@js207. Which also means the insurance companies aren't ripping tax payers off, who pay the teacher salaries.

As someone who works with unions in both the US and Canada, I can tell you that this is not a bad thing. We pay our union employees very well, provide more than competitive benefits. I realize not all companies can do that with their unions during these difficult times. I have found our employees for the most part to be very reasonable, open minded, and aware of the importance of a strong, healthy company. If the company isn't making good money for its shareholders/owners, then there won't be more money available to support raising wages and maintaining benefits, no matter how much the employee believes he/she "deserves it" or is "entitled" to it.

I can't say the same for the union leadership though, which seems to have little regard for the local union members or local operations. I sincerely don't believe unions have their members' well being at heart. They continue to demand contracts that simply aren't reflective of current economic conditions. Their argument: We believe its what we deserve.

For too long public sector unions have been able to operate on the concept of "Its what we deserve" without any concept of market competition. And now their their "businesses" are faced with very real issues in the form of budget shortfalls, rising costs, and customers (ie taxpayers) who no longer want to pay the current price for services let alone absorb increased prices (eg increased taxes), these businesses are having to make unpleasant but realistic and understandable decisions. Smart unions will come to the table and work with their local and state governments to make cuts that preserve jobs. Other unions (eg not smart unions) will continue to demand that their members not have to participate in the process of resetting the country so that we can once again grow. These unions will experience the same thing that has occured in Wisconsin. Governments will stand up and curtail union power, hold or reduce pay/benefits, shift work elsewhere, and take even more drastic steps to meet their budget limits.

Just ask yourself. If times got tight for you, would you pay the kid down the street $20 to mow your lawn or would you pay the kid next door $15 to do the same work, knowing that the market price for lawn service is somewhere around $15? Do you really care about providing jobs for kids in the neighborhood? Not really. You want your lawn taken care of at a realistic price. And with the five dollars you save each time you can turn around and purchase other items in the community, which in turn saves or grows jobs. If the kid down the street sticks with his $20 price, he may get jobs, but only if the work he does is 33% better than what the going market is pricing. Odds are though, it isn't. Bottom line, just because he was mowing your lawn doesn't mean he's entitled to continue mowing your lawn.