Breaking unions

and middle class

Mitch Daniels and the GOP-controlled Legislature are joining the governors in Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan in an all-out class warfare to break the unions and the middle class. Also to deny the unions the ability to donate to the Democratic campaigns. Under the guise of giving people their right-to-work. The right-to-work law handcuffs unions and puts corporations and business in total control.

For those of you who don’t know what right-to-work does, let me give you the bottom line. It forbids and makes it illegal for any corporation or business to sign an agreement, spelling out what each side has pledged to do. So in lieu of a signed agreement, there’ll be a verbal agreement non-binding in any manner.

The very first thing that will happen is the hourly wage and benefits for labor will be reduced. With a verbal agreement corporations and businesses can demand more for less anytime. The GOP right-to-work scam will not create jobs or give corporations and business an incentive to locate in Indiana. Independent study groups have documented those facts in detailed studies.

Unions and union workers in Ohio and Wisconsin have been joined by the middle-class voters to fight back at the union-busting efforts in those states. It’s time for the middle class here in Indiana to fight for fair labor laws. You should call your representative and tell them to vote no on the unethical, unjust attack on labor. If they’re up for re-election, you should remind them that you can vote no, too.

— Pam Rogers

Clinton

Union dues have

favorable results

I have a question. The Republicans say the right-to-work bill is to protect the workers of Indiana. Why are they not including those job service companies that sign contracts with companies that stop you from being hired directly by the company that you would be working for?

Instead, you work for a reduced paycheck with the job service company taking part of what you would be getting paid as their work fee. What do these workers get for their money?

For my union dues, I get a good paycheck, a retirement plan, and health insurance representation with companies I work for. I have worked without union representation for no insurance, begging for a raise, no pension, and being afraid of losing your job if you get sick or hurt. Is this what you want for the working people of Indiana?

If any of you politicians in Indy have any questions, feel free to call. My number is in the book.

— Tim Certain

Terre Haute

Labor law hasn’t

hurt fed workers

A letter to the editor from Dan Cade on Jan. 5 proclaims that the proposed right-to-work law is a farce who’s only purpose is to destroy the union and workers’ rights. Mr. Cade, what the hell are you talking about?

Are you aware that federal employees work under conditions comparable to right-to-work legislation? Are you aware that federal employees are some of the highest paid and earn significantly more fringe benefits than comparable non-federal employees while each one has the right to either join, or refrain from joining (and paying union dues), the unions representing them? 

As an example I offer a job opening in the U.S Department of the interior, job announcement number OS-DA-11-MM583381 (MP), for a secretary (GS 7, 8 or 9) earning between $42,209 and $67,114 to start, a very high salary for a secretary, even at the GS 9 level. In addition this starting secretary will earn 13 days of vacation and 13 days of sick leave, and be offered up to 5 percent additional salary to be contributed to his/her 401k (based on the employee’s contributions). Doesn’t seem to be anything bad about working a job where unions are governed by a “right-to-work” type system.

How many private secretaries make this type of compensation to start? Don’t believe that rhetoric that right-to-work is bad for Unions, it has not harmed the federal unions, it has not harmed the people who pay dues, and it certainly has not harmed those who don’t. Being able to join or refrain from the union has not caused salaries to go down (even though the unions would have you believe that federal employees are the most beleaguered, underpaid, overworked, underappreciated people on the earth). It has not caused working conditions to deteriorate and certainly hasn’t caused many federal employees to be competent or nice to the taxpayers who pay those exorbitant salaries. I suspect that anyone who has been forced to deal with a federal employee would confirm that many are lazy, incompetent sloths, certainly indicative of the power of federal unions to keep these people working even when not everyone is forced to join and pay dues. 

In fact it would be hard to believe that federal employees suffer in any way by not being required exclusively to join and pay union dues.

Right-to-work is good for Indiana, will help with our economy, will put people to work and should be made a law in Indiana. Look how even mentioning it brings out the paid union organizers, paid protesters and plethora of psycho nuts proclaiming the end to life as we know it if we give everyone a fair playing field to compete on. It’s already a financial success.

By the way, I am a retired federal employee, I’ve observed the system from inside and I know what I’m talking about? Mr. Cade, you probably have a good reason for writing, maybe you’re one of those union nut jobs fear mongering your “bruddahs,” maybe you actually believe that garbage but my experience shows that the biggest and strongest unions, and the people they represent, have not been harmed by policies that permit working people to decide whether or not they wish to waste money on union dues.

— Jim Kmetz

Terre Haute

Labor bill mean

and destructive

I have written letters to both the state senators and representatives of my district concerning the right-to-work legislation being proposed in our state. I am hoping that newspapers will print this letter concerning this legislative matter so that other legislators and their constituents might read the words and come to realize why this bill, if passed, would become a detriment to the working men and women of this state.

With little, if any, gain and much to be lost, why would anyone support this bill? It is only speculation that this law would increase the number of living-wage jobs available. It is a definite that it would have the potential to reduce the standard of living for our residents.

I have always believed that public employees should not be unionized. My reasoning for this was that their work did not involve the production of a product or service on which the price could be raised in order to cover the increase in wages or benefits that a union might demand. Such increases could only be achieved through increased taxes on the general public. In my county and most likely others as well, there has generally been locally elected members of councils and boards who determined that fair wages and benefits be paid to the police, firemen, road crews, emergency personnel, etc. Also, to my knowledge, a person who has a state job is considered to be doing well. I’ve also disagreed with some unions’ demands in the past. In spite of all this, on the whole, I believe that unions are a definite necessity.

My son works for a local company where an attempt was made to unionize the plant. Because the company provides decent wages and benefits and treats its employees with respect, I advised my son not to support the union effort. Most of the other employees evidently felt the same way because the union effort failed.

However, not for one minute do I believe that the wages and benefits my son received would be possible were it not for the threat of unionization. Pfizer, Lilly, and other large companies have always paid their employees well and provided excellent benefits. By doing so they did not have to deal with a union working to achieve those wages and benefits for their employees. How many living-wage jobs would there be if it were not for the threat of presence of a union workplace?

Where are the statistics that indicate that not being a right-to-work state is the main issue or even contributing issue causing businesses to not locate in Indiana? Any new business locating here should be prepared to pay fair wages and benefits for the heart of its business, its workers who do their job well. Do we need more jobs that don’t pay a living wage? We already have a lot of them. Do the citizens of this state really believe that most building and trades employers and manufacturing companies’ CEOs would be good ole fellows and continue providing living wages and benefits if there was no union threat to their overly profitable bottom line?

Unfortunately, we have in our state’s leadership positions a lot of people who are self-employed businessmen or are employed in positions where union membership isn’t applicable. These elected leaders seem to have little concept of the difference between just having a low-paying steady job and having a living-wage plus benefits job. Most of the citizens in this state and across America are workers who rely on the type of employment that the union existence makes possible.

My father was a member of the Carpenter’s Union most of his working life. He retired with a pension and affordable health-care benefits.

There was a time beginning over a century ago, and continuing into the early part of the 20th century, that big businesses’ poor treatment of their employees caused the need for those workers to be organized into unions. Workers have been considered a little more than pawns instead of the very core of services.

Workers’ standards of living have come a long way due to the efforts of organizers such as Eugene Debs, Samuel Gompers, John L. Lewis, and others. Don’t let Indiana become one of the states that start the slide back down for the working men and women. Urge our legislators to vote down this mean-spirited and destructive right-to-work bill.

— Patty A. Wright

Shelburn

Indiana’s friendly

business confines

Although it is a phrase repeated with both the frequency and the fervor of religious doctrine, it appears nowhere in the scriptures. Instead, the words, “Greed is good” were first uttered and popularized by a fictional character, the ever shallow Gordon Gecco as portrayed by actor Michael Douglas in the film “Wall Street.” While conservatives may cherish such simplistic Hollywoodisms and the West Coast values they are based upon, it might be insightful to suggest an updated version of the concept would posit that, “Gluttony is likewise beneficial.” That shouldn’t be too hard to swallow.

For many years now, on subjects ranging from schools to prisons to the post office to Social Security, conservatives have rolled out the mantra that government should be run like a business. But is it true? Just look at what a mess that business has made of business. Some of it right here in Indiana. Remember IPALCO? Remember the governor’s costly privatization fiasco with IBM? (It’s still ongoing and costing us taxpayers more each day in legal fees.)

Don’t get me wrong. I am not anti-business. I have long suspected that, if it weren’t for business, I would have a tough time making a living.

And yet, it is hardly a coincidence that Indiana ranks so high on Chamber of Commerce ratings of business-friendly states and so low on per capita income rankings. And, as for the latter, Terre Haute falls among the least (36.7 percent below the national average). At first glance, it may seem disingenuous, but it just doesn’t look like there is much advantage to being a business-friendly state. Both our city and our state remain among the worst in home foreclosures.

As columnist Morton J. Marcus points out in the Jan. 1, 2012, issue of the Tribune-Star, “Gov. Daniels, very early in his first term, identified improving Indiana’s per capita personal income relative to the nation as one of his economic goals for the state.” Marcus continues, noting that from 2002 to 2010, “We have seen our PCPI drop from 90 percent of the national average to 85 percent of that average. Where, in 2002, we ranked 33rd in the nation, our PCPI was 41st in 2010.”

These declines have played out against the backdrop of a GOP-dominated General Assembly whose anti-labor agenda brought us so-called reform of public education, ill-advised property tax caps and other “improvements” that are hobbling our progress. Our “true” unemployment rate is over 16 percent.

And now, Gov. Daniels has signaled his intentions to spearhead efforts to further erode the hopes of families for a better life by pushing right-to-work-for-less-without-insurance-in-unsafe-environments legislation through the Indiana assembly.

It is time for Hoosiers to be asking ourselves, “How much more business-friendly can we afford to be?”

— Clay Wilkinson

Terre Haute

Ideal spot for

new housing

I have felt for many years that the north side of the east end of Ohio Boulevard is the perfect place for a retirement facility. It’s a beautiful area near Deming Park and The Meadows, Logams, etc., and is very walkable unlike the other retirement facilities in town except for Anthony Square (not in the best area) and Sycamore Manor (apartments only).

I was afraid building Sycamore Manor would generate a lot more traffic; it didn’t. I own a house on Barton Avenue just north of Ohio. I love living in that area and would want to stay on the east side if I need to move to a retirement facility. It’s the perfect location.

Terre Haute is very lacking in good options for retirees whereas tiny Greencastle has several as does Franklin, etc. The facility could be set back sufficiently from the street and as many trees as possible could be kept, landscaping could be done and the rest of the area kept green and as open as possible.

— Robert L. Carter

Terre Haute

Americans need

some motivation

For quite a while I’ve been frustrated as to the exact words to use in my opinion of “our” Congress. In the Jan. 7 paper, letter writer John Kuchinskas did it for me. Not just me, but all Americans. I’m proud to be an American, but I’m sure not proud of our legislators. They’re self-serving thieves who don’t look beyond their next paycheck, which they’ll have for the rest of their lives.

Thank you, Mr. Kuchinskas. You’re way more profound than me. As Americans, we need to get off our lazy, apathetic behinds, and do something about it. Now! Elections are coming up this year. Wake up, America!

— Michael T. Lawson

Marshall, Ill.