Kudos for Setting a Good Example

In Los Angeles, the DWP union has been doing something right. Workers there are set to get a 5.9% raise for this year, matching the official inflation over the past year: Windfall for DWP workers. Not keeping up with inflation (and waiting a year even when you do) is the primary means which bosses use to cut workers wages over time. It's so ingrained into the contemporary mentality that you sometimes encounter defensiveness when pointing this out as a "wage cut".

The article explores the fear this kind of example instills in the bosses, pointing out left and right how upset their lackeys are at the raise. Fortunately, there is some perspective here: the $16.4 million needed to cover this is small compared to the $4.3 billion budget. On top of that, when forced to deal with this situation, the DWP had to admit that it's not an additional burden on the infrastructural needs. Instead, money can be cut from "outside consulting contracts" – a code word for money handed out to friends.

The biggest fear from those opposed to this is that other workers might demand the same treatment. Well, those workers should!