&gt; So labor should just take whatever management and politicians feel like giving them like obedient little servants?<p>They can choose to work in the private sector. Nobody is forcing them to work for the public sector.<p>&gt; How has that worked out in the past? Do we feel that the civil service is sufficiently isolated from rapidly changing political pressures to ensure the rights of workers and to avoid the inherent issues involved in political control of a large group of government workers?<p>The alternative is that public sector unions funnel money to career politicians. The latter are signing checks using other people&#x27;s money (i.e. the tax payers) and it&#x27;s in their (the politicans&#x27;) interest to give in to union demands as they get a voting block come election season.