I am writing to you today to commend you for such a well written article in “Strong Unions, Strong Democracy” in The New York Times. It is a short piece that gets straight to the point: public sector unions are vital to the American democratic system. I agree with all of the major points you raise within the article regarding why public sector unions are necessary: because they serve as a check on arbitrary government power, they are the drivers for a necessary middle-class society, they assist in acculturating workers to democratic norms, and they serve to help all of society, and in particular by building a better future generation of both thoughtful and reflective citizens. I also value you raising all the broad advantages public sector
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Through my Labor Relations class at the Cornell ILR School I have had insightful class discussions and bargaining simulations that have opened my eyes to the necessity of public sector unions. Unions provide the tool of voice for workers, mitigating their usage of exit as a means of expressing their dissatisfaction. This is of special importance when considering public sector workers, as the stakeholders in their negotiations extends far beyond just the workers and the employer. Were The workers to strike, all of the local community would feel the effects. Crime rates would rise, people’s lives would be endangered and the local students would go without a quality education. Although the negotiations may be heated and long, they are vital in ensuring all parties are best suited to provide the best services to the local community. I personally participated in the Queen City Police bargaining simulation and all of these stakeholders were in the back of my mind at all times. It was this conscientiousness that led my team, despite being the representatives of the management side of government, to meet many of the union's needs in order ensure that Queen City was going to receive the best possible police service in its time of need. My argument thus goes beyond the economics side of unions, and takes into consideration the ethics of public sector unions and the power they have towards improving the livelihood of not only the workers themselves, but society as a
Through my Labor Relations class at the Cornell ILR School I have had insightful class discussions and bargaining simulations that have opened my eyes to the necessity of public sector unions. Unions provide the tool of voice for workers, mitigating their usage of exit as a means of expressing their dissatisfaction. This is of special importance when considering public sector workers, as the stakeholders in their negotiations extends far beyond just the workers and the employer. Were The workers to strike, all of the local community would feel the effects. Crime rates would rise, people’s lives would be endangered and the local students would go without a quality education. Although the negotiations may be heated and long, they are vital in ensuring all parties are best suited to provide the best services to the local community. I personally participated in the Queen City Police bargaining simulation and all of these stakeholders were in the back of my mind at all times. It was this conscientiousness that led my team, despite being the representatives of the management side of government, to meet many of the union's needs in order ensure that Queen City was going to receive the best possible police service in its time of need. My argument thus goes beyond the economics side of unions, and takes into consideration the ethics of public sector unions and the power they have towards improving the livelihood of not only the workers themselves, but society as a