CRF, I am a SB5 supporter. Currently serving as a city councilman, and seeing first hand the struggles and the battles with the union contracts, I could go on for pages about the abuse I see in my city. Things have got to change in the govt work place. The tax payers can no longer support many of the provisions that have been given over the years. Locally the IAFF (which is part of the AFL-CIO) has been the worst to negociate with. They have it so good, but it is never enough. I do not think all union members are bad. My brother in law is president of his local union, and he is a govt worker. But the fact is, union contracts have got to change. It is not so much the wages that concern me, but it is the days off, pensions, insurance, etc that has gotten out of hand.
For example, in my community of 27,000. Our IAFF fire fighters made anywhere from $60,000 to $103,000 last year. They then have 24% put in a pension from the city, and we pay $12,000 a year for their healthcare. A fireman works 108 (24 hour shifts) a year. They get 15 sick days, 10 EDO days, and most average around 16 vacation days a year. When they take all these days, they average working less than six 24 hour shifts in a month. But yet it is not enough. Most union captains in our city make more than our police and fire cheifs. And whenever anything goes to an arbritator 9 times out of 10 a municipality with lose. Just the way it is.
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