Tuesday, February 16, 2010

In the Mind of a Union Boss

At least he’s honest about it.

Albany Police Officers Union President Chris Mesley says that, regardless of the faltering economy, a no-raise new contract is unacceptable.

And to hell with the public.

“I’m not running a popularity contest here,” Mesley said. “If I’m the bad guy to the average citizen . . . and their taxes have go up to cover my raise, I’m very sorry about that, but I have to look out for myself and my membership.”

Mesley added: “As the president of the local, I will not accept ‘zeroes.’ If that means . . . ticking off some taxpayers, then so be it.”

If you think his thoughts are unique or an aberration… you’re kidding yourself.  Look to your local public union bosses.  Don’t listen to their words.  Watch their actions. 

Hat tip Berry Laker.

(12) Comments
Posted by Owen at 0734 hrs
Politics + Politics - General + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. I’d tell him to go pound sand.

    Posted by Billiam on February 16, 2010 at 1023 hrs


  2. I would offer a 10% wage cut and tell the union boss that we agree, zero is not acceptable.  Then we can negotiate from there.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1030 hrs


  3. No can do, Bill. At least not in Wisconsin, where we have a state-imposed law requiring binding arbitration for the cops, firefighters, teachers, etc. Your local elected officials bargain in good faith, don’t give them ‘their cut of the loot,’ and the state arbitrator tells your elected officials to “pound sand.”

    That’s how public employee wages and benefits only ratchet up, never down as happens in the private sector. Sort of makes a two-tier society, doesn’t it - those who’s fortunes are subject to the vagaries of the nation’s economy, and those who have guaranteed employment security.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1032 hrs


  4. The attitude of that man is nearly shocking… I say nearly, because nothing a Union person says can be truly shocking anymore.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1152 hrs


  5. I don’t know… 

    Some seem to be finding their inner Ronald Reagan.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1232 hrs


  6. Reagan wasn’t all that anti-union, he was actually the head of a union and his first wife blamed the “distraction” of running it with causing their divorce.

    But he was against breaking the law, and that’s what PATCO actually did and why they got fired.

    Still, the PATCO guys were much like this one. They were agitating for better pay and benefits, better working conditions, and a 32 hour work week when they struck. Didn’t work out so well for them, did it?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1430 hrs


  7. Like you say a least he is honest. Thats what this country has become. We work to suport goverment employees. My favorite line is ” that goverment employees work for us”
    This is about the only situation where the employee’s get better pay, Better benifits, And do a whole lot less than the boss.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1538 hrs


  8. Thank God for those honest, hard working Americans who do not allow themselves to be blinded by this socialist thuggery in the guise of public service: Public Police officers, firefighters, teachers, etc….these union people are parasites.  Their jobs can all be addressed through private industry and capitalism.  History has shown that there are no hitches. Less government

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 1619 hrs


  9. I know Duke. I live in the midwest California. I deal with many who think like that yahoo when I deliver to union docks.

    Posted by Billiam on February 16, 2010 at 2021 hrs


  10. Public Police officers, firefighters, teachers, etc….these union people are parasites.  Their jobs can all be addressed through private industry and capitalism.  History has shown that there are no hitches.

    Perhaps some education in history is required? I know that they don’t teach that in school anymore (my daughter has a whole 5 pages on the Revolutionary period in her high school American History text, and more than 75% of those pages are pictures and graphics), but you might look into the history of such figures as Benjamin Franklin who started his own subscription fire service.

    Are there hitches? Yes, Are there hitches with letting unionized government servants set rates for government services provides? Yes. The later is now being a worse problem than the former.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 2049 hrs


  11. Wait a second, isn’t this the same group of “conservatives” who cried foul at the very mention of not bending over backwards to give the police anything it wanted?  Didn’t this group of “conservatives” howl and moan at the very thought of eliminating a few police officer positions out of some boogyman fear that society itself would fall into chaos?

    If it were your local town and the “threat” of cutting some officers were made, you’d be crying about doing the responsible thing and supporting your local police officers.  This particular officer does not deserve any support other than help to carry the boxes out to his car after he cleans his desk out.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 16, 2010 at 2106 hrs


  12. Wait a second, isn’t this the same group of “conservatives” who cried foul at the very mention of not bending over backwards to give the police anything it wanted?  Didn’t this group of “conservatives” howl and moan at the very thought of eliminating a few police officer positions out of some boogyman fear that society itself would fall into chaos?

    I didn’t. I’d say that there are probably dozens of administrative positions downtown that could be eliminated, then maybe we could hire some of the beat cops this city actually needs.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 17, 2010 at 0728 hrs


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.