The role of government employees is distinct from the private sector in that they serve, not a corporation, but the public trust. This sacred duty requires accountability, efficiency, and a commitment to the common good. However, the existence of unions in the public sector undermines these ideals, fostering inefficiency, reducing accountability, and insulating poor performers from consequences. Both history and current realities reveal the dangers of allowing government employees to unionize, and it is time to reconsider this practice to restore integrity and excellence to public service.

Historically, even prominent labor advocates were skeptical of public-sector unions. Franklin D. Roosevelt, a champion of labor rights, warned against public employee unions, arguing that the public servant’s loyalty must remain with the citizens they serve, not with a collective bargaining entity. Roosevelt rightly understood that government is not a business with profits to negotiate, but a public trust with a mandate to protect the interests of taxpayers. Public-sector unions, he cautioned, create an inherent conflict of interest, where employees lobby for higher pay and benefits at taxpayers’ expense, often with little regard for the public good.

Today, Roosevelt’s warnings have become reality. Public-sector unions have grown into powerful political entities, wielding enormous influence over elected officials who rely on their endorsements and campaign contributions. This symbiotic relationship often prioritizes union interests over taxpayers, leading to bloated budgets, unsustainable pension obligations, and a civil service system riddled with inefficiencies. Supervisors are often powerless to address under performance, as union contracts shield employees from accountability. In some cases, it is nearly impossible to terminate a government worker, no matter how egregious their misconduct.

The COVID pandemic brought these issues into focus. Government offices across the nation shut their doors, with employees working from home—or in many cases, barely working at all. Organizations such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Internal Revenue Service became infamous for backlogs and delays, leaving citizens without the services they desperately needed. Union contracts often prevented supervisors from requiring employees to return to the office or adapt to more productive workflows.

Examples abound of government employees failing the citizens they are paid to serve. In schools, union contracts protect under performing teachers while opposing reforms that would improve outcomes for students. City and county building departments, shielded by unions, delay permits and inspections for months and years, crippling projects, frustrating taxpayers, and stalling growth…failures the private sector wouldn’t tolerate. From local government offices to federal agencies, unions have turned public service into a job for life, regardless of performance or commitment.

This must change. Public service is a privilege, not a right, and it must be held to a higher standard. To restore accountability, efficiency, and trust in government, public-sector unions must be dismantled. This requires bold legislative action. Congress and state legislatures must take up the mantle, passing laws that prohibit government employees from unionizing. At the same time, civil service protections should be reformed to empower supervisors to reward excellence, address mediocrity, and terminate those who fail to meet the standards of their roles.

Call to Action: Musk and Ramaswamy, listen up: According to the Congressional Budget Office, Federal employees with a high school diploma or less receive total compensation averaging 40% more than their private-sector counterparts. Taxpayers deserve a government that works for them, not for itself. Eliminating public-sector unions is not an attack on workers; it is a necessary step to ensure that government employees compete like the rest of us for their jobs and serve the public with integrity, accountability, and a renewed commitment to excellence. Let us demand better, for ourselves and for future generations.

By Whose Authority?

For more information on my Commentary and to see some of my backup research, or if you wonder why I take the position I take, go to www.LyleBrennan.com.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”