Saturday, May 29, 2004
Speaking out about viewsregarding troubles at RMI
EDITOR:
I can no longer remain silent about the workers locked out by the RMI Co. since Oct. 26, 2003, and the committee's inability to negotiate a tentative agreement to present to the membership. Todd Weddell, as union president, is no better than the company. Todd always says that we are all entitled to our opinions, and I am going to give mine.
As the wife of a negotiator, I am well informed of what takes place at these meetings, whereas, the body is not. They only know what Mr. Weddell chooses for them to know or not know. It is my assessment that there is not a negotiating committee working for the body. Mr. Weddell has deflated his football and is running the wrong way on the playing field.
While Todd is a good man, he has taken his leadership and turned it into a self-serving vendetta, not caring about the people who had voted him in as president. He cares not about the financial instabilities of his people that he is supposed to be representing. He has completely lost focus and admittedly has said that "he" will decide when enough is enough. He doesn't acknowledge the ideas of the majority, even though he always said the majority rules. He has turned the negotiating committee into a "decision-making-individual," who is not truthful, nor up front with his people. When a president uses "I" instead of "we" and ignores the majority on this committee, he has become self-serving.
He has threatened punishment if any committee member doesn't show up at his pep rallies. He has turned down a kind offer of food from Local 1112 because it wasn't monetary. His arrogance of misleading and coercing the body has overwhelmed me. His audacity to tell people to sell their homes is beyond belief. Mr. Weddell has crossed the line of rational thinking when it comes to negotiating on behalf of his union workers.
I am not condoning what RMI Co. is proposing in its concessionary package, but I will not condone a president who is trying to make a name for himself at great cost to others. The committee is being stifled by Todd.
Everyone is afraid to speak up for fear of reproach from Mr. Weddell. Most don't even know what is happening -- the true story, that is. Well, Todd, it is my boat you are sinking, and I'm not going to be afraid to speak up. I just pray that the people you are supposed to be representing speak up loudly before they realize that their boat has sunk at the hands of one man, not the committee.
KATHY MAINE
Canfield
This Memorial Day, honorthose who gave their lives
EDITOR:
This Memorial Day we need to remember all those who sacrificed their lives so we could live ours. The tradition of Memorial Day began more than 100 years ago May 5, 1868, when Gen. Logan proclaimed this day a national holiday -- Decoration Day. Let us all in sincere humility offer a prayer for those young lives ended in the beaches of Normandy, Ardennes, Bastogne, Cassino, Korea, Vietnam, Guadalcanal, Midway, the Philippines, Desert Storm and currently for Iraq Freedom. They were fighting for the peace and freedom we now enjoy.
Let's add, on this Memorial Day, more than 800 servicemen and women who have been lost in Iraq. Each one of them sacrificed his or her life trying to bring peace and safety for the downtrodden Iraqi citizenry.
On this Memorial Day, the observance has special meaning for families who grieve for a loved one. For many of us, our tributes will take the form of visiting grave sites, viewing or participating in parades or spending time in prayer. We should be proud to remember a friend or a loved one who fought and died for us.
VINCENT J. DORIA
Boardman
It's time to remember whowe are, where we've been
EDITOR:
Americans have endured for nearly 228 years. Together, we've met challenges throughout our history with hope and an indefinable spirit. We declared and forged our independence, suffered through a Civil War, broke the shackles of slavery and set the course of freedom for all people throughout our country. We welcomed the downtrodden of the world with open arms and provided a harbor of opportunity for hard-working immigrants.
We fought together for the cause of humanity in two world wars. We buried brothers, uncles, neighbors and friends who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and our way of life. We united around living room radios and listened to President Roosevelt exclaim that, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." We felt comfort in his words. We grew together in adversity. We wept together on V-E Day.
We labored together in our industrial might in damp coal mines, sweating steel mills and textile factories. Together, we gave thanks in our churches, mosques and synagogues for God's blessings on this country. We learned to value the lessons of tolerance and peace professed by Martin Luther King. We recognized the waste and futility of unbridled political ambition, as demonstrated in the Vietnam War. And, we suffered as one family in the aftermath of Sept. 11. With each challenge, we joined together to forge our destiny of hope and unity and marched forward to a better tomorrow.
Now, once again, we face great challenges to our American way of life. Challenges from those few who seek to usurp power by dividing us as a people and as a nation. Challenges from those few who promote agendas with skillful distortions and inaccuracies. Challenges from those few who seek to silence voices of debate. Challenges from those few who seek enrichment in the sacrifice of the weak, uneducated and disconnected members of our society.
Let us be concerned for our neighbor's welfare. And let us recall that there is nothing wrong with a little "watching out for the other guy." Our strength as a nation lies within our shared experience and our concern of all our fellow Americans.
DAVID BOBOVNYIK
Youngstown
Whining about gas priceswon't fix America's problem
EDITOR:
Once again, Americans find themselves in a bind. Gas prices are reaching dizzying highs, and drivers in Ohio and Pennsylvania don't like it ( & quot;At $2 a gallon, full tank means empty wallet, Vindicator, & quot; May 11).
All that I can say is stop whining.
America has always been an automobile-obsessed country. Our big open spaces and stretching highways invite driving as a hobby as well as a necessity.
The trouble is, when gas prices go up, as they periodically will in this cyclical economy, Americans become increasingly frustrated. Suddenly, those big SUVs and impractical trucks and vans don't look like such a bargain.
Yet, anyone who didn't see this coming has only himself to blame. Gas prices always spike at various periods, and the onset of summer usually means an even bigger increase. Americans' obsession with impractical vehicles -- and their unwillingness to walk anywhere -- doubles the anxiety.
As in the past, we'll just have to accept the inevitable. Gas prices will go down again, but whining about it doesn't solve anything. Rather, we'll just have to -- pardon the pun -- ride it out.
JASON C. REEHER
Grove City, Pa.