It's their right to collective bargaining. They have
that needand JFK answered that need: it is a protected right. NOw, my understanding of thier benefits comes as a result of the scads of money that the federal and state governments have coming into thier coffers to support the boondoggels that they create.
Public employees are at the bottom of the pile, and as is usual in these cases, the bottom is the first place the top goes to protect itself. That's why we have unions in the first place, and public employees are no exception to that.
Here is just one example of articles that have appeared all over the country that counter the argument that public unions are costing tax payers more money than is necessary
ABQJOURNAL OPINION/GUEST_COLUMNS: Public Unions Are Not the Problem These articles and counter opinions don't get as much press because they don't fit it in with the rhetoric of the campaigning right-wing. I fault the Democrats for not making more of an issue of these qualified writers, however the case is a very good one.