Why do employees in the public sector make more than those who work for private companies?

Better yet, do what I do, instead of buying the cheap imported garbage that you see in Big Box discount stores like Target and Wal-Mart spend the extra money to get REAL American made products. The "Low Cost Revolution" in retailing has been as much about getting customers to accept lower quality goods as it has been about pushing down marginal costs. Also, those American companies that have maintained their production in the USA are the best of the best, and they usually produce goods of out-standing quality. Also, those firms that have kept their production in the US tend to be companies where the families who started these companies still own a majority of the shares and the salary differentials between the owners and workers isn't nearly as high as you'll see with the big box companies.

It can also be quite rewarding to start snooping around the web for American made goods. For the same price as a pair of hiking boots you get in a typical shopping mall store you can get a pair of US Military grade Matterhorn boots. For the same price as a pair of Chinese-made jeans form the GAP you can have a pair of American Made Diamond Gusset jeans that will last for as long as you're able to fit in them.

1) Two blogs do not make support for your argument. It doesn't support a solid argument when your only links are to opinionated articles.

2) You're comparing 2 unlike things. If you take every job in the private sector, average the wages, and compare that to the average overall wage in the public sector, then yes, public sector looks bigger. Know why that is? It's because the public sector has far fewer minimum wage workers. Try comparing between public and private sector workers of the same education and experience level, and you'll see something very different, namely that the public sector has lower wages across the board.

3) I agree overall that people just aren't paid enough in certain sectors, and overall, I think we'd find a lot of agreement here. In fact, I think you and I would agree on almost everything. The problem is that the pretense for your argument is based on false data. I really feel that most of your actual explanation makes sense, and I agree with a lot of what's said in your two links, but you should be much more careful about the information you use.

Generally, on an overall basis, public servants make less than their private sector cohorts. But it's extremely difficult to compare apples to apples. You can't always find a comparable job in the private sector. That's why the benefits are better in the public jobs to compensate for the lower pay. When the outcry went up about the average teacher salaries in WI was $55,000/ year, it wasn't pointed out that all teachers have to have a 4-year degree, a large number have master's, and that this included administration positions also. If the anti-union pundits had their way, the average blue-collar worker would be making minimum wage with little or no benefits. I do agree that sometimes we are our own worst enemy by demanding higher wages & benefits that lead to jobs being sent overseas where they pay pennies an hour, but if they did that here, no one could afford to buy what's made here.

The dinosaurs that lead the Unions were sleeping during the labour years in power, although the labour government did little to alter what maggie had introduced to hold back the hot heads, running the unions. Now that they no longer have their mouth pieces in an elected government, they suddenly see themselves as the possible saviours of the working class again. We are all suffering with what we have had passed on by the last government and those that think that they are exempt need to think again. Strikes will never solve anything and never have, but it certainly cause more suffering by all, with the end result being a complete disaster. Those that are supposed to lead in the Unions are not fighting for their members, they are only interested in their own survival and without having to suffer like the rest. Like it or lump it, this government was lawfully elected. Sit round the table and talk till the cows come home, rather then create a situation, nobody will be able to rectify.

This recent pressure on the public employees is a result of the downturn in the economy. When unemployment was low and middle class wages were higher, many chose to work for lower wages in the public sector for the benefits and job security that would protect them in any future downturn. Well, it is here, and now those that gambled on the private sector are complaining.

Public sector employees actually make less than their private sector counterparts but may have more benefits through collective bargaining. In fact many private sector employers increase the remuneration their employees get in order to stop them from becoming unionized.

I've been paying Union Dues longer than you have been hatched.

I'm all for the GOP.

You've Never belonged to a Union.

I'll bet that you have Never even held a Job.

Get a Job!!!!

public employees make more because the government doesn't pay them, tax payers do. Private companies can't run if they don't make a profit, like the government can, so they can't afford to pay higher wages.

Because they buy off politicians to turn around and give them cushy deals at the taxpayers' expense. It's a big scam!

And the Democrats are puppets of the Unions. Proving neither party cares about the working class, because we don't have enough money to buy politicians of our own.