out to whom to talk)?

[raybbr]

"...A couple of weeks ago, Obama told leaders of private companies at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that they had an obligation to hire more workers regardless of whether it meant they would lose money on hiring them..."

*GASP*! And that is not a fake gasp...I missed this. He ACTUALLY said this????? He SAID IT? Oh. My. God.

He has also made statements to the effect that if a business secures a loan they are in the black.

He's simply the dumbest ass possible when it comes to understanding business.

[wbill]

the opportunity to transfer to different departments without the muss and fuss and trouble of going out to seek another job at a different employer.

Buddy of mine took a managerial job with the city. I realize that's not Fed, bnt the bureaucracy is the same.

One of the guys in his his dept was a real dog. Showed up when the spirit moved him, didn't work too hard when he was actually present.

Buddy tried everything that he knew to motivate this clown, then finally gave up went to his supervisor looking to fire the guy.

Supervisor said, "Honestly? It will be faster if you went down to this guys cube, shot him, did the time, then came back here to work."

So, my friend did what was done to him ... pawned this loser off on the next new supervisor that came into the department.

That's your (mine, actually) tax dollars at work.

[chickadee]

** Supervisor said, “Honestly? It will be faster if you went down to this guys cube, shot him, did the time, then came back here to work.” **

---

That is so true. I worked in a state bureaucracy for years. Often the only person who knows the process to get someone fired is the person who needs firing.

[mountn man]

*GASP*! And that is not a fake gasp...I missed this. He ACTUALLY said this????? He SAID IT?

And to think, he's the head of the Executive branch of government. The CEO if you will.

Any company that ran with that type of mentality would be bankrupt in very short order. And thats exactly whats happening to this country.

[kcvl]

I would say, “YES” you have! roflol!

[Le Chien Rouge]

Other federal/state/local agencies who hire ‘unemployable’ people and I have dealt with:

1) DMV—no explanation needed

2) Housing and Community Affairs

3) any agricultural agency— NO employees have ever farmed.Granddad says 20 something feds show up and try to tell him—a 50+ year farmer—how to fricken farm

4) Dept of Energy—have any even worked in an energy industry???

5) OSHA-five come to inspect:one inspects, the other four texts their spouces

6) Alcoholic Beverage Renewal Permit/License Fees—these folks are WORTHLESS

[mentor2k]

WTF is Obama talking about and bitching because of the collective bargining agreement? My wife has worked for Social Security ODAR for over 20 yrs. There IS NO COLLECTIVE BARGINING with Federal Employees Union . . . . YET.