Here is a good example of what labor unions in the US have degenerated into:
Nearly a third of [Chicago] Streets and Sanitation workers miss work every day. Newly appointed Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Tom Byrne has made the decision to wipe their records clean. The commissioner wiped their slate clean in exchange for the union agreeing to a reduction in wages since the City of Chicago has a LARGE budget deficit and was going to have to layoff 323 employees.
Quote:
Last fall, Inspector General David Hoffman concluded that Chicago was wasting $21 million a year on garbage collection crews "paid to do nothing" for 25 percent of their time on the clock.
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As the article mentions, the City of Chicago is trying to move its garbage truck crews from 2 people on a truck to one. When I was a kid growing up in Chicago in the 1970's & 80's, the City of Chicago garbage trucks used to have 2 guys sitting in the cab and 3-4 guys working behind the truck emptying the cans into the back of the truck. Privately-owned, non-union garbage truck companies that provided service to properties not covered by the city (apartment buildings and residential properties with greating than 4 apartments) would have ONE worker per truck--the driver. He would pull up to the garbage cans, get out of the truck, empty the cans, and the get back in the truck and drive to the next stop. The city had 5-6 guys on a truck doing the same job that one employee could do on a private garbage truck.
Whenever the Streets and Sanitation dept was out doing roadwork or filling potholes, you had 1-2 guys sitting in the truck, 1-2 guys with a shovel filling a pothole and 3-4 guys standing around doing nothing. These are all union employees.