
How police unions actually hurt police officers - jseliger
http://theweek.com/articles/635385/how-police-unions-actually-hurt-police-officers
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themartorana
I feel there are some parallels to teachers unions (and all unions, in fact)
that put protection of certain individuals above logic and fairness. Bad
teachers and bad cops are never taken out of rotation, and are defended by
their unions to a degree that can be maddening, completely tone-deaf, and
entirely defying logic.

Applied more broadly, this same protectionism keeps useful reforms from
passing, and installs an ingrained fear of change to all members. Anyone union
member that feels or acts differently or "out of line" does so at great danger
from the organization supposed to be protecting them from harm.

Unions as bargaining power against corporations looking to take advantage of
labor can have a lasting positive effect. When they become politically
powerful, they often act no differently than mob-like protection rackets, paid
for protection no matter the charge.

In the end, acting like this disengages members from the public, and makes
enemies of the very class of people that might one day be members.

