Let people vote on public union contracts

A recent letter in the DH opens with this: "I'll speak in praise of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, because during the continuing budget fiasco brought upon Illinois by Mr. Rauner, it was Speaker Madigan who defended the rights of working men and women to unionize, bargain collectively with their employers and maintain a livable wage."

I'd like to concentrate on that last point, that is, "…bargain collectively with their employers and maintain a livable wage."

No problem with that, but unlike the private sector, where the unions negotiate with the company that hires the workers to produce their product for sale, the public sector unions negotiate with the government, which gets every dime of its funding from We, the People … i.e., the taxpayers.

So, I suggest that whenever a public sector union proposes a new contract, it should be put on the ballot so that the people who actually pay for it get to decide whether to accept it or reject it. What could be more fair than that?

John Babush

Big Rock