Should players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) be paid the same as their male counterparts in the National Basketball Association (NBA)?

1. Do you believe that union shop agreements are violations of a worker’s freedom of choice in the workplace?  Do you think open shop agreements unfairly penalize workers who pay dues to unions they have elected to represent them in the workplace?

I do not believe union shop agreements are violations of a worker’s freedom of choice in the workplace and I do not believe open shop agreements unfairly penalize workers who pay dues to unions. I believe in people being able to choose where they work knowing if there are union shop agreements or open shop agreements and people can decide whether or not they want to participate in unions or the company that they are interested in working for. For a union shop agreement, as long as the person applying for the job is aware of the agreement, they can decide whether they want to do it or not, so it is not unfair. For the open shop agreement, the ones who decided to join the union did so knowingly and willingly so they are not being unfairly penalized as others were hired and decided not to join the union. It’s all about choice and living with the choices one makes.

2.   2. Some college football and basketball coaches earn huge incomes.  Should college volleyball and swimming coaches be paid comparably?  Should players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) be paid the same as their male counterparts in the National Basketball Association (NBA)?  What role should market forces and government play in determining such wages?

This is another example of people choosing their career paths and knowing what they are deciding to do for themselves. If college football and basketball coaches get paid more, it is because college football and basketball generate more revenue than college volleyball and swimming. Because of this, the football and basketball jobs are worth more to the college because of the revenue they generate and the coach positions for them are of higher importance from a business standpoint. I don’t believe market forces or the government should be involved at all in determining such wages. I am totally for less government involvement in the lives of people and business and allowing people and business to have as much freedom as possible. And if colleges want to pay more for basketball and football coaches than they do for swimming and volleyball coaches, that is their choice just as it is the choice of the coaches to accept the jobs or not.

3.  3. If a company provides employer-paid child care services to workers with children, should those who don’t have children or don’t need child care services be paid extra?

No, I do not believe workers who don’t have children or don’t need child care services should be paid extra. When someone decides to apply for a job at a company, they should be aware of what they are applying for, what the job is as well as the pay and benefits. If the person accepts the position, then that person accepts the pay, benefits and rules of the company. Just because a benefit is offered that does not apply to someone does not mean that someone should be paid more because he or she does not use it. What if that person did get paid more and then has a family later and decides to partake in the childcare benefit? Then should that person’s extra earnings be taken away? I’m sure they wouldn’t like taking a pay cut now that they want to enjoy the benefits they are now choosing to partake in. Here are the benefits, if one choses to or not to utilize them, that is up to the individual and pay will not be affected either way. You decided to work here, you knew what you were getting into, and it is your free choice to work elsewhere just as it was your free choice to work here knowing what this company’s benefits are and aren’t.