[mikester]

Probably should have posted this in the off topic section...

Having worked for cable companies for many years I would say that the telecom employees have it very nice. The cables companies that I have worked for are extremely anti union. If an employee starts to discuss union ideas and spread them to other employees they get very nervous. The fact is health care costs, retirement expectations as well as worker's compensation costs are only going up. If the union things that things will stay the way they are and that their employees will not have to pay some of these costs out of pocket - especially if the company isn't making the money it used to then they are sadly mistaken and I have no sympathy for them.

The cable companies are already offering phone service in many areas and they are competitive for many reasons. One of them is that they don't have to pay union wages. That doesn't mean that their wages are lower or worse really but it does mean that they don't have to organize their labor force the way the telecoms do. They can pay what the market will accept rather than what the union and the company agree is fair. I was always well paid working for the cable companies and my benefits were always competitive. I am in a union now and I do not care for it one bit. It makes it impossible for me to be individually valuable and compensated accordingly. Where is my incentive to be better than the next guy in that situation? If I am - I get nothing for it. Screw that - when I can find something else I will surely take it.

Unions I suppose have some place - but I would much rather have an employer pay me what the market will bear - it is more conductive of a fair and productive economy than unions dictations.

Just my .02 cents.