Wait a minute I am confused now, because did you just actually say that you have people whom represent you all (i.e. lobby on behalf of you all) ?
Then how come unions that are talked about being needed sometimes in the private sector, is seen somehow as such a huge no, no to some then ? It sounds like having someone
represent is a good thing in your mind, but only if it applies to the military and not beyond eh ? Can't the same problems affect workers in the civilian population, and in the same ways that the military is also affected with problems, and this be it in the lower ranks or as pertaining to bennies either being taken or given in these ranks ?
Did you just say go to the congress or government with these many problems, but I thought that is also a huge or big no, no to those who oppose giving government so much power and decision making over us any more, and that we should be down playing the governments roles now in everything ?
Do you want to know what my problem is with Unions? This is a completely different kettle of fish, but here you go.
I see Unions as an exploitive and useless drain in most instances, little more then extortion.
Imagine if I had 20 thugs who stood outside of a work place and demanded that all workers pay 10% of their income to me or they would not be allowed to work. Well, if I tried that I would be in jail so fast it is not even funny. But for some reason, Unions are allowed to do just that.
And if the workers hold a vote and decide to
not unionize, then they still get picketed because the Union can't stand having a non-union shop in an area where many others are union.
Now don't go thinking I am entirely anti-Union however. I do support most unions where workplace safety is a serious issue, like mines, oil rigs, and the like. Here the Unions fulfill a vital role, both in overseeing OSHA and the employers for safety, as well as taking care of the workers or their families if something bad does happen.
But far to many Unions have become institutions, and I simply do not see the reason for that. Yes, professional sports players were once abused by the teams, traded around like playing cards and making poverty wages. But when most league minimums are in the $1 million a year range, does anybody think that will ever return?
I believe that most unions should come and go as needed, not become permanent parts of industry sucking off money that should be going to the workers. And we all know how corrupt they are. At one time Unions provided a valuable pension service. Today nobody trusts their unions for this anymore, they are increasingly trying to shove it all on the employer (along with everything else) instead of actually doing something for that money they collect.
Now for groups like the AUSA and the like, they work off of donations, nobody is obligated to give them anything. And they actually all work together, since we all make the same income regardless of branch of service. So instead of one Union trying to work against another, the Association of the United States Army works together with the Marine Corps League and all the rest to work programs that benefit all of us.
However, more and more recently it has been a battle just to keep the benefits we already have. They were unsuccessful in preventing our GI bill from being butchered 2 years ago, and they still can't get the VA to take full responsibility for giving veterans their medical care.
But at least they stopped the administration from shoveling off disabled vets to private insurance, so that was a definite win.
And your last part really makes no sense at all. "Not go to the Government"? Members of the military are Government Employees, where else would they go to? Everything relating to military pay comes from the Congress and the President.
And no, there are some giant differenced between Military and Civilian employment. First of all, as a civilian you are free to quit at any time. Hate your boss, quit. Job relocating and you do not want to move, quit. Get a better job offer, quit and go there.
We in the military can't quit. We have contracts that mandate us to give at least 6 years of service. So if they pay is not enough and they cut our benefits, all we can do is suffer. We can't even strike or have a sickout. And if the housing we are offered is not fit to put livestock in, that is just to bad.