School unions have outlived usefulness

Almost every school district around our area is having severe financial problems. There are many reasons presented, including the state not paying up the money they owe. Even if the state could pay up, the schools would still be facing financial problems.

The majority of school tax money goes to salaries and benefits for organized labor. Most taxpayers who sees the listed salaries of our educators tend to think they're being overcompensated. There's a recession going on, yet unionized educators are fully immune to it. This has been going on for years, but it can't continue. The well has gone dry.

When Community Unit District 300's teacher contract expires, simply don't invite the unions back. Do we really think that without unions, we could not staff a school district? Will nonunion teachers produce an inferior product? The beneficiaries of union contracts would have you think so, but fortunately most of us are capable of thinking for ourselves. There are literally thousands of area businesses who seem to manage just fine without unionized employees.

I understand that at one time, unions were needed to eliminate employee abuses, such as "sweatshop" working conditions, gross neglect of safety, forced unpaid overtime, etc. We seldom see that now, especially in school environments. Employees will not tolerate it and shouldn't be expected to. Allow the free market a chance, unions have outlived their usefulness.

Larry Schultz

Hampshire