Auto Insurance and Strong Unions: Both Good for Society

This is a short follow-up to my post about unions and right-to-work laws yesterday.  I came upon a great metaphor and wanted to expand on it as a way to explain the necessity of unions and paying for them.

Owning a car is technically a choice people can make.  Yes, I understand that in many parts of the country driving is unavoidable for day-to-day work and activities.  However, you could still compare the choice of owning a car vs. not owning a car to having a union job or non-union job.  Sure, you could take the non-union job, but the union job might have better pay and benefits, which are necessary to support a family.  In the end having a car and the better job, while technically choices, are de facto requirements.

There are, of course, associated costs of owning a car.  One of these is insurance, which drivers in every state are required to have and, of course, pay for themselves.  Now, does the government require you to get the full package, complete coverage for everything?  No.  It varies by state, but generally you're only required to get liability coverage.  Why?  Because it protects you and is good for society because it lowers the overall risk of driving a car (after all, managing risk is the basic purpose of insurance).  Even non-drivers benefit; if they are injured or their property damaged in an accident, they know the offender's insurance will cover at least the legally required amounts.

Likewise, people with union jobs must pay the minimum fees associated with union representation.  They don't have to become complete members and pay the full price of such.  But in return for fees they get the collective benefit of a union that will fight for their interests.  And in the end, even workers with non-union jobs benefit.  I don't have a union job.  But I have paid holidays, insurance benefits, pension possibilities, and other perks that unions struggled to bring to millions of Americans for decades.  Even employees in states as alien to unions as Texas take such benefits for granted...until they're taken away.  No union ever argued to raise health insurance premiums so one more CEO could get a golden parachute.  I'm fortunate to have a good job with benefits.  Put me on the side of solidarity with workers who deserve the same.