The pension issue.

It seems to me that one of the biggest barriers to a fair resolution to the pension issue, is many pensioners themselves.

When I've talked to them, they're like, "I worked, I put my years in, I don't care, I want my money."

In a way, they're not wrong that there was a deal, but they just don't realize how they look and sound.

First off, who can find a job that's even like half of what they had, nowadays?

It really is a stretch to think that people in much shittier jobs would be happy to pay retirements for others when they don't have one themselves.

Second off, the whole selfishness thing of some pensioners makes it easier to bust them.

If they go selfish and it's all about the money, then it's easier for people without pensions to go selfish and be all about the money and be like, "F*ck these people."

Really, the best situation would be if these old unioners had been or were acting in solidarity for other people's job improvements.  That way, there's a sense of community and pitching in and a bit of sacrifice for others, that would allow others to see paying their pensions as mutuality.

Instead, it's a "me myself and I" schtick that does no-one any favors.

As a politician, though, you can't acknowledge it, instead the most you could maybe do is combo pension legislation with labor law improvements to pass both together.

Overall, I am so happy that the face of modern-day trade unionism is "Fight for Fifteen," and not these retirees...  The "Fight for Fifteen" is worth its weight in gold as a substantive PR move for unionized workers, since it really is about general uplift and it comes from established national unions who usually don't do that.