Too late for compromise?

We live in a country that seems to constantly be on a seesaw. Sometimes the Democrats have the edge, then the Republicans have it. Liberals one day, conservatives the next. I know that those of us who have been in the news business welcome this constant give and take. If everything remained even, there would be little or no news.

For several years, it seemed that unionized workers held the upper hand in this country. With a healthy economy, they could demand better pay and benefits and management would generally agree, since there was a market for whatever was being produced and they knew they could afford it.

As our economy has been on the down slide of late, there has been less work, less money to pay workers and more layoffs. The seesaw is tipping toward management and unfortunately, some of the bosses have taken advantage of this turn of events. There is mounting evidence that the recently elected governor of Wisconsin has seized on his state's dire economic circumstance to attempt to at least weaken, if not destroy, his state's public worker unions.Other states, including Iowa, may also be on that same path.

Union leaders in Wisconsin claim that the governor has repeatedly declined to meet with them to attempt to find a solution to the problem. There has also been an indication that the governor has been in contact with a wealthy California businessman, claiming to be gaining in his goal to bust the union. That businessman was one of the governor's main campaign contributors.

My first exposure to unions came when I was still in school. Several of my relatives worked at Alcoa in the Quad-Cities. Every few years, there was a threat of a strike. The union and company usually came to agreement before any prolonged work stoppage. I remember one contract where union members received 10 weeks of vacation every few years. I seem to remember that my grandfather took advantage of that at least once and spent the summer off growing one of the biggest and most productive gardens in Mercer County, IL.

I have never been a member of a union. Working for weekly newspaper publications, unions were not part of the picture. I was fortunate to work for a couple of bosses who paid me what I was worth and provided what benefits they could afford. A couple of times in my career, the newspapers I worked for were owned by large media companies. I'm convinced that some of the benefits I received (though not pay) were based on what unions at some of our larger sister publications had won through the collective bargaining process.

It has been well documented that some union leaders of the past have been corrupt. Unfortunately, with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing for unlimited contributions to political campaigns by corporations, the possibility of the seesaw of corruption leaning toward some governors is very real.

I don't deny that states are facing major financial problems. But governors and legislatures have to realize that they represent all of the people in their states, including union members. They shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the best way to iron out problems and to maintain a healthy work environment is for management and the rank and file to work as a team. Both sides must learn to give a little. There can't be any more "My way or the highway" mentality." Camping out in the state's capital and waving signs and shouting has run its course. Stubbornly refusing to negotiate and making threats also won't work. The best way to resolve the problem is for both sides to man up and agree to sit down and negotiate as a team, rather than as bitter adversaries.