Ohio Voters restore Unions Rights To Collective Bargaining

[gamewell45 258]

In landslde victory for union workers in Ohio, voters repealed Gov. Kasich's much touted anti-union laws which stripped public sector workers of their rights to collectively bargain.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-ohio-issue-2-20111108,0,63215.story

[x129K 1,393]

Congrats Ohio!

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Good luck on that re election campaign there gov.

[CBX4627 114]

THANK GOD!!!!!!! Nice job Ohio!!!!!!

[dadbo46 50]

Good job Ohio !

Now. do your negotiating at the table and not by decree.

[EXDC203 38]

N.Y. Unions need to follow suit!!!!!!

[efdcapt115 1,511]

N.Y. Unions need to follow suit!!!!!!

Not understanding this comment. I've not seen anything that would infer NY collective bargaining rights for any public employees are in jeopardy. Source?

[ec255 22]

The proper thing to do is to let the people speak- and they did. Now hopefully when contracts are negotiated both sides have the taxpayer in mind.

[ny10570 745]

The proper thing is to honor all previously negotiated contracts. If you want to change things going forward, that's a different story and the time for the public to have their say.

[INIT915 1,119]

Just remember, it was public employee unions who caused the real estate market to implode and Wall Street to teeter on the verge of bankruptcy, so it's only right that they now pay the price... Wait, sorry, I think I confused public employee unions with THE PRIVATE SECTOR. My bad.

[ec255 22]

I believe gov'ts should cut all nonsense spending and programs - especially salaries of politicians- after everything that can be cut is cut we could probably not have problems funding pensions and benefits-but if that doesn't work is the best proposal to just infinitley raise taxes on citizens to compensate? I want to see every worker public or private get what they are promised- but what happens when the only way to fund those promises is to have massive tax hikes which drive people and businesses out of the state? I'm in the private sector- and I know that if my company goes out of business tomorrow I'm screwed-one of the problems is that high level executives and politicians always get nice paychecks weather they fail or not.

[ec255 22]

And actually, the meltdown was caused by the collapse of the mortgage industry- which was forced by the federal government to give loans to people who everyone knew couldn't afford them. The banking crooks then did what they do best- they turned those mortgages into profit by packaging and selling them to other greedy crooks- when they ran out of dupes- well here we are.And no one went to jail.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

I believe gov'ts should cut all nonsense spending and programs - especially salaries of politicians- after everything that can be cut is cut we could probably not have problems funding pensions and benefits-but if that doesn't work is the best proposal to just infinitley raise taxes on citizens to compensate? I want to see every worker public or private get what they are promised- but what happens when the only way to fund those promises is to have massive tax hikes which drive people and businesses out of the state? I'm in the private sector- and I know that if my company goes out of business tomorrow I'm screwed-one of the problems is that high level executives and politicians always get nice paychecks weather they fail or not.

The New York State Public Employees Retirement System/Police and Fire Retirement system is one of the highest ranked and funded public pensions in the country. A recent audit found the system to be 107 percent funded.

It remains healthy because politicians like some of the former governors of the state attempted to raid the system and under fund it through various schemes over the past decades, but in each case the Comptroller of the State of New York fought and won in the courts on behalf of the retirement systems, and any money that was attempted to be absconded with was forced to be repaid.

Unlike New Jersey for instance (sorry Brothers and Sisters of the Garden State for singling your system out) which is severely underfunded because Governor Christine Whitman was responsible for scheming the system and under funding it for many years. They have a major problem.

Albany, New York can be severely dysfunctional at times, but with regard to the retirement system and an elected State Comptroller as it's sole Trustee; it has actually functioned well and been protected.

New York City is a different system, and I cannot speak to the health, obligations or forthcoming funding issues within that system.

Edited November 10, 2011 by efdcapt115

[efdcapt115 1,511]

And actually, the meltdown was caused by the collapse of the mortgage industry- which was forced by the federal government to give loans to people who everyone knew couldn't afford them. The banking crooks then did what they do best- they turned those mortgages into profit by packaging and selling them to other greedy crooks- when they ran out of dupes- well here we are.And no one went to jail.

Irregardless of who in the banking, mortgage, insurance, re-insurance, stock brokering, derivative trading, commodities future trading industries bears the ultimate or shared responsibility for the financial condition of the United States, or New York State, I can say in total agreement with INIT915; WE....those who serve/d the people in public employ....DID NOT create the mess, and are NOT responsible for cleaning it up, or have to pay some kind of price for their collective bad gambling blunders. Some CEO's around those industries need to step up and lead the way for the private sector, to take responsibility for what THEY have done, and stop pointing fingers at the "Boogiemen in Blue", those who serve/d the public with honor, integrity, and honesty; values which seem to have gone missing in the game of greed that has come to dominate many industries in the private sector.

[ny10570 745]

Over the last 20 years did the employees get to stop funding their pensions because the economy was doing so well?? I guarantee the politicians in Ohio and every other state were at the very least trying to divert their annual obligation to the pension fund to other projects during the boom times of economic excess. Those failures to properly manage their budgets must be shared by the people who chose these idiots to be in charge. If that means future hires get screwed, then so be it, good luck recruiting quality workers. If you have to tax your constituents into oblivion, then so be it, good luck getting rehired. Every decision has to have consequences. Completely farking your city's/county's/state's pension is a failure that should send these politicians to the curb.

The Fed enabled the failure, they did not force it. The changes they made to Fannie and Freddie did not obligate them to enter into the shyster mortgage deals they began to pursue. Every major bank took on the same shady deals because they were all blinded by greed. The fed had no control over the actions of Bear Stearns, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sacks, and the rest of the financial world. Limitless growth DOES NOT EXIST. Anyone who is buying or selling that lie is an idiot.

Edited November 10, 2011 by ny10570

[ec255 22]

Quick question though- how come the municipalitiy's required contributions to the NYS fund goes up so much every year? I heard like 15% in my village this year- i'm not busting balls- an honest question.

[IzzyEng4 427]

FINALLY people realize the workers are NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!!! They must have re-checked themselves or actually realized we all have brains!

Edited November 10, 2011 by IzzyEng4

[ny10570 745]

Quick question though- how come the municipalitiy's required contributions to the NYS fund goes up so much every year? I heard like 15% in my village this year- i'm not busting balls- an honest question.

I don't know the specifics of your municipality but in NYC the pension obligation of the city has jumped. That is because Giuliani and Bloomberg both cut their contributions to the funds with the agreement that they would pay just enough to maintain whatever the current rate of over funding. So now that the inflated gains of the stock market have collapsed the city owes what it was supposed to paying all along. Some smaller communities have faced increased payments because of early retirement incentives to slash their operating budgets.

Edited November 10, 2011 by ny10570

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Quick question though- how come the municipalitiy's required contributions to the NYS fund goes up so much every year? I heard like 15% in my village this year- i'm not busting balls- an honest question.

Honest question, honest answer. There were more than likely years when your village paid very little into the system because the investments the Retirement System was in, did very well. To keep the system in top shape, and properly funded, the yearly municipal contributions fluctuate with the rate of return from; you guessed it, the markets. NYSPERS/NYSPFRS has BILLIONS in stocks, and by the way pays tens of millions of dollars to various fund managers. So the reality is a public pension system that invests in equities markets, and pays quite a few thousand private salaries on Wall Street as well.