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Thomas Sowell vs. unions

Ready, aim, fire:

Workers themselves increasingly recognize the reality that there is no free lunch through unionization and are increasingly voting to be non-union. But the word has yet to reach many among the intelligentsia, who still think of labor unions as institutions that benefit the working class.

You can always benefit particular segments of any society at the expense of some other segment but unions do not benefit even the working class as a whole — just those who are current union members — at the expense of other workers, current and future.

(snip)

Teachers’ unions fight desperately and ruthlessly against vouchers, because they must maintain a monopoly of school children under the compulsory attendance laws. Their members stand to lose jobs if forced to compete with private schools.

Monopoly is the key to unionized teachers’ job security — at the expense of children’s education as well as the taxpayers’ money.

In all fairness, Sowell is concentrating on unions generally and not on teachers’ unions specifically.  But go read the whole thing anyway.  (Hat tip to Hispanic Pundit.)