Public Sector Employee Monopoly Bargaining Running Amok!
Taxpayer funded federal, state, and municipal no-show jobs exist throughout the country. In 2002, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union Local 12 had 9 such full-time union time jobs at the United States Department of Labor. These 9 union officials were working full-time on union activities as union employees and officers and never spent any time working as federal employees. Yet, they were paid by the federal government (taxpayers).
In 2003, the NY-NJ Port Authority Police Department union was allowed to have four union officers/”police officers” spend their entire time working on union activity, and none for the Port Authority. Yet, the Port Authority paid their salaries and benefits.
Now, during the NY City Big Snow Slowdown controversy, it comes to light that New York City taxpayers pay six (6) SEIU sanitation officers to work full time on union business, not city business. BigGovernment .com has the report:
Big Labor and politicians across the United States have transferred union costs to taxpayers. For example, SEIU Local 444 (The Sanitation Officers Association, see related snow slowdown stories) has six full-time union officials who are paid full-time city benefits and salary, yet work 0.00% of the time for New York City. These Sanitation Officers are working on everything but New York City business – including political activities and golf outings – all on the taxpayers’ dime.
SEIU Local 444 – NY City Contract Language (pertinent part)
This is to confirm our mutual understanding and agreement that effective January 1, 2007, the Sanitation Officers Association shall be permitted five (5) additional full-time positions with full pay and benefits pursuant to Executive Order No. 75.
These five (5) positions are in addition to the one (1) additional full-time position with full pay and benefits effective July 31, 1999, that the Sanitation Officers Association shall be permitted pursuant to Executive Order No. 75 which had been funded in the 2000-2003 collective bargaining settlement. [Emphasis added]
This type of union cost transfer to taxpayers is commonplace.
If NJ Governor Christie, other governors, and Congress are looking for a place to cut the budget, taxpayer-funded no-show jobs would be a good place to start. There is zero reason overly-burdened taxpayers should be forced to subsidize Big Labor.
This SEIU waste of taxpayer money is just the tip of the iceberg, a mere reflection of what occurs throughout state and federal government agencies. Even worse, these transfers may represent violations regarding the use of federal, state, and municipal payroll funds.
Public employee forced-union-monopoly-bargaining not only forces workers under union boss control; it also forces taxpayers to patronize union bosses like Mannion. It is time to begin looking at the source these schemes, government mandated monopoly bargaining and forced unionism.