Union-town strife rises as money grows tight

Well written article with many sides. Its going to be a tough year for all municipalities and taxpayers (both private and public employees). I hope that unions will recognize that we're in a tough financial place and work with the towns. Perhaps then taxpayers will reward that spirit of cooperation with overrides when the towns are in better fiscal shape down the road. Be reasonable, not greedy.

SkipperJim wrote:

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You are living in a dream world. A rising tide lifts all boats and the unions have made the lives of the working class much better. If you make more, you spend more and stimulate the economy, send your chilfren to better schools, live in a better home, etc. You are a parrot of those who would have us believe the unions destroyed General Motors (it was management). Wake up.

Unions certainly were at the forefront of some worker protections. To credit them you need to overlook the fact that at the time their operations were gender biased, racially biased, corrupt, full of cronyism and had significant ties to organized crimes. We thank them for their contributions while being disappointed in many of their practices.

However, those contributions were at a time when their was no real global competition. Unions today stand in the way of progress. They are inflexible and selfish. Maybe that is their purpose but it is obvious that they bear significant blame for their own loss of jobs. No praise goes to management for agreeing to contracts that made themselves look good since the bills didn't come due till long after they were gone. But look at Saturn for an example of how the UAW has costs jobs. Penske needed security from the UAW that the costs could be brought into line and when the UAW would not do it, Penske walked away and the jobs will be lost. Ford just got a similar vote from the UAW although in all honesty since the UAW owns GM and Chrysler I cannot see how they are still allowed to represent the workers at Ford.

It has happened in the public sector. Certainly we should blame the Selectmen and School Committees and legislatures who agreed to contracts that were not sustainable, but the union can work with the towns to find a way to control costs and put us on a sustainable path. I don't see that happening, do you? I would think many teachers would post here and criticize this Wilmington union guy for his "blood boiling" reaction. Blood Boiling? Really?
That should be reason enough to find a replacement for him. And if it is true that the town doen't pay for the lights, then he should be fired for ignorance. Teachers, make a stand! Or do teachers agree that every nickle spent in a town should go into their wallets?

Wondering wrote:

"It may be a drop in the bucket, but it's symbolic," he said. "We have teachers working extra jobs just so they can buy presents for their kids, and the town is putting up Christmas lights. Maybe they should start thinking about investing in their schools by retaining these teachers, who are being devastated by low pay grades."
It's the economy, stupid. Don't like it, get a job elsewhere. The world shouldn't stop so teachers can get a higher income while they dismiss the increased cost of their benefits, especially health care insurance.

Teachers won't go anywhere. If they go to another town, they lose professional status and have to go 3 years to get it back. They won't take that chance.

Couple points:

Christmas lights turn off after Jan 2. Raises are FOREVER

Didn't the unions own negotiation committee agree that the proposal to take 0& this year and a 2% or so next while keeping step raises of 3% or more annually would allow town to not cut teachers would be an acceptable solution?

Would any of the Wilmington teachers trade jobs with Tewksbury at this point? probably not...but would any Tewksbury teachers trade jobs with Wilmington?

taxpayer wrote:

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I agree- I had to laugh at the "working two jobs comment to buy Christmas presents" myself. Are they so far out of touch that they believe they are the only ones doing this right now? Give me a break.

The 2 jobs comment is a literary style. I think teachers should know the definition of bathos, mawkishness,triteness, schmaltz. Those wrods refer to insincere and overly sentimental statements. That describes it. It is meant to manipulate the weak minded. Nobody believes it.

why do public employees think they are entitled to a pay raise every year for eternity?

Why Christmas Lights are better deal than Wilmington Teachers Union:

1. We get a guarantee that all the lights will be bright or we get our money back

2. When one light stops working, the surrounding lights don't stop to chat about how they are being mistreated.

3. Lights WILL work during Christmas vacation

4. Lights will not ask for more electricity every year

5. Lights never complain that surrounding towns give their lights more electricity in comparison to Wilmington

How Christmas lights are like Wilmington Teachers Union:

1. Both are 'for the children'
2. Both hang around doing nothing all day (ok, that's a shot)
3. Sometimes you have to ‘flick’ them with your finger when they stop working
4. When they stop working, you get rid of them and replace them with new, less expensive units
5. There's new ones available every year.

SkipperJim wrote:

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You are a parrot of those who would have us believe the unions destroyed General Motors (it was management). Wake up.

Wake up yourself. The unions made GM uncompetitive, they still are and I don't see them ever being successful. The unions forced agreement to their demands because they would strike if the demands weren't met. There was nothing "good faith" about those negotiations. The jobs bank was insane as were some of the other benefits. What goes around comes around.

why wrote:

why do public employees think they are entitled to a pay raise every year for eternity?

Because when they joined the local-government-employee gravy train they expected to kick back after three years with tenure, benefits, and an easy career with the usual perks without ever working hard to gain those raises.

Wondering wrote:

<quoted text>
Wake up yourself. The unions made GM uncompetitive, they still are and I don't see them ever being successful. The unions forced agreement to their demands because they would strike if the demands weren't met. There was nothing "good faith" about those negotiations. The jobs bank was insane as were some of the other benefits. What goes around comes around.

Here's one take on the GM situation. I have bought and owned only GM vehciles since I got my license 35 years ago. But now that the annoited one has basically handed the company to the unions on a platter, I will never ever again buy a GM product. Multiply that by millions that feel the same way and then think of how many of their customer base GM and Obama have pissed off. Loyal customers don't grow on trees.

D Cook wrote:

Why Christmas Lights are better deal than Wilmington Teachers Union:
1. We get a guarantee that all the lights will be bright or we get our money back
2. When one light stops working, the surrounding lights don't stop to chat about how they are being mistreated.
3. Lights WILL work during Christmas vacation
4. Lights will not ask for more electricity every year
5. Lights never complain that surrounding towns give their lights more electricity in comparison to Wilmington
How Christmas lights are like Wilmington Teachers Union:
1. Both are 'for the children'
2. Both hang around doing nothing all day (ok, that's a shot)
3. Sometimes you have to ‘flick’ them with your finger when they stop working
4. When they stop working, you get rid of them and replace them with new, less expensive units
5. There's new ones available every year.

Not bad---I admit I laughed even at the "shot".

josh wrote:

<quoted text> I have taken 3 consecutive 0% "raises" I quote raise because it's really not a raise. Getting 1%-2.5% every 2 years does not constitute a raise. In fact, does not even count for a COLA. I've been employed with a city for over 20 years, and my salary is $50,000. Big woopy Duckin deal. But, I love my work. Thats the only thing that keeps me going.

If your city is providing you with health care insurance then you are getting a raise, you just don't get to spend the money as you want/need to. Your cost to the city rises every year even if you don't see a pay raise.

josh wrote:

<quoted text> I have taken 3 consecutive 0% "raises" I quote raise because it's really not a raise. Getting 1%-2.5% every 2 years does not constitute a raise. In fact, does not even count for a COLA. I've been employed with a city for over 20 years, and my salary is $50,000. Big woopy Duckin deal. But, I love my work. Thats the only thing that keeps me going.

Here in the DPS...Howie Carr speak, I have no had a raise in 2 years, BUT the portion of my health care costs that I pay has gone from $45 a week to $130 a week. I'm guessing that none of the Wilmington teachers has lost 15% of their net pay to health care increases.

Mr. Kleponis forgot to mention the Wilmington Town worker trucks hanging around the coffee shops and restaurants on the way in and throught the day. A newly hired assistant left the town because of the foolishness.