Dr. Whitcombe notes that unions have given us a number of benefits, such as weekends and health care. Unions, and the upward pressure they put on salaries, are important from an economic perspective too.
Approximately 70 per cent of North American economic activity comes from consumer spending - that is, I buy stuff from you, and you buy stuff from me. Some kinds of spending do very little for the local economy. When you buy gas, for instance, most of the money (~85 per cent) goes to Texas or Saudi Arabia.
Money that we spend on public service salaries, however, is an excellent investment in the local economy. That means that we all benefit from higher wages paid to city workers, school teachers, and other public sector employees.
Indeed, it has been estimated that every dollar the province spends on UNBC, for example, translates into $7 spent in the local economy - the so-called multiplier effect.
And that is undoubtedly true of other public spending in Prince George.
So support your local city workers against city council's American-style attacks on the public sector - not only do city workers deserve to be fairly compensated for their hard work, but it's good for the local economy!
Stephen Rader
Prince George
