[The Globe & Mail reported that during this Ontario election campaign the Police Union took out ads opposing a political party that promised to decrease public service employees — http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-police-get-political/article18952122/comments/#dashboard/follows/ My comment below]
21st Century Despotism — Public Sector Unions
In the 17th Century Montesquieu evolved the principle of “separation of powers” so that governments could be set up “so that no man need be afraid of another”. The principle has become the basis for many governments to this day.
The three powers of government — legislative, executive and judicial — were to be clearly defined so that no one branch could usurp power. Checks and balances evolved.
However, the 21st Century has seen the emergence of a new absolute power in the form of public sector unions — a parallel fourth branch of government. They usurp power through aggressive collective bargaining and ongoing rent-seeking. Collective bargaining is hardly bargaining in any everyday sense because it is secretive and in the end amounts to appeasement for the sake of labor peace. Rent-seeking is a term rarely used due to its dual meanings, but in economics it means the privileges lobbies enjoy as they gain government favors, and consequently, government worker unions are extra privileged because of working within government itself.
I am sure someone else could say this much better and provide more analysis. But, in my view, it’s this fourth branch of government that is usurping power, bankrupting our societies, and distorting what good governance is about.
This despotism — actually, a non-violent invasion — should not be something we helplessly endure.The three powers of government — legislative, executive and judicial — were to be clearly defined so that no one branch could usurp power. Checks and balances evolved.
However, the 21st Century has seen the emergence of a new absolute power in the form of public sector unions — a parallel fourth branch of government. They usurp power through aggressive collective bargaining and ongoing rent-seeking. Collective bargaining is hardly bargaining in any everyday sense because it is secretive and in the end amounts to appeasement for the sake of labor peace. Rent-seeking is a term rarely used due to its dual meanings, but in economics it means the privileges lobbies enjoy as they gain government favors, and consequently, government worker unions are extra privileged because of working within government itself.
I am sure someone else could say this much better and provide more analysis. But, in my view, it’s this fourth branch of government that is usurping power, bankrupting our societies, and distorting what good governance is about.
This despotism — actually, a non-violent invasion — should not be something we helplessly endure.
[3 replies — 1). . . pretty much sums it up! Thank you! 2) Well said! 3)
In the Eastern Bloc under Communism this phenomenon was called the Nomenklatura. Loses in the translation but equivalent to our public sector Sunshine List ! Beware of the socialist nanny state – those who claim to look after you will in fact look after themselves first – as exemplified by our public sector unions and the politicians they in effect control …. ]