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Unions the Softies

Unions the Softies

To the Editor:

As Richard Steier avers in his Nov. 18 article in The Chief, Mayor Bloomberg is no Mr. Softie in his negotiations with the municipal unions.

The problem is most of the unions are led by real "Mr. Softies," and they let the mayor and his antiunion hatchet-men chop away at the rights of the workers in every contract.

You can't have a genuine, effective leader of any municipal union who is not willing to be arrested and do some jail time if it becomes necessary. Sure, it's a lot to ask, but a willingness to sacrifice oneself is an absolute requirement for the job.

You want sacrifice? Real sacrifice is what Jock Yablonsky of the United Mine Workers made in the early 1970s. When he led his union rights group, "Miners for Democracy" and challenged the incumbent union president, Tony Boyle, his life was threatened. Yablonsky persisted, called Boyle a criminal and a thief, and was shot-gunned to death in bed - along with his wife and daughter. There are some very dedicated union members in the city work force, but few, if any, union presidents who have the smarts, the creativity and the guts to do their respective jobs. That's why it's been so easy for the Mayor to have his way with them.

MICHAEL J. GORMAN