Workers' demands out of the ordinary

The construction workers unions are demanding raises of 5 percent (15 percent raise over 3 years). The current strike is disrespectful to taxpayers. Don't these unions realize that the current unemployment rate is stuck at 10 percent? The average pay raise last year for salaried-exempt workers was 1.8 percent. People are not only not getting pay raises but also they are getting their work hours cut and take home pay cut. Home foreclosures are at an all-time high. Per the article in the July 1, 2010, Daily Herald, operating engineers and laborers are currently paid between $35 to $45 an hour. What other non-college graduates make that much money per hour?

The construction workers unions state that they need the wage increase because their health insurance costs are going up. Welcome to the club. My health insurance costs and the health insurance costs of the ordinary taxpayer have also gone up every year and they are scheduled to go up again in 2011 by 9 percent to 10 percent. My wages and the wages of ordinary taxpayers have not increased and they are not scheduled to increase. Any increase in construction union wages translates into higher road construction costs, which translate into higher taxes. Guess who gets stuck with paying these higher taxes? The ordinary taxpayer.

Chet Lis

Vernon Hills