Sunday, October 12, 2003

It's A Dog's Public Employee's Life

In 16 years working for AFSCME, representing state, county and municipal public employees, I came to a few conclusions:
  • Public employees do the most important work this society demands to make life in this country livable and comparatively comfortable.

  • I wouldn't want to do almost any of their jobs

  • They are underappreciated and underpaid. In fact, many people take out their frustration at politicians, or their own problems on public employees.

  • Their jobs are dangerous, particularly due to workplace violence. Year after year, more AFSCME members in social services would be killed than corrections or law enforcement. Violence, added to the other hazards that highway workers, sewage treatment plant workers, hospital workers, etc., etc., experienced, combined with the fact that public employees in over half the states aren't covered by OSHA.
Anyway, it's nice to see an occasional reporter who gets it.