Milwaukee Public Schools send Lay Off notices.

Like all Unions, they always cut off their own people. This is what happens when people control their own paycheck. The ultimate result is that everyone refuses to yield to economic reality. Just because you signed a contract that forces the company to pay you more, doesn't mean the company has more to pay you with. In this case the government. Thus, if they don't have the money, you get laid off. Now your 'minimum wage' is 0. Minimum wage by the way, is the exact same thing. Every time the minimum wage goes up, people lose their jobs. Btw, does anyone remember the last thing Bush did before 2008 when the economy crashed? Anyone remember? Federal Minimum wage went from $5.15/hr which it had been since 1997, to 7.25. It went up in 70¢ increments, the first one in July of 2007. Coincidence? Did you ever wonder why when all the big problems in our economy was in the banking industry, with all those high wage earners, how we had such a problem in the lower class being out of work? This is why. Had nothing to do with banks or loans. And it's not the first time either. Anyone remember a former Bush that got fired for having a recession in 1991? Anyone want a guess at what was the last thing Bush did before the recession? That's right, minimum wage went from $3.10 in the 80s, to $4.25 in 1991. Funny how we never learn from our past mistakes, eh? Sorry.. I seemed to have run off into a minimum wage rant because of the unions. Blame them for it.

It's going to take the rank and file realizing that the union is not as much about helping them and working for them as it is about power for the union leaders. The tenured workers think this is all just fine, they keep their jobs even if they are unqualified or perform poorly. The people who suffer most are the qualified employees who just don't have as many years in the union to get to keep their jobs, no matter how well they perform them. In the case of the schools, the children suffer with teachers who are useless or even dangerous but cannot be fired because they have tenure and by losing quality teachers who get laid off under the strict "last in, first out" rule of the union. Hopefully, now that Governor Walker has set them all free to choose whether to join the union or not, more and more public sector workers will choose not to join the union and finally be rewarded based on merit and not cronyism.

A few years ago it was a choice between laying off teacher or getting coverage for Viagra. In a school district near me the Union would not let the teachers vote on a new contract until the School Board agreed not to change Insurance Companies which they could get the same coverage but at less cost to the district. In one school I worked in the the board wanted to change the policy to include a higher deductible with the district reimbursing the employees on a monthly basis their deductible expenses and the Union refused. The district could have saved over $1,000 per employee a year with no extra cost to the employee and the Union still refused. The Union is all about their power and the kids be d*mmed!

It is too bad that they do not really take care of each other. It is still the kids that suffer.

It happens all the time. Teachers and their union are given the option of having no raises so that everyone keeps their jobs, or having to lay off some teachers and they always choose laying off and then complain about the government that laid them off. Same thing happens to police and firefighters. Thankfully now, because of the mess in Milwaukee earlier this year, we're on to their tactics and we know that they lie.

The saddest part is this is just one event in hundreds going on all around the country. I believed in Unions once. I still think a few have their place, but they need to get out education completely. Our children's futures are too important to let teachers be treated like bargaining chips in a low stakes bid for a couple ridiculous benefits. My best advice for anyone who has the time or money: Homeschool!