Joe Siano

Libertarians support the right of workers to organize for the purpose of bargaining with private employers. Collective bargaining empowers employees to attain an equitable share of a business’ proceeds or profits

However, I do not believe that anyone should be compelled to join a union as a condition of employment. Nor should governments interfere in private negotiations between a company and its employees.

The situation is entirely different in the public sector.

Federal, state and municipal governments are not businesses that generate profits. They are public trusts funded entirely by taxpayers. Therefore, there are no profits of which to win a “fair share”.

I certainly believe that our Public Employees are deserving of fair market compensation and benefits packages that are competitive for comparable positions in private industry.

However, I do not believe that Public Employees have the right to hold tax paying citizens hostage through strikes and stoppages of essential services. As previously stated, there are no profits for governments to share with its employees. Increased public employee compensation can come only at the expense of increased tax burdens on citizens.

This is a very serious concern as recent data suggests show that Public Employees are making more money than the taxpayers that support them. (See chart below) Although this chart applies only to Federal Workers, New Jerseyians are painfully aware of the power that Public Employee unions wield within our state. This is unsustainable and will eventually end in a fiscal train wreck.

No one wants a train wreck. It benefits no one. Therefore, we need to find a sensible exit strategy.

Therefore, I believe that Public Employee unions should be outlawed as they do not serve the same function as labor unions in the private sector.

It goes without saying that a number of services that government provides are vital and that many government workers are outstanding in the work that they do. Therefore, Libertarians, such as myself, support the privatization of most government services including schools. This will ensure the best and most efficient service to citizens and provide peak compensation for the most outstanding workers.