is the employer, it is always harder to garner support. When it is a corporation solidarity is much more easily won.

When it comes to telecommunication workers, refs, ect people want them to get back to work and it's easy to blame the employer and side with the employees. It is my observation that when public workers strike, the first thoughts are my tax dollars pay your wages and you make more than I do. People are also threatened that taxes will have to increase or other programs will need to be cut to pay for the union demands. This resonates with a very large sector of the electorate and certainly not just Republicans. I have several family members who are public employees and have seen this play out time and time again.

It's Big Sports. The Public forgive players rape, murder, dog fighting and murder, etc. They forgive the owners. Big Sports has way too much influence. Plus, their tax dollars have been used to subsidize rich owners (except for Green Bay).

Many of these same people think teachers and other public workers are overpaid and are lazy.

I think most of the former is because of the Bread and Circuses mindset of many Big Sports fans.

They are made to be almost god like in the public sphere. Children are taught this from the time they are very young. I also agree with you on the public's view of public workers. Unfortunately, it is very misguided.

The fact is, sometimes there are public jobs that no longer serve a purpose and need to be changed or cut completely( just as in the private sector). Also, just as in the private sector the management/administrators usually find a way to save their own asses while the front line takes the hits. Many public service jobs are some of the most demanding jobs one can have. Unfortunately, the public sees them increasingly as working against them and not for them. People are angry and in financial distress. Many people never think to blame those on top and still others take a more balanced approach of blaming both the top and public employees. I don't think it is a totally fair argument. When is the last time public workers caused the US economy to crash?

eom

To be delivered?

unless they strike!

Both on here, other websites, and IRL. I have been appalled at the venom directed at the teachers, and at the support for the union refs.

One is a GAME, a child's game played by adults, the other is a child's education. There's nothing wrong with liking Big Sports, but come on. The only people getting so very upset about bad calls are Bookies.

I'm glad the refs got some of their demands met, because NFL refs are all PT employees and are woefully underpaid -- the worst paid of all Big Sports officials. However, I wish some of the support for them went to teachers, all public school teachers.

you don't have to educated to watch football.

Would watch it.

10 out, huh?

But that's not stopping me from traveling 120 miles to see them play Monday night. No fair weather fan here.

Did I forget that sarcasm thingie in my last post? I hate when that happens.

Last edited Thu Sep 27, 2012, 09:28 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm waiting to see how Union busters like Lyan Ryan And Walker explain why it was imperative to have Union trained,BETTER quality officiating back on the field,yet deny the very same reasoning would apply to teachers....Cops and Firemen.....Even carpenters and truck drivers....

I really,really want to see a coherent argument that,even while acknowledging Union=higher quality,it's acceptable,even very good,to have Union workers in This area,that it's BAD to have Union workers in That area..

Better quality construction,bridges,classroom learning environments,etc. are not equally desirable?

C'mon ya lying sacks of shit,you know you can spin it..

ETA:Once they make that attempt,and fail,and they will fail miserably,might not the next logical question be,why then,is your crowd so hell bent on destroying what everyone agrees is better,and will be of greater benefit to more people on all sorts of levels?

That question will of course produce more stammering and stuttering bald faced lying....It might also wake up some of the folks who don't,can't,won't pay attention...

Have Charter Refs. Maybe even allow these Charter Refs to be allowed to choose which players are allowed to play in their games, and be allowed to have under performing or injured players fired on their say so.

I think this is a good idea, don't you? Why waste public money on ref pensions, benefits, and pay? And, anyone who thinks taxpayers money isn't poured into Big Sports needs to educate themselves.

about getting just for the Olympics

are paid less, and an up for review of their jobs. We can bring in a younger, cheaper ref to take their place.

Just like in education.

maybe you mean outsource?

That package is kind of better than the package for the players. I didn't know thats what they would be getting. 150k to officiate 16 games lasting 3 hours without the rigors of training camp etc etc.

Hmm, the average NLF salary is 350k, but the average lenght of time for a Not.For.Long player is 2 1/2 years with no pension. I honestly thought they were making about 35k with other jobs and just looking to make about 50k

but God forbid new refs referee an NFL game. The horrors!!!

We are one screwed up country.

the teachers are getting their raises.

It didn't take a catastophe,on the scale of a blown football game,for that to happen......

they will have pay in the coming years. They have their contract, but the Illinois legislature is going to fix the bond/pension issue by superceding it.

I wouldn't have struck, but HAD I struck, I certainly would not have caved on the pensions, the federal lawsuits/complaints, nor on the District closures. Then again, Karen Lewis may not have been able to strike on those issues, legally.

Watch the Illinois Legislature in 2013. Rahm will backdoor on the pension issue, and the teacher's won't be able to strike legally because it will have been legislative.

...

Many don't want to believe that, but follow the money. How much have you spent on football events, pay per view and merchandise in the last year? Now, how much have you spent on your local public school? Do you vote in local elections, or participate in a Parent/Teacher organization or association?

When we care about education more than football, we will fund it and we will demand that our representatives in Congress fund it.

The only reason the NFL settled was because of one call and what it cost the big money gamblers.

Also: Vegas.

were on the side of Teachers and its Support Staff. Their grievance was over issues in the Classroom which directly effected the children. In most districts with low funding and the de-funding of public education, a lot of Democratic Mayors and Governors have been put in the position to try and find solutions when there are parameters that effect different outcomes. The money that has been spent in the Dubya era for a lot of unpaid policies has been an absolute assault on our educational system. And even the football owners looked petty to the American people when we found out it was only a matter of a few million dollars in an industry that gets billions. And they say us common people just don't get it.