public sector

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Welcome to 'Unsteady States of America'

 Welcome to 'Unsteady 
 States of America' 
OPINION

Welcome to 'Unsteady States of America'

'Economist' magazine sees Detroit as warning signal to nation

(Newser) - The Economist has a cheery new nickname for the US: "the Unsteady States of America." In an editorial that accompanies a cover story on Detroit's bankruptcy , the editors argue that other cities and states will make a huge mistake if they dismiss this warning. Yes, Detroit is...

Public Workers Have Lost the PR Battle



 Public Workers Have 
 Lost the PR Battle 
analysis

Public Workers Have Lost the PR Battle

Even Democrats are targeting public-sector perks

(Newser) - Public workers fighting to preserve their jobs, salaries, and benefits are running out of allies, the Washington Post finds. Democratic lawmakers searching for budget cuts have joined Republicans in targeting public sector perks. Several states are following Wisconsin's lead in attempting to curb collective bargaining for public workers and...

Wisconsin Law Ravages Union Membership

'There's nothing the union can do anymore'

(Newser) - Scott Walker will learn Tuesday whether the anti-union law he championed was good politics, but if its goal was to cripple public unions, it's already an unqualified success. Wisconsin public union membership has plummeted, the Wall Street Journal reports. The state's American Federation of State, County, and Municipal...

Britain Goes on Strike
 Britain Goes on Strike 

Britain Goes on Strike

Public sector workers strike over pensions, retirement age

(Newser) - Public sector workers across Britain went on strike today in protest of government demands that they contribute more to their pensions and wait longer to receive them. As many as 2 million were expected to strike, according to the AP , making it the biggest action in Britain since 1979. Only...

Troopers Hunt Wis. Senators as Assembly Approves Bill
After 1am Vote, Things
Get Crazier in Wisconsin
UPDATED

After 1am Vote, Things Get Crazier in Wisconsin

Walker abandons deadline for passing bill restricting union rights

(Newser) - Wisconsin's assembly approved a controversial bill stripping public sector workers of collective bargaining rights early Friday morning after a grueling 61-hour debate. Just after 1am, Republicans abruptly cut off debate and announced a voice vote. Chaos erupted—Republicans shouted their ayes, Democrats booed, and within seconds the electronic vote system...

Public Employees Enjoy 12% Higher Pay Than Private

(Newser) - Private sector workers would need to put in an extra month and a half of work time in order to receive the same annual compensation as their counterparts on the federal payroll, according to data from a Bureau of Labor Statistics study. Accounting for educational level, experience. race, gender, and...

Deficit's Not a Dirty Word
 Deficit's Not a Dirty Word 
EJ DIONNE JR

Deficit's Not a Dirty Word

'There's smart debt and stupid debt'

(Newser) - The debate over the deficit is being crippled by a failure to face up to what we need the government to do, writes EJ Dionne Jr. To have a rational debate about the budget, lawmakers should admit that running a deficit during a time of high unemployment is a good...

Leveling With Voters Could Revive GOP
Leveling With Voters Could Revive GOP
DAVID BROOKS

Leveling With Voters Could Revive GOP

Look at Britain: a tough austerity program has emboldened the right

(Newser) - The economy might be in shambles, but Republicans are offering no alternative plan to ward off mounting American debt—insisting on yet more tax cuts and refusing to cut into bloated Medicare. David Brooks suggests they take a lesson from their British cousins, the Tories, who are poised to win...

'Black Thursday' Strike Staggers France

Biggest action in decades tests President Sarkozy

(Newser) - More than a million protesters in France are taking to the streets today in the country's biggest general strike in decades, reports the Times of London. The so-called "Black Thursday" job action is bringing together public and private sector workers, along with students, who are angered by President...

Leave Washington Alone!
 Leave Washington Alone! 
OPINION

Leave Washington Alone!

DC is unfair target of attacks, 'good place in which to live'

(Newser) - Politicians can make a career out of promising to “change,” “clean up,” “reform,” and “shake up” Washington. And while the District may not completely be a shining city on a hill, it’s doing just fine, thank you, Leonard Downie writes in a...

Iraq Private Sector Stalls, Public Hiring Fills Gap

Economy driven by single employer sparks financial concerns

(Newser) - With private business slow to take root in post-invasion Iraq, the government is picking up the slack by hiring a vast army of employees, the New York Times reports, creating an economy far different from what the US had foreseen. Government jobs will account for about 35% of employment this...

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