Business

Illinois Study: Public Employees Earn Nearly 29 Percent More Than Private Sector Employees

Illinois Study Public Employees Earn More Than Private Sector Employees

A new study out by the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) reveals public employees in the state may actually earn more than those in the private sector. Up to 23 percent more, in fact.

IPI states:

  • Compensation per state government employee averaged $69,500, which is 23 percent more than the private sector worker average of $56,500. Much of the difference was in employer-paid benefits, which were more than 1.5 times that of private employees. State employees received 16 percent more in wages and salaries than private employees.
  • Compensation per local government employee averaged $63,100, which is 12 percent more than the private sector worker average of $56,500. Much of the difference was in employer-paid benefits, which were more than 1.5 times that of private employees. Local government employees received 4 percent more in wages and salaries than private employees.

    • Compensation Per Hour Worked: The gap between state and private employee compensation is greater per hour worked. The more generous state government paid time off policies raise the state government employee compensation advantage to 28.8 percent over private employees.

According to IPI, however, the above data may “understate” a difference between government and private employee compensation in the state. IPI’s executive summary also alleges llinois State has “underpaid” its annual pension and retiree health care obligations “for some time.” The deficits, according to IPI, amounted to $2 billion in 2008 and have yet to be paid.

IPI also asserts if the state had made the payments “on time,” state employee compensation would be even higher. IPI then adds that the cost of these unpaid debts has been passed along to Illinois taxpayers:

    • There also is evidence of underpayment of annual pension and retiree health care obligations in local governments, though the extent of underfunding is undetermined.

    Further, the cost to taxpayers has been increased by the failure to make on-time payments, because of the obligation to pay interest on deficient balances (interest that would otherwise be earned by the funds). However, this is not a cost of employee compensation, but rather results from the state’s financial management difficulties.

IPI provides a video summarizing the study:

Comments (93)

1 2 3
  • RightPolitically
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:59pm

    We have allowed government to become our Master. We the People are now the enslaved and it is we who must MARCH TO THE TUNE OF OUR RULERS, the bureaucrat class!

    Report Post » RightPolitically  
  • miles from nowhere
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:27pm

    Union worker is nothing more then a clump of corrupt entitlement freeloaders being parasites on the tax payers.

    Report Post »  
    • EddardStark
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:42pm

      I imagine Illinois private sector workers would enjoy a little more unionization to bargain for higher wages.

      The saddest thing about this ad is that the focus should be on why those private sector jobs are that low paying. How many billions of dollars has the state of Illinois along with its cities and towns spent on tax incentives (AKA Corporate Welfare) to get businesses to open up in their respective communities only to have low paying jobs.

      Hilarious how this site attacks progressive tax systems that would place a higher burden on wealthier Americans as socialist, yet vilifies middle class earners. I guess people on this site just want to see the evaporation of the middle class.

      Curious that they played the first commenter since there is nothing in this report to refute his claims about education levels and time of service.

      Report Post » EddardStark  
    • rockymountain
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:57pm

      My husband is a union worker (teamster) for 30 years now. Its the job that is available to him in this area. I assure you, he works very hard plud they pull $55 per week out of his check to help pay Health Care and his boss pays $900. The pendulam has now swung the other way and we are no longer cared for by these big union bosses, but they have pillaged and plundered his pension. He was to be able to retire after 30 years with $3,000 a month pension, but now he has to work for an additional 16 years and only hopes to recieve $500 per month due to the bankrupt pension with only 1 paying in for every 4 drawing. Disgusting ! And thats only after the gov takes it over and pays 30 cents on the dollar. While on the other hand, the state workers of IL (alot of our friends) have the sweetest deal and have full retirement at age 50 – 55 with over $4,500 in retirement benefits with full medical coverage for them and their spouse for the rest of their life. Most are going out and getting another job which is being taken up for those who really need it. This state is crazy and the teamsters are crooked. How do you stop the madness ???

      Report Post »  
    • spikebu
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 12:34am

      No. The private sector stays within its means. The saddest fact is why the PUBLIC SECTOR job is paying more than the PRIVATE SECTOR job. In terms you might understand…Why is the EMPLOYER getting payed LESS than the EMPLOYEE? It’s a great introduction to the Socialist system, no? WE want the middle class to disappear? Your path leads to Uber Rich and Uber Poor. You are one of three things. The two I just mentioned, or you are hoping to become one of the Uber Rich off the demise of the middle class. Those are the only people I can see profiting off of this abomination. It would be interesting to see your portfolio. Unless you are just mind-numbingly stupid and that’s why you agree with employees being paid higher than employers?

      Report Post »  
    • spikebu
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 1:38am

      Illinois private sector would enjoy a “little more? unionization to bargain for higher wages.” FROM WHOM? Who is going to PAY those higher wages you Nimrod? The Unions are paid by the private sector. Who is it you suggest we (the private sector) bargain for higher wages from? Do you have any contact with your neighbors? THEY ARE PAYING YOU! Bargain my arse. It’s now nothing more than political power. Trumpka is like Tony Soprano. What kind of person are you? I think you’re the one looking to make a profit off of the demise of the middle class. One Question. Who funds your paycheck?

      Report Post »  
    • EddardStark
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 11:21am

      My path leads to Uber rich and Uber poor? You’re the one buying into this propaganda. Smash unions and you are left with the business lobby that would do nothing more than eliminate unions all together. Why do you think private sector jobs pay so poorly? The Walmarts of the world will cut your throat before they allow you to unionize, and people working there are supposed to be thankful for this this? They are supposed accept meager wages, continue to work 34 hour weeks so that they don’t qualify for full time benefits and simply be grateful that they have any job at all? And I am for Uber rich and Uber poor?

      If Trumpka is Tony Soprano who was Sam Walton?

      Stop with this nonsense about tax payers being employers, THEY AREN’T. Huge sections of public workers help their states run PROFITS. Lets say you work at the Port of Chicago as a longshoreman. You are a public union employee and the work that you do makes the city 40 million dollars OF PROFIT a year. The public portion employs 800 people, WHO PAY TAXES, as well as provide the necessary services to support commerce for Chicago and Illinois that indirectly employs thousands of others.

      Report Post » EddardStark  
    • Knewskul
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 4:27pm

      Eddardstark,
      It’s nice to hear a voice of reason amongst all the nonsense hysterial on this website. I would like to add to your point. Some of the most profitable “private sector” companies are in fact more parasitic to the state than the accused unions. Companies like Verizon, GE, Bank of America, and others paid ZERO income taxes this past year. So how cost efficient are these companies if they rely on bailouts and tax breaks so large they recieve a returns? If you add up all the money lost through corporate tax loopholes, it would far exceed the “gross” overpayment of public sector employees. Not to mention the three wars we are in, plus the hundreds of military bases throughout the world. There are three things that are responsible for the economic crisis in this country: the refusal of the wealthiest in this counrty to pay their share in taxes, the speculation and gambling of financial institutions, and the military-industrial complex. It is sick and wrong to target public sector employees as a scapegoat to a problem that is clearly caused by unfettered capitalism.

      Report Post » Knewskul  
    • Becolby
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 10:51pm

      To Eddstark,
      Obviously you are a union worker if not employed by the unions. The thrust behind this article is not even if unions are good or bad, it is about public employee unions. You state corporations use lobbyists. As a matter of fact the top five lobbyists are corporate. But private sector unions negotiate with the management that the shareholders installed to protect thier interests. So you have workers on one side and the money on the other. Public unions payout large (some of the largest) campain contributions to get a mayor, govenor, etc elected. They then sit down and negotiate with these same people. So we have the workers on one side and management who are beholden to the unions (workers). Who represents the money (tax payers) in such a negotioation? That is the problem with public unions. At least in private unions the management must fight for the shareholders or be fired. Why would a mayor not give the public unions anything they want? There is no representation for the taxpayer in public negotiations and it is their money beging bargined over. Benefit negotiations should be between the workers and the money. And dont try to say that public officials represent the public. They only want to be re-elected and union negotiations are closed to the general public so the tax payer is kept in the dark about what is agreed upon. When they do find out, there is usually hell to pay.

      Report Post »  
    • DYNA
      Posted on July 22, 2011 at 1:58am

      My objections to unions, especially public employee unions, is that they have had an inordinate amount of influence on government in both taxation and policy making. It’s as if their vote at the voting booth is suppose to count more than mine. The union leaders have become ideologues that want to usurp authority over the average individual. They promote open borders, they reject voter ID, they exalt homosexuality, they want to have more influence over our children in the public schools and they are advocates of abortion. They encroach on both our pocketbooks and liberty. The Democrats use tax dollars to support the unions while the Democrats are supported by the unions. Consequently the unions have become money launderers for the Democrats. When the government union members spend their discretionary income in the private sector, no one is telling them how to spend their money. The private sector has to compete for it. These union members want the best deal possible. They then want to dictate to the private sector, with no competition, what we have to pay them. And this includes being taxed to pay for people and programs we in our right mind would never chose to spend our money on.

      Report Post »  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:23pm

    Ach! Math! The Left’s kryptonite!

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • spikebu
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 12:43am

      I love it, Lesb! They really don’t get it, do they?

      Report Post »  
  • Barb1954
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:22pm

    Excuse me? ALL EXPENSES of “public” workers is BORNE by WE the TAXPAYERS….DUH!

    Report Post »  
    • encinom
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 1:31am

      Public workers are tax payers also, under payed and hard working. The study in not worth the paper it was written on. It openly admittes to comparing apples to oranges to get its results.

      Report Post »  
    • mfspradley79
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 8:52am

      I work for the govt in a right to work state (non-union) and I make significantly more at my government job than I did in the private world. I also have better benefits, more job security, and much less stress. It is a myth that government workers make less than private, for the most part. I’ve found only life-long govt employees are the ones who spread that myth. The grass is always greener on the other side. I invite them to test the waters and when they are laid off following many 50+ hour weeks we’ll see what they think of the “low paying” govt jobs.

      Report Post »  
  • ezeewhiz
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 10:56pm

    Heres some info I would like to see. Will somebody out there compare what retired goverment workers get as compared to the private sector. working or retired?

    Report Post »  
    • rockymountain
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 12:11am

      Read my post above. In our area state workers are making lots more and are retiring at an earlier age. IL pensions are not taxable either and these reitred guys are flooding our job market around here where he goes out and makes another full wage somewhere else which then puts the pressure on the job market for those that are really needing these jobs. Where as the state of IL then has to have more on the entitlement rolls because those folks can’t find a job. We can thank crooked Gov Ryan for this sweet deal of early retirement. One of his last deals before being wisked away to jail. CLassic

      Report Post »  
  • welovetheUSA
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 10:56pm

    Keep voying for democrats and they will make ten time the private sector.

    Report Post » welovetheUSA  
  • 37381837
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:52pm

    Stop talking bad about Illinois. We’ve got the best politicians money can buy. They ran out of things to f up here so we sent one to D.C. Doing a great job there, pretty much got it F’d up too.

    Report Post »  
    • bak2basics
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 10:22pm

      We sent 2 to Washington you forgot our biggest traitor to Illinois “Durbin” Last year #2 Democrat Cullerton let his 30 some boy take a state car, he got drunk & a DUI. And in the midst of an election & a budget crisis Quinn gives state employees a well deserved raise. And we get jacked with a 66% state income tax increase. There is fewer & fewer jobs etc…
      3 neighbors have already moved out of Illinois in the last 3 months, & we are fixing up odds & ends to put our home up for sell.
      Stay away from Illinois, don’t buy here, Dont bring your businesses here. Turn & Run…Run as fast as you can.

      Report Post » bak2basics  
  • bedspirit
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:35pm

    Why on earth would anyone see these statistics and not argue that private employers should pay more? There was a time in this country when the CEO s didn’t make 30 times as much as their employees. The other obvious question is: are we talking about all private employees including some high school dropout flipping burgers? How many burger flippers work for the state?

    Report Post »  
    • Wilkins
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 10:00pm

      Public sector employees should earn substantially less than private sector employees performing similar tasks, because public sector employment is far more secure than that in the private sector. This is how it was before public employees could form unions.

      Outlaw all public sector unions and let the market determine compensation for the public sector, just as it does for everyone else. This would end the atrocious situation where public unions divert dues to socialist politicians, who then create more public sector employment (hence increase total receipts for the union) and ‘negotiate’ better compensation, and pass more favourable laws, for those same unions.

      Governments would still have to compete for qualified people with private employers by offering an attractive package of earnings, benefits and security, so fairness would be restored.

      The only big losers would be deadbeats protected by unions, and the union bosses. The big winners would be everyone else, benefitting from a stronger economy.

      Report Post »  
    • sooner12
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 10:15pm

      @Bedspirit

      You sound as if you are a government employee. Remember, when government makes a mistake costing thousands of $$ all the government does is raise taxes with no consequences to those at fault because they are generally protected. You cite what the CEO’s make, well when you pay the money for research and development, marketing and product distribution without guarantees that you’ll succeed then you can complain what a CEO gets paid. Besides it’s the board of Directors who decide what the CEO makes. I know from whence I speak since I worked for the government for nine years. I would rather work for the private sector where I am compensated by my accomplishments, rather than just showing up for work.

      Report Post »  
    • Live Slowly
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:00pm

      Really? CEO’s are elected by a board of directors, who in turn are voted on by shareholders who make or lose money based on whether the company succeeds. If a CEO does a bad job you either vote his supporters off the board at the next annual meeting or sell your stock. If he does a good job and the board votes him a ridiculous salary then more power to him… you made money too right? A politician is elected and decides who should pay more taxes. Since there are more poor people than rich people, guess who gets taxed and since you can vote no matter how rich or poor you are guess who gets re-elected. And the last time I checked you cant sell your stock in a city, state, or country if you dont like the leadership. Lastly… MOST OF THE SATE WORKIERS I’VE MET SHOULD BE FLIPPING BURGERS FOR A LIVING!!!!!

      Report Post » Live Slowly  
    • kraphtsman
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:13pm

      @Bedspirit
      Unlike government workers, private sector employees’ wages and benefits are NOT arbitrarily set ( as in, whatever the “ruling” class thinks they can squeeze from the taxpayers to keep their government-employee voting block happy) by a bunch of politicians and their appointed bureaucrat cronies. “Progressives” and their socialist ilk ignorantly and arrogantly believe they can change the basic rules of economics simply by passing laws, writing new rules and regulations, and packing the courts with equally ignorant liberal hacks who neither understand nor care to acknowledge the capitalist basis of successful economies.

      Prices of goods, services and their inputs (materials and labor) are set by the MARKETPLACE, not a bunch of pontificating blowhards who “know better”. Unfortunately for people who think as Bedspirit apparently does, a growing majority of Americans have awakened to this fact: We can no longer afford, as a City, County, State, a or Country, to keep doing business as usual when it comes to subsidizing the bloated ranks of government workers. Especially those who’s unions have become bedpartners with career politicians who are supposedly in office for the benefit of ALL of their constituents. When government workers believe they’re ENTITLED to lifelong employment, at wages and benefits exceeding the vast majority of the working population’s, by virtue of being represented by a union, it’s time to remind them ALL who they work for !

      Report Post »  
    • Live Slowly
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:39pm

      @kraphtsman

      good points man! but was that a dangling participle at the end there? I’m just saying… ;)

      @ Knewskul
      last point… no matter how much you want to beleive anybody has a ‘RIGHT’ to earn a certain amount as a fair wage, remember that there is ALWAYS someone hungry (and i mean that metaphorically… before you go off about hungry children) enough to work for less than you will and be happy with it. That is a fact of life. There is a capatilistic free market even in the most rigidly atucratic regulated societies. Its called the black market. You cannot suppress human ingenuity and will and drive to better oneself no matter how many rulles you put in the way.

      Report Post » Live Slowly  
    • EddardStark
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 12:09am

      If you only read the blaze you may think that unions were the only lobbyists in the world and that public employees are the richest of the rich. Last time I checked corporations spent significant amounts of money fighting union friendly legislation while paying exorbitant salaries to executives and managers specifically to resist unionization efforts. Autocratic moves, such as Wisconsin’s, designed to smash public unions are nothing more than power grabs for politicians already in the pocket of big business.

      If you think public unions are the greatest drain on state and local governments you are an idiot. A short anecdote may be illustrative here: The small city I live in is a former mill town and was looking for economic stimulus. They pulled out all the stops to get a retail center into the city with chain restaurants and big name apparel stores. They seized properties by eminent domain, rezoned huge areas, cut huge property tax breaks for the developer and reworked infrastructure at tax payer expense. All the city ended up with was a couple hundred mostly part time, 8/hr jobs, few of which gave their employees any benefit other than their wage. When the economy fell apart they were left with no jobs, no stores, a bunch of vacant buildings and the interest on their municipal bonds that they had issued to fund the project. Was that waste the work of public unions or manipulative corporate lobbyists preying on a defunct and economically depressed city?

      Report Post » EddardStark  
    • madarain
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 12:31am

      Bedspirit, no one is asking that question because it is not a very smart question. People know that the price paid by the private sector is the real market price for the position, whatever it is. With that as the fundemental foregone conclusion, the only question is why the servants (AKA state workers) are paid more than their masters (AKA the public). Your second question is even worse, the study was comparing similarly demanding job requiring similarly skilled workers…WOW

      Report Post »  
    • Becolby
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 11:38pm

      The private sector pays what the market will bear. Period! Until the government steps in and puts its thumb on the scale.
      And if you think there was a time when the boss didnt make sugnificatly more than their employees, when was that? 19th century? Was that Rockafeller or Carnagie? 18th Century? Was that Washington or Watt? How about 3500 years ago? Were the egyptian rich closser to the middle class? Oh yeah thats right, there was no middle class until the advent of captialism.
      There will always be rich and poor. Econonics is not a zero sum game. Most rich people (in the US) became rich, they did not inherit daddy’s money (Hiltons aside). Rich people expand the GDP and enrichen the country as a whole.
      After all we are arguing about what an employee makes. How many poor people have you ever worked for?

      Report Post »  
  • SandyfromChesterfield
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:29pm

    Well how do you expect the union to pay into the annual pension and retiree health care obligations which still has a deficit of $2 billion in 2008 and have yet to be paid? They needed that money to help elect and re-elect obama. I am sure the employees won’t mind.

    Report Post »  
  • REPUB1
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:11pm

    wait untill the repubs turn the lights back on!!!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • REPUB1
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:08pm

    what are ya trying to say here???

    Report Post »  
  • Knewskul
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:06pm

    This is ridiculous! We should eliminate the public sector entirely. Its bloated and inefficient. Clearly the private sector takes much better care of its employees by lowering worker wages in a time of fiscal crisis in order to make sure its profit margin doesn’t drop. This is good for GDP and therefore good for the American people. This is why we should eradicate unions and push back all labor laws, then there will be no limit it how low of a wage you can pay your workers, and thus no limit on the profit you can make. The soul of capitalism is about exploiting labor for personal enrichment, and America as a capitalist nation should defend this right!

    Report Post » Knewskul  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:19pm

      A few years ago, in my state, there was a big row over state and federal employees using vehicles and state and federal agency credit cards for personal uses.

      They were seen driving state and federal cars, marked as such with that particular agency’s logo and the credit cards showed up in independent audits, to stores, schools, public and private events etc.

      These days the fleets have more than doubled in size compared to then, but the logo’s have been removed and the credit cards can be “used if the employee reimburses the expense”, taking away visibility has only worsened the problem. And in the end the tax payer pays for it all.

      You see, 29% more in take home is only the beginning.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • Live Slowly
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 11:09pm

      Hey, Knewskul… why don’t you split your paycheck with the homeless dude down the street who doesnt have a job (low wage or not)… he has less than you do so it MUST be your duty to share with him right? Its wrong for someone to make more than someone else no matter the degree, right? If you get a dollar raise shouldnt you split it with the guy who only got a quarter raise? Makes sense to me. Put your money where your mouth is… (or give it to someone else, I guess)

      Report Post » Live Slowly  
    • Becolby
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 11:47pm

      Sorry charlie, go back to school. Capitalism is defined as risk for profit. When a small business goes under the 12 employees there lose their jobs. They must find another person willing to give them money in exchange for their skills. The business owner will likely lose much more than his or her source of income. They will probably be finanically ruined. This is why they are the ones who profit more than the ones who’s only investment is their time and skills. Risk for profit. The more you risk the more you should profit. Otherwise why take the risk.
      Imagine a world where every business person had just the number of customers that they, themselves could service. There would be no emplyees. This is very much like an agreian society where most folks grow what they need and trade any surplus for what they cannot grow. Employees were the kids. Of course when most of the World was this way, people lived hand-to-mouth. Any weather, disease, or other set back would ruin them. So is this the World you suggest we live in?

      Report Post »  
  • LadyIzShy
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:48pm

    its true throught out the country NOT always but the majority of the time.. add in the benifits that cost the tax payers SO much and its no wonder so many cities and states are out of money and laying off police and firefighters

    Report Post » LadyIzShy  
  • babylonvi
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:31pm

    May be true for state employees up North and in Failafornia , but I am tired of these generalizations. This is NOT true in the South.

    Report Post » babylonvi  
    • dmforman
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:36pm

      It’s true here in Georgia, so I am not sure what you’re talking about.

      Report Post »  
  • Eff the Poor
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:28pm

    At least they’re consistent…

    Report Post »  
  • Callmekozmo
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:24pm

    what progressives don’t seem to understand is that the private sector pays for the public sector. Public sector is dependent on the wealth created by the private sector, private sector makes money, and gives it to the government to pay the public sector, if the public sector makes more than the private sector can give…. uh oh, that looks like a deficit to me. A deficit that cannot be filled.

    Report Post »  
    • bedspirit
      Posted on July 20, 2011 at 9:57pm

      What conservatives don’t understand is that the private sector is full of corrupt pieces of crap that want to pay you as little as they possible can. They need that money you could be making to pay their lobbyists, so they can write more laws. Thank God for republicans and democrats who are willing to sellout to the highest bidder.

      Report Post »  
  • smash
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:10pm

    There are a few things that really piss me off. One is that the reigious people in this country do nothing to protect the words they love, Jesus, God, etc. They let them just take them from them. Second is the number of comments that only blame, and blame, and blame. They do nothing but read something else and blame. I for one vote for people that I feel will cause a change. I complain in meetings, in news outlets, to elected officials. How many of you commenting Americans do anything to cause things to change?

    Report Post »  
    • kcinco
      Posted on July 21, 2011 at 10:04am

      @smash .. you’re absolutely right. It’s easy to sit and respond to these news stories in the privacy of our own homes. To speak out in other public forums against corruption, unfairness, persecution, etc. is much harder and we risk potentially severe consequences for doing so. But, we have to speak out loudly and speak the truth. I know I’ve been doing more of that as I feel I owe it to God, myself, my family and friends, and the principles this country was founded upon. I’m not going down without a fight for what is right!

      Report Post » kcinco  
  • tom
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:09pm

    This is where the Lib’s God came from!

    Report Post » tom  
  • tom
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 8:09pm

    This is where the Lib’s God came from!

    Report Post » tom  
  • 70S_KIDS_FIGHTING_SOCIALISM
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:56pm

    As another resident of Illinois who graduated college with two 4.0/4.0 its definitely the who you know public employees making the big bucks. While the west suburbs of Chicago non-union blue collar employees are some of the hardest working employes Ive ever seen. They have to make their money by 50-70hrs per week. This is due to companies having less employees to pay benefits for. By the way I work in industrial electronics.

    Report Post » 70S_KIDS_FIGHTING_SOCIALISM  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:52pm

    I also will work until I die and since I am self employed I even pay more in social security tax which I will probably never see a dime of. I’m in favor of minimum wage for all government employees and NO pensions.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • sWampy
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:50pm

    What is most like even sadder, is those public sector workers won’t actually be working, they will be overseeing underpaid private contractors that actually do the job the government employees should be doing but for 1/3rd the pay, so it ends up costing 1 and 2/3rds what it should.

    Report Post »  
  • quicker
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:45pm

    And they are just finding this out.Not only great payed for benifits ,retirement,and great pay.Me shoot I`ll perblely work untill I die just so all these goverment worker are suportted.Gee ain`t life just great.

    Report Post » quicker  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:42pm

    Public employee unions are antithetical to the constitution,even FDR didn’t want them to be created.It doesn’t matter though most of them will be insolvent soon & the communists will be in the streets,think Greece and coming soon California.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • Ella
    Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:41pm

    Tell me something I don’t know. duh!

    Report Post »  
1 2 3

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love