Letters
Founding Father
Here in Pennsylvania we are under assault by Gov. Tom Ridge. He has attacked our teachers, prevailing wage, our working poor, and, of course, state workers.
I have sat in union meetings and listened to fellow members say, "Who is the union to tell me who to vote for?" The union is the last friend we have. The union told us what Tom Ridge intended to do to state workers. Many did not listen.
The Republicans are great at muddying the water with issues that will keep us distracted from their real agenda-more profit for their campaign contributors, while the working families of this country get a little less each year. It is time for American workers to start voting their pocketbooks.
If you are willing to sit back and just let things happen to you, they usually will. For the worse. Do not complain if you are not willing to join the fight. If you do nothing, you are supporting the attack on us.
Thomas West
Local 3448 (Council 87)
Pennsylvania
After nearly 20 years of legal battles and resistance, the United Farm Workers signed a five-year contract with Bruce Church Inc., the nation's third largest lettuce grower. ... This historical and pivotal moment in our struggle would not have been possible without [AFSCME's] support. ... On behalf of this union and of the hundreds of Bruce Church lettuce workers who can now enjoy the benefits of a union contract, I thank you.
Arturo Rodriguez, President
United Farm Workers of America
"Making Managers Barrier Free" [July/August issue] was about my colleague Elias Orozco, an economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who has had cerebral palsy since birth.
As a fellow USDA employee and former AFSCME member, I fully understand Mr. Orozco's situation. In February 1993 USDA denied me conversion from the Civil Service to the Foreign Service due to the disability of my minor daughter.
Although my case pre-dated the arrival of AFSCME Local 3976 at USDA, I became one of the first members in 1994. As a result of AFSCME's strong support, I am now the agricultural attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. As my friend Elias found out, persons with disabilities, and, in my case, families with disabilities, can count on AFSCME!
James Patterson
Laredo, Texas
One of your published letters in the July/August issue was outrageous. Mr. Robert Bruce of Seattle used several very offensive phrases which you chose to print. Among them: "scheming unprincipled business leaders." But the most disturbing sentence came next. "These people are flirting with nothing less than civil war!" If a Republican leader or pro-life activist had made such comments they would have been condemned as trying to incite violence in the masses.
Allen Cavender
Department of Corrections
Local 117 (Council 31)
Illinois
