OMG, how did anyone ever survive before unions?
Also, IRS collects federal taxes. So they benefit plenty of public sector employees and unions at the fed level. And if you wanna talk about states: yes, in CA public employees have all those benefits you mentioned. And our unfunded pension liability is in the hundreds of billions.
Unions were created to protect worker rights. Everyday people had a hard time legitimately surviving before unions. Even though there are no unions in my line of work, it is the threat of unions that keeps my employer and many like them in line to provide living wages and good benefits. Even 100 years ago, corporations in the US used to have men women and children murdered for people protesting the corporations, this is how the first unions were formed. Now, these same corporations murder men women and children in other countries for attempting the same courses of action.
What does your government do to cut spending? It doesn't do anything of substance does it. Instead of cutting frivolous spending they want to cut the pensions of hard working everday people, who have earned their pension instead of targeting the double dippers in management, police, and fire,as well as redundant and unecessary government agencies and programs. Do some research on it and stop listening to right wing radio or whomever seeded your ignorance on the issue.
Because of Unions: Public Education for Children, Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011, Laws Ending Sweatshops in the United States, Holiday Pay, Employer Dental, Life, and Vision Insurance, Privacy Rights, Pregnancy/Parental Leave, Military Leave,Right to Strike, Veteran's Employment and Training Services (VETS), Compensation increases and Evaluations, Sexual Harassment Law, ADA, Wrongful Termination Law, Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967, Whistleblower Protection Law, Employee Polygraph Protect Act, Unemployment Insurance, Workplace Safety Standards and Regulations, Employer Health Care Insurance, Collective Bargaining Rights, 8-Hour Work Day, Overtime Pay, Child Labor Laws, Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA), 40 Hour Work Week, Worker's Compensation, Weekends, All Breaks at Work, Paid Vacation, FMLA, Sick Leave, Social Security, Minimum Wage, Civil Rights Act/Title VII, Pensions