Philip Howard

And almost immediately, they started getting controls that effectively prevent any manager from dismissing anyone.

And almost immediately, they started getting controls that effectively prevent any manager from dismissing anyone.

Sure. So what's happened since collective bargaining was authorized in the 1960s is there's been a steady accretion of controls. One benefit is to have wages go up. And I'm not, you know, I think that's the least of the sense here.

Sure. So what's happened since collective bargaining was authorized in the 1960s is there's been a steady accretion of controls. One benefit is to have wages go up. And I'm not, you know, I think that's the least of the sense here.

The second thing that happened is that unions and political leaders figured out they could make promises with pensions in the future without having it come out of the current budget. So then they made promises for future pension and healthcare benefits that didn't affect the current sitting political leader.

The second thing that happened is that unions and political leaders figured out they could make promises with pensions in the future without having it come out of the current budget. So then they made promises for future pension and healthcare benefits that didn't affect the current sitting political leader.

But then you have these 200 to 300 page agreements, which have gotten more and more detailed over the years, where the controls almost look like it's control for its own sake. So the disciplinary proceedings require objective proof. all kinds of warnings in advance. In police contracts in many jurisdictions, you can't interview the police officer for several weeks.

But then you have these 200 to 300 page agreements, which have gotten more and more detailed over the years, where the controls almost look like it's control for its own sake. So the disciplinary proceedings require objective proof. all kinds of warnings in advance. In police contracts in many jurisdictions, you can't interview the police officer for several weeks.

The police officer and his representative get a chance to view all the other witness statements first so they can conform their story to what other people are saying. The discipline is resolved by arbitrators who are approved by the unions. And if they don't go along with what the union wants, then they won't be approved next time. So it's their job. So they've been paid off as well.

The police officer and his representative get a chance to view all the other witness statements first so they can conform their story to what other people are saying. The discipline is resolved by arbitrators who are approved by the unions. And if they don't go along with what the union wants, then they won't be approved next time. So it's their job. So they've been paid off as well.

And then there are these management controls by the federal government. Anytime there's a new word processing program, the union gets to negotiate how the training works. Whenever there's any reallocation of resources or asking somebody to do something out of their job description, the answer is no. You only can work within your job description.

And then there are these management controls by the federal government. Anytime there's a new word processing program, the union gets to negotiate how the training works. Whenever there's any reallocation of resources or asking somebody to do something out of their job description, the answer is no. You only can work within your job description.

So let's say a work crew is fixing the Long Island Railroad, for example. And there's an overhanging branch on the tree. The work crew fixing the rail track isn't allowed to pull down that branch. You have to call in a worker whose job it is to clean up the branch. I mean, there are controls that are designed for inefficiency.

So let's say a work crew is fixing the Long Island Railroad, for example. And there's an overhanging branch on the tree. The work crew fixing the rail track isn't allowed to pull down that branch. You have to call in a worker whose job it is to clean up the branch. I mean, there are controls that are designed for inefficiency.

The police is interesting. Police is less rigid than, say, highway work crews or teachers or bureaucrats because the police job is generally on the sidewalk, right? So they have to respond to what they see. So the biggest problems with the police contract are the ones having to do with general management, allocation of people from this job assignment to another job assignment, and indiscipline.

The police is interesting. Police is less rigid than, say, highway work crews or teachers or bureaucrats because the police job is generally on the sidewalk, right? So they have to respond to what they see. So the biggest problems with the police contract are the ones having to do with general management, allocation of people from this job assignment to another job assignment, and indiscipline.

I mean, like with Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, people said they had never seen a police officer who had been terminated for misconduct. Thinking about what are management tools? Well, the main tool is accountability. The next best tool is resource allocation. You can't do that. You can't allocate resources differently. You can't manage it differently. You can't even make suggestions.

I mean, like with Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, people said they had never seen a police officer who had been terminated for misconduct. Thinking about what are management tools? Well, the main tool is accountability. The next best tool is resource allocation. You can't do that. You can't allocate resources differently. You can't manage it differently. You can't even make suggestions.

Yes. I think there are two sources of school failure in this country. The first is that no one has authority to close bad schools by and large in the Union States or authority to manage them differently. So in Chicago, there are 45 schools where not one student is proficient in reading or math. And no one in Chicago has the authority to do anything about those schools.

Yes. I think there are two sources of school failure in this country. The first is that no one has authority to close bad schools by and large in the Union States or authority to manage them differently. So in Chicago, there are 45 schools where not one student is proficient in reading or math. And no one in Chicago has the authority to do anything about those schools.