Letters to the Editor
Bigger Issues in Activist's Death

To the Editor:

When I read the article in the Dec. 28 issue of The Chief about Veronica Johannesen being killed by her husband I was so shocked that I felt compelled to write a letter. As tragic as Veronica's death is, she is not alone. So many working people have become victims of the profound social and economic crisis wracking this country, and so while Veronica is the latest victim to be reported, too many others have also been seriously hurt by this crisis.

It is true that Veronica's husband is an alcoholic and has mental problems and that was the direct cause of her death, but alcoholism is a complicated illness with a variety of factors that contribute to its addictive qualities; family history and biological predilections are but two factors, but economic and social conditions are also important determinants.

Veronica and her husband were deeply in debt, and while Veronica worked, she, like so many other city workers, did not make enough money to pull them out of the deep hole they had found themselves in. Selling the house would have left them homeless since they would not have received enough from the sale to pay off the initial mortgage. Sound familiar?

People like Veronica and many other full-time workers were and continue to be bogged down in their own economic crises. This not only resulted in Veronica's death, but more and more city workers are living in shelters because they cannot afford to pay their rent.

It is necessary to have a much broader approach to address the economic crisis facing all workers, not just those in DC 37. The economic crisis is not just in the public sector but in the private sector as well, and is manifested not just in this country but has more profoundly, especially since NAFTA, stricken the international working class. Workers must look for broad solutions since nothing less will do. Veronica, while not necessarily having a program that would address all the problems facing workers, knew damn well that at least one problem needed to be resolved if any of the others were to be seriously dealt with. She understood that it was necessary to replace the old union bosses with people who were willing to fight for their members.

This is why I appreciated the editorial that dealt with Veronica's death. It attempted to deal with her not just solely as the victim but as someone who was concerned with her fellow workers even when it was not popular and even when others failed to do so.

Veronica's husband was ill and no doubt she should have left him, but when one is in deep debt and there is little left of any social safety net for either the victim or the alcoholic, disaster will inevitably follow. As everyone knows, these two afflictions prey upon each other. And unlike those who responded to my last letter and who argue that workers need not take up the broader social issues, think of Veronica and the massive debt that weighs upon so many of us. Think about where the government is spending our money and to what end and think about what kind of role a union should play in guaranteeing safety to its members.

Unless we break down the imposed divisions that divide us, I think it very likely that the tent city that has grown up among the unemployed in Riverside, California will become a reality not only in New York but all over the country.

CAROL LANG, Local 384, District Council 37