public sector news stories on Newser

Britain Goes on Strike

Kevin Spak — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:35:47 CST

Public sector workers across Britain went on strike today in protest of government demands that they contribute more to their pensions and wait longer to receive them. As many as 2 million were expected to strike, according to the AP , making it the biggest action in Britain since 1979. Only...

After 1am Vote, Things Get Crazier in Wisconsin

Rob Quinn — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:46:45 CST

Wisconsin's assembly approved a controversial bill stripping public sector workers of collective bargaining rights early Friday morning after a grueling 61-hour debate. Just after 1am, Republicans abruptly cut off debate and announced a voice vote. Chaos erupted—Republicans shouted their ayes, Democrats booed, and within seconds the electronic vote system...

Public Employees Enjoy 12% Higher Pay Than Private

Guvner — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:47:39 CDT

Private sector workers would need to put in an extra month and a half of work time in order to receive the same annual compensation as their counterparts on the federal payroll, according to data from a Bureau of Labor Statistics study. Accounting for educational level, experience. race, gender, and...

Deficit's Not a Dirty Word

Rob Quinn — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:00 CST

The debate over the deficit is being crippled by a failure to face up to what we need the government to do, writes EJ Dionne Jr. To have a rational debate about the budget, lawmakers should admit that running a deficit during a time of high unemployment is a good...

Leveling With Voters Could Revive GOP

Jason Farago — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:22:33 CDT

The economy might be in shambles, but Republicans are offering no alternative plan to ward off mounting American debt—insisting on yet more tax cuts and refusing to cut into bloated Medicare. David Brooks suggests they take a lesson from their British cousins, the Tories, who are poised to win...

'Black Thursday' Strike Staggers France

Jason Farago — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:48:24 CST

More than a million protesters in France are taking to the streets today in the country's biggest general strike in decades, reports the Times of London. The so-called "Black Thursday" job action is bringing together public and private sector workers, along with students, who are angered by President Nicolas Sarkozy's...

Leave Washington Alone!

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:58:14 CDT

Politicians can make a career out of promising to “change,” “clean up,” “reform,” and “shake up” Washington. And while the District may not completely be a shining city on a hill, it’s doing just fine, thank you, Leonard Downie writes in a tribute to the nation’s oft-slandered capital. “It particularly...

Iraq Private Sector Stalls, Public Hiring Fills Gap

Matt Cantor — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:05:46 CDT

With private business slow to take root in post-invasion Iraq, the government is picking up the slack by hiring a vast army of employees, the New York Times reports, creating an economy far different from what the US had foreseen. Government jobs will account for about 35% of employment this...