Letters to the Editor: DC 37 Not Acting Like a Union
To the Editor:
      As District Council 37 delegates meet to choose a new Executive Director, we should keep in mind the difference between a real union and a patronage operation designed to protect incumbents. A real union seeks full membership of all workers. It does not consign some to second-class "agency fee-payer" status in order to strip them of voting rights.
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REUTER'S CONFLICT
To the Editor:
      It was announced recently that New York City Transit President Lawrence Reuter is leaving his post to take a position with Parsons Brinckerhoff, a huge international engineering firm. This firm has a number of contracts with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including the East Side Access project.
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LEARN FROM SHOOTING
To the Editor:
      I'm glad that State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has agreed to monitor the investigation into the shooting of Sean Bell. Hopefully, he will use his influence to eliminate or reduce the politics and public relations games that often contaminate cases like this one and the Diallo shooting.
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FDNY LOST IN FOREST
To the Editor:
      The FDNY, including Fire Commissioner Scoppetta, says "a firehouse is a workplace like any other." And in that statement lies the biggest problem of all with the people who actually do the firefighting. There's no logic to comparing a firehouse with an office, where people show up every day at 9 a.m.
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MATTER OF RELIGION
To the Editor:
      This is in response to "Special Treatment" (Jan. 12 letter) by Hugh M. Masterson. While, Mr. Masterson, it may seem inequitable that a "rookie" Hasidic Jew is given privileges that your (equally?) observant dad, self and others were denied, the reasons are really quite simple. The Jewish faith prohibits all Jews from "any servile work ..." on the Sabbath (Saturday) and certain holidays.
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