The other side of the coin

The other side of the coin

EDITOR:

The writer of a March 5 letter regarding the Employee Free Choice Act stated that labor unions would pressure, threaten and assault employees to sign authorization cards. I have seen companies do exactly that on numerous occasions. How would the writer explain the fact that when 100 percent of the employees sign authorization cards and the union asks the employer for voluntary recognition, the company almost always asks for an election? The answer is currently the elections held by the National Labor Relations Board have become lengthy and controversial, with companies trying fiercely to halt the union’s efforts and often violating the National Labor Relations Act. Pro-union employees are regularly threatened or fired with little recourse under the law. If the employees somehow succeed in winning an election, they are unable to procure an agreement one-third of the time.

Why are unions pushing this bill so strongly? For the exact opposite reasons companies are pushing against it. E.F.C.A. would strengthen penalties for companies that commit unfair labor practices against employees during an organizing campaign.

Finally, the March 5 writer claims labor unions have played a major role in the loss of manufacturing jobs. But with 88 percent of America’s workers unrepresented, it seems much more likely that greedy executives, who move companies to foreign countries to exploit workers, are to blame. Without unions to uphold the wages and benefits of the American middle class, it will continue to be a race to the bottom.

ROBERT J. HOLTON

Youngstown

X The writer is marketing representative for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66.

Remodeling raises questions

EDITOR:

I am writing in response to the recent articles concerning WRTA’s plan to expand their offices on Mahoning Avenue. If this project has been in the planning stages since 2005, how come it was never mentioned before they wanted us to pass the 0.25 percent sales tax in November?

The stimulus money is intended to create and retain long term jobs. How can you justify spending $2.2 million (out of $3.51) for building construction, when the sole purpose of this money is expansion of countywide services, vehicles for such purposes and hiring additional drivers to provide these services? That’s what we all voted for, and once again we were duped into believing it would really happen.

As taxpayers, in this current economy, we are forced to live within a fixed budget, and “tighten our belts.” Wouldn’t it make sense then to work with what you got?

We as citizens of Mahoning County need to voice our opinions on this unnecessary spending of our tax dollars to the commissioners, the mayor, the new board members and anyone else involved in this decision.

But if this must be, and will be imposed upon us, I would like to see competitive bidding and all bids stay within Mahoning County and absolutely the hiring of local union laborers.

BOB TARGETT

Austintown