Why is it that unionized government workers can’t be set up on a merit pay system? It’s the same thing you hear from teacher unions. The rational used is that internal politics would play into who would benefit from the merit system. Today instead of merit pay the favored worker (this doesn’t necessarily represent the deserved worker) would get moved into a higher grade level to receive the increased pay. So, wouldn’t a merit system improve the likihood that someone who had really earned the merit pay would receive it?

Whenever I try to talk about this with one of my sisters (who’s in the teacher’s union) about a merit pay the response is usually that it won’t work because there’s too much cronyism. Like there isn’t cronyism or favortism in corporate America? Eventually the cream will rise and earn their merit pay, you don’t need a union pay grade system. All the union system does is protect those workers who don’t perform.

And I’d also like to understand just how a Federal Judge has the power to deny a change approved by the Congress (tongue n cheek here).

A federal judge Monday blocked the Defense Department from putting in place a merit pay system, saying it would erode bargaining rights for 650,000 employees.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said the proposed workplace rules also would make it unfairly hard for employees to appeal unfavorable personnel decisions. The suit was filed in November by the American Federation of Government Employees and nine other federal employee unions.

Another federal judge last year barred a similar plan from taking effect at the Homeland Security Department.

Considering the genesis of unions comes out of a communist ideology this is contrary to the tenets of the democratic republic created by our Bill of Rights and Consitution. Especially when it comes to government workers. Just think of that number 650,000 government workers. That’s just with the Federal government. In Minnesota the largest employer is the government of which all the workers are unionized!

FOXNews.com – Politics News – Judge Blocks Merit Pay at Pentagon