On the eve of the Ottawa Township High School teachers' strike, I used this space to examine the differences between public and private employees through the lens of a struggling local economy and a pending labor stoppage.
The argument I tried to make was not about the teachers specifically, but as I wrote at the time, "about whether public employees of any stripe deserve benefits generally not afforded to the people who, by and large, pay the salaries of said employees."
Tim Wielgopolan, president of Local 2819 of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents Ottawa city employees, wrote the next day to take me to task for my stance. I responded via e-mail, and we traded a few messages over the last several weeks. I can't speak for Tim, but that dialogue helped me gain a respect for his angle on the issue, one I hope will help frame my future arguments about organized labor, especially in the public sector.
Where I have the most egg on my face is the most common criticism the private sector levels at public employees: "We pay your salary." While true, that ignores two major points. In Tim's words:
Continue reading "At least 2 sides to every story."
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