The primary function of government-sector unions is to make government more expensive, less accountable and larger. Well, actually the primary function of most government unions is to collect money by force, trickery or government mandate. After that they work on shaping government to serve the self-interest of their members.
The Seattle Times columnist, Jonathan Martin, offers a glimpse of government not working well in the area of assistance to the most needy.
And, not surprisingly, the interests of the union are a factor in blocking the changes that could offer better services to citizens and an effective use of taxpayers’ money.
He writes:
You know whom Inslee does listen to regarding Western State Hospital? The union.
After a meeting and a letter from the Washington Federation of State Employees, Inslee vetoed new authority for Western State Hospital to ease its staffing crunch by quickly hiring advanced registered nurse practitioners to ease the workload for doctors. The veto baffled everyone, including fellow Democrats in Olympia who championed the change.
Message: A crisis is not a crisis if a major campaign contributor asks for a favor.
Jonathan Martin, “The man who stands up for mentally ill patients on Western State Hospital’s waitlist,” Seattle Times, June 20, 2016.
This is another reason why negotiations between the Governor and the unions who funded his rise to power should not be conducted in secret meetings.
An example of union correspondance with the governor here.
