Resolved: On balance, government employee labor unions have a positive impact on the United States.

The April public forum topic is timely because the number of public sector workers in unions are outnumbering those in the private sector for the first time in history. I stand in firm affirmation of the resolution, Resolved: On balance, government employee labor unions have a positive impact on the United States. I affirm this resolution for three key reasons: 1. Government employee unions have positive impacts on the U. S. economy. 2. Teacher unions have positive impacts on U. S. education. 3. Government employee unions are crucial to ensure that government employees receive the wages and benefits they both need and deserve. First, public sector unions have positive impacts on the U. S. economy. The reasoning behind this statement is twofold. First, we must look at the impact of public sector unions on the private sector. According to a journal release from the CATO institute, public sector union workers earn an average of $7 more per hour than their private sector counterparts. While my opponent may argue that this is not beneficial, we must see that increased wages for workers in the public sector also create wage and benefit increases for those in the private sector. Dr. David Madland and Karla Walker, both of the American Worker Project at American Progress, write that, ". .. non-union workers. .. receive financial benefits from employers who increase wages to match what unions would win in order to avoid unionization". Similarly, Harley Shaiken of the Economic Policy Institute contends that union gains flow to nonunion workers. When private sector employers realize that their employees may be drawn to higher paying public sector jobs, they inherently desire to quickly resolve the situation. A prime example of this is shown in a 2000 study by the National Center for Education, which reported that public school teachers made an average of $7,000 more than private school teachers. Yet just eight years later, salaries increased enough so that an average private school teacher made only $4,000 less than a public school teacher. This is due to the private sector increasing wages so that their workers are less inclined to leave and claim union jobs with higher pay. So wages are increased for all workers. This is key because overall, it increases purchasing power for the middle-class. Incontestably, we know that as the majority of American workers obtain increased wages and/or benefits, they will be able to buy more. This inherently increases a demand for goods, increasing the demand for supply, thereby increasing revenue into the economy. Public sector unions have a clear positive impact on the economy. Secondly, teacher unions have several positive impacts on the education of the United States. Evidence shows that states with strong teacher unions consistently outperform non-union states. Let's look at some basic statistics that support this. Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, and Connecticut are all known to have excellent public school systems. Oregon and Washington are percent unionized, and Wisconsin and Connecticut are both 98 percent unionized. These may be written off as mere coincidences, with a variety of other factors besides unions affecting the success of public school education in these four states out of fifty. However, according to Education Week, states with teacher unions set the highest standards. The U. S. News and World Report reported that six out of ten of the most successful public schools come from states with strong teacher unions. Reg Weaver, the President of the National Education Association, writes that, ". .. an analysis of results in all 50 states shows a positive correlation between teacher collective bargaining and improved learning". In contrast, states with low unionization, such as Mississippi and Alabama, have some of the worst public education in the nation. These claims are backed with test score data, as highly unionized states consistently score higher than those with lower unionization (NCES NAEP). Lastly, government employee labor unions are crucial to ensure that government employees receive the wages and benefits they both need and deserve. Public sector unions have a long, proud history of fighting for the American worker. The American Federation of Government Employees, one of the U. S's largest public worker unions, pioneered legislation for not only government worker, but also private safety throughout out nation's history. For example, from 1830 to 1835, strikes and demonstrations from unionized government workers actually led to the adoption of 10-hour days for all private workers. In the 1860s, as a result of demonstrations, the federal government for the first time established wages comparable to private wages in similar fields. Finally, in 1935, the Wagner Act provided a means for secret ballots and fair labor practices for all government workers. All this was a result of public workers being able to unionize, which just goes to show how government employee unions have had a positive impact on our workers throughout this great nation of ours. Now it is important to notice that these public sector unions have not only had positive impacts on the American worker throughout history, but also ensure that these workers are still treated fairly today. Government workers are not just secretaries sitting behind a desk. They are cops, firefighters, prison guards, doctors, nurses, teachers, and CIA agents. The nation cannot function without them, and unions are necessary to ensure that their wages and benefits are not cut in times of economic recession. In like manner, we see that public sector unions are often responsible for ensuring that government employees receive the training they need. Many of our public sector workers are employed in dangerous or highly-skilled occupations. Prime examples would be police officers and firemen. This is more efficient and cost-effective than training directly from the government, and helps increase productivity of public sector workers. Government employee labor unions have positive impacts on the United States because they help protect and train the American worker. In conclusion, government employee labor unions are an absolute necessity to the proper function of the United States. Since they benefit and stabilize our economy, are greatly beneficial to education, and help protect the wages and benefits of government workers, their positive impacts must clearly outweigh any negative impacts they may have. For those reasons, I urge a vote in firm affirmation of this resolution. Sources: . http://www.americanprogressaction.org... . http://www.sharedprosperity.org... . http://www.counterpunch.org... . http://intelligencesquaredus.org... . http://nces.ed.gov... . http://www.cbsnews.com...