This is interesting....governments are established to support and provide various services necessary for the defense and general welfare of the public. Government service is, in every way, shape and form, public service. One must at least consider whether those who choose to serve the public interest should even have the right to negotiate contracts when that service is the result of required government obligations. In a very real way it is like telling the taxpayer that they must not only fund a particular agency but also pay the service providers in that agency whatever they demand. The taxpayer (consumer) is supposed to be the one that gets to decide (at least in a general sense) what services they are willing to pay for and how much they are willing to pay. When unions come in and negotiate contracts for those services the taxpayer is completely cut out of the negotiation process.