With regard to the current standoff between UPS and the Teamsters union, it’s not just about package delivery. If the union goes on strike, it will be inconvenient, but UPS customers will use the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx.
When public-sector workers go on strike, their customers have nowhere else to go. They are negotiating with city officials, who are also public-sector workers and oftentimes former union members, so they are basically negotiating with themselves.
I’m not sure how many towns in Maine are in the same situation, but in Biddeford, Teamsters control the Public Works Department, the Police Department, the Fire Department and the school bus drivers. What happens to the taxpayers if town employees decide to stop or slow down work in solidarity with UPS employees? To me, this illustrates why public-sector unions are not in the best interests of taxpayers and would be a good subject for a little bit of old-fashioned investigative journalism.
Chris Dowd
Biddeford
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